CHIRANJEEVI'S DAUGHTER MARRIES BOYFRIEND, AND ELOPES FILMI STYLE

Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi's younger daughter on Wednesday eloped with her boyfriend after marrying him against her parents' wishes.

Srija married Sirish Bharadwaj, an engineering graduate, at the Arya Samaj ashram in New Bowenpally in Secunderabad and later the couple disappeared. A few friends of the couple attended the simple ceremony, which shocked the family of the Telugu superstar. Chiranjeevi had reportedly opposed Srija's choice prompting her to marry her love without the consent of the family.

The marriage was also telecast live by a Telugu television channel. Srija told reporters that she was in love with Bharadwaj, a resident of Hyderabad, for the last four years.

"Today morning, I escaped from home and we got married. It is a legal marriage as I am 19 and he is 22," she said.

The bride added she also loved her father and hoped he would approve the marriage. The couple said they would meet Chiranjeevi to seek his blessing but did not turn up at his residence in the upscale Jubliee Hills till Wednesday evening.

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN FOR SHEKHAR KAMMULA

With audiences going gaga over Happy Days, since its release on October 2, Shekhar Kammula, the director of the film is a happy man.

Shekhar said that he thoroughly enjoyed making the movie. It was a happy journey all through and the best part was that Happy Days has managed to capture the imagination of young college going crowd for whom the movie was made.

"However, lot of practice went into moulding the new-comers into being actors. A parent-teacher sort of relationship had developed between the actors and me. I wanted to cover all the aspects of the college life through this film. First love, heartbreak, careers, relationships, how strangers meet and become great friends, bonding between the students and the teachers," he said.

"Though I expected a good response from the audience but never expected it to do so well. I feel no Telugu movie in the last 30-40 years has been so successful in depicting the college life, as the movie has been able to do. It seems I have been able to reach to my audiences through this movie," says Shekhar with a smile.

ONE SONG. TWO LANGUAGES. ONE HEROINE. TWO HEROES

THE ORIGINAL IN TELUGU



THE REMAKE IN TAMIL

IS SHAHID GOING AROUND WITH AMRITA RAO AT THE COST OF WRECKING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH KAREENA?

There are enough rumours doing the rounds that the Kareena Kapoor-Shahid Kapur relationship is on the rocks. While the Shahid camp followers blame Kareena for going around with Saif Ali Khan, here comes a new twist to the story. It seems that Kareena is reportedly miffed with Shahid's dalliance with the Atidhi girl Amrita Rao.

Close friends of Kareena indicate that one of the reasons for the relationship going awry is that Kareena is not too happy with Shahid's friendship with Amrita Rao. For she feels that there is more to the friendship between the two, and that the two -- Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao -- have become thick pals during their Vivah days.

For those of you who don't know, Vivah starred Shahid and Amrita and it went on to become a roaring hit. Kareena is allegedly angry with Shahid over the latter two timing her.

Recently, when a journo asked Amrita about the rumours doing the rounds, she shot back saying, "Excuse me, Shahid going around with me, no way". She also went on to say that she has better things to do than wreck someone's relationship. Whatever the truth of the matter is: for now Atidhi girl is in the news for all the wrong reasons.

RAJNIKANTH IS MIGHTY IMPRESSED WITH RAM CHARAN: HE IS NOT A CHIRUTHA, HE IS A BIG TIGER, SAYS THE ACTOR

Getting a certificate from superstar Rajinikanth is usually considered the ultimate compliment and that's what megastar Chiranjeevi's son Ram Charan Teja has managed to do after his very first film.

After watching the special screening of Teja's debut film Chirutha in Chennai, Rajinikanth said the son has proved to be a worthy successor of his father.

"He is not a chirutha, a small tiger. He is a big tiger. After seeing his performance, it doesn't look as though it is his first film, but as if it is his 70th film," said Rajinikanth, actor.

Chirutha is a love story and Ram Charan plays a travel guide. He says he certainly hopes to become competition to dad.

"It will certainly be healthy competition," said Ram Charan Teja.

