Karunandhi, Rajinikanth among early voters as polling begins in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Polling in 232 of the total 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu began at 7am on Monday morning. Polling will be held in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies on May 23 as the Election Commission has postponed it in the wake of wide spread distribution of money and gifts to voters by political parties. Long queues were seen at several polling stations across the state even before polling began. People, especially morning walkers, queued up in polling stations like DG Vaishnava College at Arumbakkam in Chennai. In Chennai, night rain and cloudy morning seemed to have enthused voters while morning rain seemed to be playing spoilsport in other parts of the state, including Trichy. DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Superstar Rajinikanth, actors Kamal Haasan an Ajith Kumar and chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni were among the early voters. Karunanidhi cast his vote at Sri Sarda Secondary School in Gopalapuram. Rajinikanth exercised his franchise at Stella Maris College in Chennai while Ajith Kumar and his wife Shalini cast their votes at the Government School on Kuppam Beach Road in Thiruvanmiyur. Kamal Haasan cast his vote at Corporation School in Teynampet, and Lakhoni cast his vote at DG Vaishnava College.

పాలిటిక్స్‌ లోకి మరో స్టార్‌ హీరో

తమిళనాడులో మరో స్టార్‌ హీరో రాజకీయాల్లో ఎంటరవుతున్నారు. తమిళ పార్టీల్లోకి కాకుండా ఆయన జాతీయ పార్టీ అయిన బీజేపీలో చేరుతున్నారు. కేంద్రంలో అధికారంలో ఉన్న బీజేపీలోకి చేరేందుకు ప్రముఖ హీరో అజిత్‌ సిద్ధమయ్యారు. దక్షిణాది రాష్ట్రాల్లో బలపడాలని గట్టిగా కోరుకుంటున్న బీజేపీ తమిళనాడులో సినీ ప్రముఖులను చేర్చుకునేందుకు చాలా ప్రయత్నాలు చేసింది. అసలు రజనీకాంత్‌ ను చేర్చుకోవాలని ఎంతో ప్రయత్నించినా అది సాధ్యం కాలేదు. అయితే... తలైవార్‌ రజనీకాంత్‌ ను తీసుకురాలేకపోయినా యూత్‌ లో మంచి క్రేజ్‌ ఉన్న తలైగా పిలుచుకునే అజిత్‌ ను ఆకర్షించగలిగింది. రజనీకాంత్‌ కోసం ప్రయత్నించి విఫలమైన తరువాత అజిత్‌ తో సంప్రదించాలని బీజేపీ అధిష్ఠానం అక్కడి శాఖకు సూచించిందట. ఆ మేరకు బీజేపీ తమిళనాడు నేతలు అజిత్‌ ను కలవడం ఆయన అందుకు గ్రీన్‌ సిగ్నల్‌ ఇవ్వడం జరిగిపోయాయి. త్వరంలో ప్రధాని నరేంద్ర మోడీ సమక్షంలోనే అజిత్‌ బీజేపీ కండువా కప్పుకొంటారని వినికిడి. ఇది జరిగితే తమిళనాడులో బీజేపీకి మంచి మైలేజి వస్తుందని విశ్లేషకులు చెబుతున్నారు.

MADHAVAN STARAR IRUDHI SUTTRU SONGS REVIEW

Direction: Sudha Kongara Screenplay: Sudha Kongara Story: Sudha Kongara Music: Santhosh Narayanan Background score: Santhosh Narayanan Cinematography: Shiva Editing: Praveen KL Art direction: Santhanam PRO: Nikhil Irudhi Suttru is a biluingual sport drama film directed by Sudha Kongara starring R. Madhavan and Rikita Singh. Music composed by Santhosh Narayan, the film is all set for a February release. Vaa machaney Singers: Sean Roldon Lyrics: Muthamil With Sean's scat singing for a localized folk song, got enough of Santhosh? More to come, the track's prominence with the bass line is what that takes the soul out of us. Jazzed up intricacies with the keys, ever improvising guitar strokes and the differently arranged rhythm section bring another Santhosh song catering to his educated audience. Ey Sandakaara Singer: Dhee Lyrics: Vivek Santhosh’s expertise in fusing juxtaposing elements is more than a credit the composer enjoys. Dhee’s texture filed with voice, symphonically treated Violin sessions backing the singing and Vivek’s progressively timed lyrics are once again new and fresh. Even the Flute and the Harmonium bring in a lot of character to the rendition. It is the live and electronic nature of the song that differentiates Santhosh from the rest. Is it the leverage that Santhosh gives to the instrumentalists to improvise that gives his song an edge that no other composer can get? Manually created rhythm sounds from the mouth is another noticeable novelty in the song. This is another classic Santhosh number that gets your attention in no time. Maya Visai Singer: Vijay, Sri Shyamalingan, Santhosh Narayanan Lyrics: Vivek A male group song intending the ambitious nature of the protagonist, this Rock n Roll song has the traits of the famous Australian band Ac/Dc. Tightly toned drums, authentic sounding of the bass and the lead guitar along with the choice of voices create a stir. Poda Poda Singers: Pradeep Kumar Lyrics: Vivek Santhosh’s favorite mascot Pradheep is back for a hope giving song in Irudhi Sutturu. Packaging a track based on the rhythm progression and then adding trustworthy instruments along with a simple tune is Santhosh’s mastery over composing. Once again going with some obvious bass notations, this rock song is nothing short of another winner. An original rock song with interesting EDM loops to relish. Usuru Narambulay Singer: Dhee Lyrics: Vivek The vintage acoustic number Santhosh believes in, this pathos sung by Dhee is a revelation sorts. Strings, Piano and non-cinematic nature of the tune sends a feel across which needs to be captured by genuine listeners. Verdict: Typical Santhosh in full form.

