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Posts tagged prithviraj sukumaran
Check out Prithviraj as 77-year-old in his next
05 months ago
The Bollywood hunk will be seen portraying a 77-year-old in his new film down South
Aakanksha Naval-Shetye (DNA; December 6, 2012)
Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran made his debut in Bollywood playing eye-candy in Aiyyaa, but the South star seems to have no qualms in going from being a hunk onscreen to essaying the role of a 77-year-old filmmaker in his new film, Celluloid. The actor, who has recently completed a long schedule of his second Bollywood film Aurangzeb here is juggling his Bollywood fare with his films in the South.
Post Aurangzeb, the actor is back to shooting for his new film there which is said to be based on the life of Malayalam cinema’s first filmmaker J C Daniel. A source informs that set in 1920 and directed by veteran filmmaker Kamal, the Malayalam film Celluloid traces the journey of JC Daniel. “For this, Prithviraj, who is playing the lead, will be seen sporting different looks as he essays the late filmmaker’s journey from a 25-year old to a 77-year old. It’s the first time that Prithvi’s playing such an old man on screen and expects the film to be a milestone in his career,” says the source, adding that it took hours of make-up for the 30-year-old star to look the part. “But he patiently sat through it all and did not once complain about the tiring make-up sessions. It was very gruelling as getting ready actually took more time than the time it required to shoot the scene,” adds an insider.
The actor himself shares that despite his image in Bollywood, he More >
Prithviraj learns to speak in Dilliwaali Hindi for Aurangzeb?
05 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Tutor helps Prithviraj get a hang of Hindi that is indigenous to the national capital
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; December 6, 2012)
Aiyyaa was South actor Prithviraj’s foray into Bollywood. Though he had very few Hindi dialogues in the film, the actor states he is quite comfortable in the language.
However, for his upcoming film Aurangzeb, the actor has been taking lessons from a Hindi coach, who’s teaching him how the language is spoken in Delhi.
It is usually believed that South actors are not so fluent in Hindi. However, Prithviraj says, “I’m, in fact, more comfortable in Hindi, than in Tamil or Telugu!” However, his Hindi dialogues in his upcoming film have an accent that is more prevalent in Delhi. A source says, “Prithvi’s language tutor taught him the attitude and the accent with which Dilliwalas speak Hindi. The actor spent a month in Mumbai practising his language skills.”
Rani is automatically the USP, not me-Prithviraj Sukumaran
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
South Indian actor talks about settling for the second spot behind Rani Mukerji and being the next Mammootty or Mohanlal
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; October 24, 2012)
Having acted in more than 80 films, the 30-year-old Prithviraj seems like an extremely humble man. In fact for this interview, we found the actor tucked away at the quietest corner of a coffee shop in a suburban hotel, sipping on a hot cup all by himself. An excerpt from our conversation…
You were missing from the Aiyyaa promotions? The film was to release in November and I had asked the makers of my next film to give me some free days. But the release was pushed ahead but I was already committed for the other film. However, my producers were sweet enough and even gave me a few days off.
Did you find yourself in the shadows? Not at all! When you have Rani Mukerji and a debutant in a film, then Rani is automatically the USP, not me. In fact, if I was the producer of the film then I too would have adopted the same strategy. The film hasn’t been the kind which has made people go ga ga. While some have hated it, the others have liked it. But there was a lot of buzz around me that makes me happy.
Pokkiri Raja, starring you, is being remade in Hindi with Akshay Kumar The film was designed to be a hit. However, it was not well written. They made Mammootty sir and me do stuff that the mass audience likes, mainly dance and fights.
Malayalam cinema has two big guns Mammootty and Mohanlal. Was it easy joining the More >
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 226
07 months ago
INTERESTING FILMS THIS WEEKEND!
Tomorrow, as many as 6 films are up for release. A suicidal situation, in short! My views on these films:
AIYYAA : This is surely the biggest crowd-pulling film of the week. Starring Rani Mukerji in a leading role, the promos of Aiyyaa promise a fun-filled and ‘wakda’ ride. The promotions started just a month back but have been strong and consistent. Rani plays a funny and lovable character and it’s quite rare that a film depicts a woman lusting for a man. Prithviraj Sukumaran is that desirable and tall-dark-handsome hunk and seems to have a great job, as evident from the promos. Songs are damn interesting. Dreamum Wakeupam has become a craze. Aga Bai is engrossing and Rani’s belly dancing in the song is in a way the USP of the film as well. If film has good response, there’s no reason why film shouldn’t work at the box office. Moreover, budget is controlled as well.
BHOOT RETURNS : Ram Gopal Varma is back and this time he dabbles in 3D too. The film marks the return of the beautiful Manisha Koirala after a hiatus. Satya actor J D Chekravarthy too stars in the film. Promos give out the right vibe. Promotion for the film hasn’t been aggressive and moreover, it has stiff competition from Aiyyaa and also from films like English Vinglish and OMG Oh My God . Ram Gopal Varma’s recent track record hasn’t been nice which can be detrimental to the film. Again, budget is reasonable and if response is positive, film can excel.