After one week in theatres, diehard fans of megastar Chiranjeevi, most loved for his dance, more than willingly concede that the junior can follow in his father's footsteps, at least on the dance floor.

NOT JUST IN ANDHRA, OUR FILM CRAZY FANS HAVE TAKEN THEIR STAR MANIA TO CHENNAI THEATRES AS WELL

Theatres in Chennai that screen Telugu films of late are marked by fanfare and huge billboards on the day of film’s release.

Fans of Telugu actors indulge in elaborate celebrations to rejoice the film’s release on the same day as in Andhra Pradesh. Staff of city theatres observed that such enthusiasm by Telugu film fans' associations emerged in the city in the last five years.

The recent festivity in the city was for the much-awaited film, Chirutha, with debutant actor Ram Charan Teja, son of matinee idol Chiranjeevi, in the lead. Several fans who thronged the theatres burst firecrackers and distributed sweets to celebrate the release.

A staff of the Casino theatre said the merriment was almost on par with the celebration for Tamil movies. Huge billboards were also put up by members of Telugu film fans association to cheer the movie. However, most of these fans associations that are formed by a group of youngsters or college students are short-lived.

Earlier, the students used their college names in the billboards. After they faced disciplinary action from their colleges, they had formed associations, he said.

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NUVVU NENU GIRL ANAITA AKA NATASHA IS SINGING A NEW TUNE WITH HER HUSBAND: YOU, ME AND DIVORCE

She made a splash in Tollywood with Nuvvu Nenu. But somehow Dame Luck didn't favour her to establish herself as an actress. But she was mighty cute in Thotti Gang. If Anita Hassanandani aka Natasha didn't find her bearings in the Telugu film industry, it is because she was the blue-eyed babe of the queen of the small screen Ekta Kapoor. Ekta considered her as her lucky mascot, which is why she refused to let go of her and gave her prominent roles in her K serials.

The latest about the actress is that her marriage is on the rocks. She fell in love with her co-hero Eijaz Khan on the sets of the tele serial Kaavanjali and tied the knot soon enough. She even quit acting in tele serials for her beau much to the chagrin of Ekta. But she soon realised that marriage is a stifling institution and the demands of her husband are too much to have even a semblance of happiness. And so she decided to walk out of the marriage. And how? By looking out for work.

Her mentor Ekta was too glad to take her. And this was the last straw that broke the dispirited marriage. And recently, when Ekta hosted a party, the couple not only came separately but also refused to see eye to eye. Very sad for her, isn't it? But we must say, the actress looks wow now than she was before.

NEHA SHARMA, THE DARLING OF CHIRUTHA, HAS OODLES OF GLAMOUR AND TALENT

NAGARJUNA DANCES TO CHIRUTHA'S TUNE: A HILARIOUS REMIX

Nagarjuna may not get the right script to act with Chiranjeevi, but he doesn't need to the tunes of the megastar's son -- Ram Charan Teja. And that is precisely what he does in this video. Check it out!



WANNA CHECK OUT SOME AMAZING PHOTOS, CLICK HERE

CHIRUTHA MAKES A MIGHTY ATTEMPT TO MAKE A DEAFENING ROAR, BUT IT IS LOST IN THE CALLOUS NOISES OF THE WILD

One of the biggest challenges in the Telugu film industry today is launching a star son. The money riding on the film is so phenomenal and the expectations are so high that the audience wants nothing but a perfect product. And ironically, filmmakers too give a serious thought to the audience's likes and dislikes, and start pandering to their sentiments. So, what we get in Chirutha is a mish-mash of comedy, drama, sentiment and loads of action. The latter more so since Ram Charan Teja happens to be megastar Chiranjeevi's son.

But the moot point is: How does one launch the hero? With what kind of script? How should the love story be? These were some burning problems before Puri Jagannadh and the star-father Chiranjeevi. And not wanting to beat about the bush, they opted for the straight and simple narrative. The villain (Ashish Vidyarthi) kills the hero's father (Surya), and the hero seeks revenge.