BUSY AND SPECIAL 2016 FOR YOUNG STAR JIIVA

January 4th marks actor Jiiva’s birthday who is known for his versatility as a performer. He seems to not compromise when it comes to choosing the scripts/characters he presents to the audience. 2015 didn't mark any mainstream releases for Jiiva but watch out as 2016 looks special for him. Here is a quick update on all the projects in his kitty. 1. Thirunaal - With Nayanthara featuring as the lead lady, this film is aiming a February 12th release. Official announcements are due. 2. Pokkiri Raja - The team looks at a Summer 2016 release. Hansika and Sibi Raj sport pivotal roles in this entertainer. 3. Kavalai Vendam - The team helmed by director Deekay will start shooting from January 18th. 4. Gemini Ganeshan - The team is yet to start shooting. Credible sources hint that more announcements from the star’s camp are due. It sure is a busy year for Jiiva. Here is Behindwoods wishing this promising young man a great birthday!

THE LATEST UPDATE ON BEEP SONG ISSUE!

HURRAY GOT BAIL Actor Simbu who was recently charged under IPC sections for obscenity and IIT act for uploading the Beep song on YouTube. Silambarasan alias Simbu has now been granted anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court on Monday (today) 4/1/2016. Justice Rajendran, who examined Simbu’s case, today granted him bail, saying the charges against are billable and he also said that Simbu can appear before a magistrate court in Coimbatore on the 11th of January. Finally, some positive signs for Simbu!

YOUNG HERO SIVAKARTHIKEYAN TO TEAM UP WITH A SCI-FI SPECIALIST!

Tamil Actor Sivakarthikeyan is currently busy with his untitled project directed by debutante Bhagyaraj Kannan. Apart from that he has Rajini Murugan, waiting to release this January 14th and Mohan Raja’s next directorial too. Now the latest we here is that, Siva will apparently team up with director R Ravi Kumar for his next film which would be funded by RD Raja’s 24AM Studios. This would be Ravi Kumar’s second film after Indru Netru Naalai, which was a sci-fi comedy film. This film is expected to go on floors from the 15th of January 2016. Other cast and crew details are expected to be announced soon. Stay tuned for more updates!

