TOLLYWOOD HEADLINES OF THE DAY

* Mamata Mohandas, who wowed the audiences with her jiving skills at the audio function of Shankardada Zindabad, has bagged a film opposite Nitin. Ravi C Kumar is the director of the film

* Uday Kiran's comeback vehicle, Viyyala Vaari Kayyali, has commenced dubbing. The film is being directed by E Satti Babu and Srihari plays a significant role.

* E V V Satyanarayana's Pellayindi Kaani with his son Allari Naresh is presently picturising the beautiful locales of Godavari districts, in and around Rajahmundhry.

* Rajendra Prasad is busy shooting for Mee Sreyobhilashi, and the unit is getting ready to picturise the climax sequences in Horsley Hills and Srisailam. Rajendra Prasad hopes that this film would be a milestone in his 30-year filmi career.

WILL VIYYALVAARI KAYYALU PROVE TO BE A GOOD OMEN FOR NEHA DHUPIA AND UDAY KIRAN?

Neha Dhupia burst on the Hindi scene with the film Julie, where she was involved more in controversy than in her histrionics. Of course, controversy means her dare bare stripping in the film. The lady didn't get many offers after Julie. And so, she did some odd roles, stripping again, to keep herself in the news.

Now the actress has been booked in Telugu opposite Uday Kiran in Viyyalavaari Kayyalu. Wonder whom she is fighting with in this film. Just kidding!

IT'S CONFESSION TIME FOR UDAY KIRAN: I MESSED UP MY CAREER AND I DON'T BLAME ANYONE

Uday Kiran got a good launch pad in Chitram, and followed it up with some very good films like Nuvvu-Nenu and Manasantha Nuvve. But, somewhere down the line, stardom became too much for him to handle, and he slipped miserably before falling into an abyss. There were no signs of his career taking an upward curve. Balachander's film came and went and he still continues to be where he is: at rock bottom.

Now the actor says that he had tasted success a tad too early in his career. The result, he couldn't follow it up the way he should have as he didn't have proper mentors in the industry who could guide him on the right track. And so, one mistake after another brought him flop after flop. "I am totally responsbile for my failure," he says today.

Of course, it was meant to be a clarification that he was not victimised by the Chiranjeevi family after his engagement with Chiranjeevi's daughter went kaput. Talking about engagement, he says that he has to grow in life, and only then will he think of marriage.

For the moment, he is acting with Sri Hari in Viyyalavari Kayyalu. Let's hope success will smile on him again.

ARRANGEMENTS ARE QUIETLY UNDERWAY FOR THE ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY OF LOKESH AND BRAHMANI

While Balakrishna is busy shooting for his film Okka Mogadu, and Chandrababu Naidu trying to forge a rainbow coalition into a Third Front, preparations are quietly underway for the engagement ceremony of Lokesh Naidu and Brahmani to be held on August 26. Chandrababu Naidu, we hear, is leaving for the US of A to convince his son about the significance of this marriage for his political future, and ensure there are no hiccups in the last minute. Maybe he wants to make it doubly sure after Chiranjeevi's daughter's engagement fiasco with Uday Kiran. Meanwhile, NTR's daughters meet regularly or keep in touch over the phone and can't stop discussing about the things that Brahmani should be decked with -- from gold ornaments to sarees to mehndi to what not. They want to ensure that it is one gala engagement ceremony.