And, of course, there is another stereotype. The heroine. That is Neha, whatever. If she is rich, she has to be arrogant and throw attitude and she does it in plenty being the wealthy businessman Prakash Raj's daughter. So what is a hero for if not to remove the money-clouded dust in her eyes and make her see the world in all its glory? And our Ram Charan does the same thing too and they fall in love and all that rigmarole.

But what is so different about the film you ask. The scale of the film. The action happens not in India but in Thailand, the land of sex, sleaze and sun-kissed beaches. And we have the hero gyrating to all those massy-massy numbers with the sometimes skimpily clad heroine and having a gala time. But, time and again he keeps rememering his mission: to avenge the death of his father lest it would be difficult to drag the film to its logical conclusion.

By now, you must be asking what is new about the film? I want to ask you the same thing what is new about any film where the hero bashes up a hundred guys without as much batting an eyelid. If you had expected an unusual script, that is your problem. Chiranjeevi & Co are more interested in carrying forward the mantle in the parameters laid down centuries ago. You either like it or leave it. But they wouldn't change their way of looking at cinema.

But, some of us are clever at reading the film between the lines. And that is where the comedy scores. Ali, portrays the half-man, half-woman character to perfection. And so do the other comedians, who lift up the spirits of the otherwise run-of-the-mill film.

But, Ram Charan seems to have succeeded in making a statement of style. And in choosing a subject that has some resemblances to Kaho Na... Pyar Hai, he has decided to usurp the title of the Hrithik Roshan of Tollywood.

IS TULASI SLATED FOR DISASTER AT THE BOX OFFICE?

Daggubati Suresh Babu, who is presently busy with the film Tulasi, starring his brother Venkatesh, is not a happy man these days. Not for any reason. He feels that Tulasi is not shaping the way he wanted it to be. And, therefore, he's pretty upset about its future. And, unlike many producers, Ramanaidu and his son, release their own films and therefore, if the film turns turtle at the box-office, it leaves a big hole in their pocket.

IT IS NOT EASY TO BE CHIRANJEEVI'S SON, AND RAM CHARAN TEJA IS FEELING JITTERY TOO OVER CHIRUTHA'S RELEASE

It is one of the biggest debuts in the Telugu film industry in recent times. When other star sons like Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Balakrishna and even Mahesh Babu made their debut, they were greeted with a mix of objective optimism. And the fanfare was definitely muted when compared with the debut of Chiranjeevi's son Ram Charan Teja.

Ram Charan is all set to hit the screen tomorrow. And he has already become something of a legend. For the simple reason that he is the son of Chiranjeevi, the megastar who trailed a blaze for three decades. And still continues to command a huge following.

And it is not an easy task for anyone to make a debut with such huge expectations riding on him. And naturally Ram Charan Teja is feeling jittery too.

Talking to NDTV on the eve of the release of his film, Ram Charan admits he is tense about Friday when his debut film, Chirutha releases in 650 theatres worldwide.

Says the 22-year-old actor, "I would want to see how Chiranjeevi's son is performing. What does he have to give us? Is he going to reach his fans' expectations? Does he have anything in him apart from being Chiranjeevi's son?," says Ram Charan.

Charan is himself a huge fan of Chiranjeevi, the star, and he does not want his father to look for different kind of roles, just because his son is donning the greasepaint as well.

"I want to still see him in the funny massy roles, where he gets to dance with two or more beautiful heroines in one movie, and I want him to stay like that," said Ram Charan.

Chiranjeevi's family is truly the first family of Telugu cinema, as his father-in-law Allu Ramalingaiah was a veteran character actor and both brother Pawan Kalyan and nephew Allu Arjun are established actors.

But this son-rise will be the star's biggest test off-screen.

WANNA CHECK OUT FOR SOME AMAZING PHOTOS, CLICK HERE

NAGARJUNA WANTS A SUPERHERO SUBJECT AHOY!

Nagarjuna is willing to give a chance to anyone who can give him a blockbuster. But, he should be able to deliver a blockbuster. Nothing less. Of late, he has been harping on the "mass entertainment" factor too much in his interviews. "I want to do a film like Shiva, which has a wider appeal," he had gone on to say in a recent interview. And it is not easy to understand why.