Vaigaipuyal Vadivelu - An Invisible Member of Family Ration Cards

The views expressed by the visitor in this column. The visitor claims that this column is his/her own. If the column infringes any copyrights that you hold, please email us at columns@behindwoods.com. What has changed in my conversations from 8 years back to now? What has changed in Tamizh Cinema from 8 years back to now? These questions had one surprisingly common answer - Vaigaipuyal Vadivelu. An 8-year hit movie drought for Vadivelu. The usage of Vadivelu dialogues in our day to day conversations with friends and family. Despite the 8-year hit movie drought, Vadivelu has managed to cling on to our minds. How many of you use Vadivelu's one-liners every day? Almost everyone, almost every day! If there is a survey for the usage of Tamizh film dialogues in day-to-day life, Vadivelu's one-liners are sure to top the charts. Sometimes, most of us will be trying to find opportunities to use his dialogue to make the atmosphere delightful. "Ithugalum nammala follow panuthae!" How does Vadivelu sustain the craze even today? Vadivelu started his career with Rajkiran's "En Rasavin Manasile" as a sidekick to legendary comedian Gaundamani. With the few screen appearances which he was given, he managed to grab the audience's eye. Singaravelan is one sample. "Wowww... Sattae melae evlooo buttaen" is still one trending dialogue in social media. His roles transformed and he bagged big roles and big movies. A director who doesn't believe in separate comedy tracks in his movies, Bharathi Raja maintained a separate comedy track for Vadivelu in "Kizhakku Cheemaiyilae". That is the extent of his reach among the theatre going audience. In the 2000s, Vadivelu's career graph reached its peak and he delivered back to back hit comedy tracks. He was celebrated by the masses in the theatres. There were heroes who waited for his call sheet before signing up a movie. There were movies which became blockbusters just because of one name - Vaigaipuyal Vadivelu. His combination with mainstream heroes still has no replacement. His on-screen chemistry with the entire cast of a film has a high success ratio, be it a superstar or a heroine or a supporting actor. We have seen him as a building contractor, a conductor, a rowdy, a don, a beggar, a police constable, a fisherman, a call centre employee, an auto-driver, a politician, a king, a grave digger and the list goes on and on. He has probably performed more diverse roles than Ulaganayagan Kamalhaasan in his 24 year film career. His comedies are a huge hit. His one word "Aahaan" was all over FB at the start of 2015. Only those who follow Tamizh Cinema know that the "Aahaan" comedy released in 2007. A film that runs 100 - 200 days is called a blockbuster. What should a scene which trends on all social networks and all TV channels even after 8 years from its release be called? Everything he does - his introduction scene, his facial expressions, his body language while delivering punchlines, his dialogue delivery, his tone modulation, his famous one-liners, even his interjections makes the theatre crowd burst out with laughter. The last line has his skill set just for comedy. He has also shined as a supporting actor and he has outperformed the rest of the cast in many emotional sequences. Vadivelu has also lent his voice for a handful of songs. His voice is almost perfect for the "gaana" genre which is again justified by his rural origin. "London la lotaayi lobby aairuva", "Oor la ulla ellaa sub jail-layum, en subject ah thaandaa paadama vechu nadathurainga en sipppss eh!", "Ellathayum visaarichitu thaanda vanthu aerirukom en jeans eh!", "Aama.. Naama laam periya lord langodu" - the words chips, jeans, lobby, lord langodu don't mean anything in his context, but you still sit and enjoy these, you may also use one of these with your friends. His dialogues have become a household, with kids, youngsters and adults using them often. In the past year, there have been at least 5-10 movie titles with Vadivelu's dialogues. Originating from a small village in the outskirts of Madurai, he has become the most popular actor from Tamizh Cinema and he has reached each and every house in Tamizh Nadu with his omnipresence in television. With the onset of memes era in Facebook and Twitter, Vadivelu holds the major share of memes posted. His dialogues, screenshots of his body language, images of his facial expressions, sequence of his comedy scenes prove the reach he has with the Tamizh audience. When you read a Vadivelu meme posted online, you will always read it in his slang. Yes, that comes out involuntarily. His stint with politics was short-lived and he took a 2 year break. Tamizh Cinema has sidelined him with the onset of new comedians during this period. His comeback wagons "Tenali Raman" and "Eli" backfired. There are people who still get reminded of Vadivelu when they see a weak comical scene in the theatres. I am one among them. "End card poatu egathaalaamaa da panringa... enaku end ae kedaiyaathu da!" After a bad day at office, you reach home very late. Everyone at home has slept. Barely in need of a company to vent out the mounted pressure and stress, you find in front of you, the TV remote. You switch on the TV and the last viewed channel pops up. "Vandhutaanyaa... Vandhutaanyaa..." - this dialogue welcomes you home and for the first time in last fourteen and half hours, your face gets a smile. You watch the whole comedy and not an instant did the smile go away. Vadivelu is the best stress buster! After the launch of 24x7 comedy channels in Tamizh, Vadivelu has become a household member. At least every 10 minutes, his comedy runs in one or the other comedy channel. Over the weekends, when you're enjoying his comedy in TV, try to reduce the volume in your TV to inaudible levels. You will still hear his voice crystal clear - either in your mind or from the TV in your neighboring house. You can switch on your TV set or scroll through your news feed only to agree with this undeniable truth. An apt line written for Vadivelu in one of his songs - "பிறர் சிரிக்க பார்த்து சிரிப்பேன் அவர் மொகத்த பார்த்து ரசிப்பேன் அதில் இருக்கும் சொகத்த நெனச்சு நெனச்சு கண்ணீர் வடிப்பேன் அதில் கவலை மறப்பேன் என் கலையும் இதுதான் என் தொழிலும் இதுதான்" "Nallaa thaane sollirukaan... Nallaa kanichu thaanae yaa solirukaan!" - Arun Bharathi, a member of Vadivelu's Varuthapadatha vaalibar sangam. Arun B Swaminathan arunbharathi90@gmail.com Behindwoods.com