The younger actors like Mahesh Babu, Junior NTR, Allu Arjun, and the likes have stolen the thunder from under the feet of the Big Four -- Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, Balakrishna and Nagarjuna -- leaving them tottering on the brink of extinction. And what they need is a massive hit to stabilise their position. While Balakrishna and Venkatesh are managing to hang on there with their cleverly crafted subjects, Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna have been struggling to maintain their image.

Especially for Nagarjuna, who is unable to bracket himself in any category unlike the other Three, it has been a Herculean task to withstand the competition. Which is why he is singing the "mass entertainment" mantra. Don't think he has any love lost for you, on the contrary, he wants to count his money. And the bigger the packet, the grander their words. So, don't be surprised if you see Nagarjuna twisting and tearaing the hands and limbs of villians in his next film a la a super hero. Remember, he is only trying to be in the reckoning.

ILLEANA IS REALLY GOING PLACES: TAKING BABY STEPS TO BOLLYWOOD

Tollywood has become the launch pad to Bollywood, especially for the heroines. In recent times, it started with Bhumika Chawla notching up a couple of some real good Bollywood films. Following in her footsteps, Asin is making her debut in the Hindi remake of Gazni. Sada, too, is busy shooting with Shreyas Talpade for a Sangeet Sivan film called Click, and she has another one, Love Game, in the pipeline with Randeep Hooda. Before we can actually exclaim, "Wow, the Tollywood babes are really going places", here comes the news that Illeana has signed a Bollywood flick opposite Shiney Ahuja.

Illeana shares her delightful news with us.

ON HER DEBUT IN BOLLYWOOD
Finally, I’ve made it to Bollywood. I have never been overzealous about my entry there. For me, the storyline is what matters and not the industry. But now since it’s happening, I’m only too happy.

ON HOW SHE SEES HERSELF IN BOLLYWOOD VIS-A-VIS OTHER HEROINES
I’m content with what I have. If others are also following suit, I’m happy for them too.

ON HER ITSY-BITSY ROLE IN POKIRI
Pokiri was Mahesh Babu’s film. So, there was no power struggle for me. I enjoyed shooting for it, liked working with Mahesh, and I am tremendously happy about it’s box-office success. And, unlike Mahesh, who seldom talks and is an introvert, I had a whale of time constantly chatting and having masti on the sets.

ON HER 'SERENDIPITOUS ACCIDENT' IN TOLLYWOOD
At 16, I was offered Dhairyam, a Telugu film, but it didn’t happen due to certain reasons. Later, Raima Sen did this film with Nitin.

ON WHAT FILM GAVE HER THE BEST SATISFACTION IN RECENT TIMES
I’m really proud about my film Rakhi. I feel I have given my best in the film.

ON WHAT TOPS HER PRIORITY LIST
The most vital thing in this world is unconditional love, which only family members can give. And without my small family, I’m no one.

ON WHAT SHE DOES WHEN NOT SHOOTING
I love catching up on films on DVD or reading a Sidney Sheldon.

ILLEANA SIZZLES IN THIS SONG WITH JUNIOR NTR, AND SHE IS REAL GOOD WITH AN HOUR GLASS FIGURE

SUNIL'S NUDE SCENE IN AATA IS A DIRECT LIFT FROM MR BEAN

Diretor Vijayabhaskar is not the only to rip off some scenes from the hilarious English comedy, Mr Bean, to deck up the role of Brahmanandam in Nuvvu Naaku Nachav. For Aata, even V N Aditya has stolen some scenes from the English comedy, especially the nude scene where Sunil's brother-in-law pulls of his towel and Sunil desperately tries to hide himself from the people as his room gets locked inadvertently. This scene is a direct lift from one of the episodes of Mr Bean.

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TRISHA, HERE IS SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT: SHRIYA LOVES THE WAY YOU DRESS AND CARRY YOURSELF

Shriya Saran knows the art of dressing up and dressing down. When it comes to clothes, she can make the prim-and-proper desi look desirable and the whimsical Western seem elegant. Toss the word style, and it sets the star yakking animatedly.

ON STLE
I think it’s all about comfort. It’s not about what you wear, but how you wear it -– and how you carry it off. I don’t go by trends or colours of the season. Style has a lot to do with individual taste -– and good taste stands the test of time!

ON PERSONAL STATEMENT
Basic. I grew up wearing shorts. I also wore a lot of salwars during my dance days. Simplicity still rules my wardrobe choices. When I’m not caught in tinsel hustle, you’ll see me in fuss-free tees and trousers/jeans or dresses. I balance the minimalism in my clothes with dramatic accessories. Just love wearing anklets. People tell me I wear too much white, blush-on red and nursery blue. But that’s just a coincidence. I love all the colours in the spectrum!

SCREEN STYLE
Thankfully, I’ve worked with good designers. Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Anand Kabra, Erum Ali and Chaitanya Rao have made a difference to my look. I don’t wear clothes I’m not comfortable in. And most often, I use my own clothes -– particularly when it comes to jeans and casual tops. I’ve got a good collection, so I use them for the shoots as well. There’s nothing quite like wearing your own clothes and accessories!

FASHION INFLUENCES
My mom. She always dressed up well and is so tuned in when it comes to fashion. Besides, during my childhood in Dehradun, we lived in a colony comprising people from diverse cultures. So, I developed an eclectic taste. As for the tinsel world, the superstar is the biggest style icon. He can make even an unassuming shirt look stylish! He brings his own sense of style to what he wears. I also admire the way Trisha dresses and carries herself.

STYLE DILEMMAS
None. Just use my common sense and put things together. Style is about autonomy, not compliance!

WANNA KNOW HOW PRIYAMANI GOT HER FIRST BREAK? READ ON...

HOW IT HAPPENED
Being a Bharatiraaja find feels great, and working with technicians such as Balu Mahendra was wonderful. Yet the film that put me on the road of success is Paruththi Veeran. On hearing that Ameer was looking out for a heroine for his film, I met him at his office. I had planned to leave for Bangalore that evening. Just then I got a call asking me to report at Theni the next morning for a photo shoot! Unsure of what it meant, I went to Theni. After that, I heard nothing from the director. Later, I was at Ooty for a shoot, when congratulatory messages began pouring in. Perplexed, I asked what was happening and was told my pictures were in the Paruththi Veeran invites! Only then did I know I was in the film!

HOW IT FELT
Great. A real learning experience! Except the five main characters, the cast comprised actual villagers. Ameer made us observe their body language, dialect and mannerisms and perform accordingly. During dubbing too, he sat with me and helped me with the Madurai slang. It isn’t easy, you know!

HOW LIFE CHANGED
I was recently in Tiruchi for the shooting of Malaikkottai. People thronged the location to have a glimpse of Muthazhagu, the character I play in Paruththi Veeran. The accolades the film has won for me are unbelievable, and they are translating into worthy projects. What more can I ask for?

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

JUNIOR NTR WANTS TO DO A ROMANTIC FILM, AND IS LOOKING FOR SCRIPTS

Junior NTR is beaming with joy writ all over his persona. And there is a reason for his newfound spring in his step. His Yamadonga has become a big hit, which he has been looking for a long time. What more, he has lost all those tonnes of weight he had put on and appears handsome enough to qualify for love stories. Stuck in a mass hero mould for some time now, he wants to diversify into softer roles, but his weight has come in the way. So, he is looking forward to filmmakers who can narrate to him a beautiful love theme that will send the pretty young things into a tizzy. So, filmmakers if you have any such scripts, you know where to go. What are you waiting for?

SHRIYA IS ON A ROLL AGAIN, IN AN ITEM NUMBER FOR TULASI

Sivaji: the boss may have been a smash hit across the country, but it did little to revive the fortunes of Shriya in Tollywood. Though she managed to bag a couple of roles in Tamil, she couldn't manage even one creditable assignment in the Telugu film industry. And so she is forced to settle down for item numbers hoping that someone would notice her and give her back her due again. So, after swinging with Prabhas in Munna, she is getting ready to do a sizzling number with Venkatesh in Tulasi.

Hope she gets to get a larger-than-expected recognition in the film.