No one asks Aamir why he does only one film a year-Rani Mukerji
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
After five long years, Rani Mukerji opens up to Mid Day to talk about stereotypes around Bollywood actresses
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; October 9, 2012)
It has taken Rani Mukerji almost five years to break her silence with Mid Day because of a misunderstanding. But when she starts talking, she does it in style! And with a smile… The light-eyed Bong beauty is quick to let bygones be and start talking about Aiyyaa. As long as there are no cliched questions, the 34-year-old husky-voiced actress is happy to answer all of them.
It’s been a long time since ‘No One Killed Jessica’. Would you call ‘Aiyyaa’ a comeback film? No, I won’t. Aamir (Khan) does one film a year but you don’t go around asking him whether ‘Talaash’ is his comeback film. I have two releases within a period of a year and half. The thing is people in the industry feel that it’s okay for an actor to take time to prepare for his next but the same standards don’t apply to an actress. I believe somewhere the prevalent mindset has to change.
Do you ever experience insecurity as an actress? I’m neither an insecure person nor an insecure actress. I don’t look around who are my competitors but yes, I’ve got a responsibility towards my fans. I need to surprise them. At least that’s how I feel about my job. So it all boils down to choosing the right film. However, sometimes your instincts work and sometimes they don’t.
Are you very choosy? I think it’s important for an actor to have that power to choose. You can’t do More >
Prithviraj is a better dancer than Shahid-Rani Mukerji
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; October 8, 2012)
PrithvirajActress Rani Mukerji is currently on a promotional tour across the country for her upcoming film. At one of the events she apparently confessed that Prithviraj Sukumaran is a better co-star and way better dancer than Shahid Kapoor. “She said that she had far more fun on Aiyyaa as compared to working with Shahid in Dil Bole Hadippa,” says the source.
Rani is seen doing two dance numbers with Prithvi — one is a belly dance and another one is inspired by a Kamal Haasan song from the 1980s. In all her interviews, the actress has been praising her co-star. However, when the shooting had just begun, Rani had no expectations from Prithvi.
“He being a South Indian and not acquainted with Bollywood, she was not sure how Prithvi would manage Bolly dancing, especially because he came across as a shy and reserved person. It was only later that she realised he was a good dancer,” says the source.
After Aiyya, Rani’s next release will be Talaash, a thriller with actors Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Rani is one of the few actresses to have done two heroine films since the beginning of her career. She has acted with actors Kajol, Kareena, Preity Zinta and Vidya Balan. When asked about it, Rani had said, “We are here to act and more the merrier.”
In her career spanning over a decade the actress has done a variety of roles including that of a hearing impaired and blind girl in Black, but so far the National Award has eluded her. More >
Got my first film only due to my surname-Prithviraj Sukumaran
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Prithviraj on becoming a Malayalam superstar without yearning to be one, and Rani Mukerji’s warmth
Anand Holla (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 7, 2012)
Sprawling about in the velvet-coated comforts of movie star environs would be quite the dream vacation, if it happens to you when you are on holiday. Malayalam superstar Prithviraj’s accidental foray into films began with one such dream debut 12 summers ago.
Having wrapped up the day’s shoot for Yash Raj Films’ Aurangzeb in Delhi, he pauses to ponder, and says, “When director Ranjith approached me for Nandanam, I agreed only because I didn’t want to wallow in boredom while vacationing at home in Kerala. I was pursuing an IT degree in Australia, and I told him he better wrap up the shoot within 45 days. He kept his word. But I didn’t keep mine.”
Thanks to his mother Mallika filling him in on epiphany, Prithviraj scrapped his return to Australia.
“I began landing offers for the lead role even before the shoot wrapped up. Mom asked me if I wanted to take up films once I had completed my degree. When I said yes, she said, ‘Don’t go back…In cinema, you never know if you’ll get a second chance,” he remembers. The son of celebrated Malayalam actor P Sukumaran who acted in more than 500 films, Prithviraj admits that this first film came his way “only because of my surname.” His father passed away before he began shooting. “I knew him more as a teacher and lawyer than actor. It was on the sets, from his co-actors, that I learnt about More >
Never felt the need to learn Marathi-Anurag Kashyap
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; October 4, 2012)
Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming film Aiyyaa could well resemble a melting pot of ideas and emotions. After all, the project has a Marathi director, Bengali actress and a South Indian actor and Anurag is originally from Uttar Pradesh.
The director-producer talks about his wakda team and a few other things about his film…
Your upcoming film Aiyyaa seems to be quite an amalgamation of all things wakda! The most wakda among the team was definitely my director Sachin Kundalkar. The others (Rani Mukerji and Prithviraj Sukumaran) were already on board. The addition of Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattacharya made this amalgamation all the more interesting!
Can you speak in Marathi? No, I don’t as I never felt the need to learn the language. But I can understand Marathi.
Do you like Maharashtrian food? We were shooting in Pune and so we did try some Maharashtrian fare. One thing that I know for sure is they make their food really spicy!
In your film Rani says, ‘Mujhe gore nahi kale ladke pasand hai.’ What do you have to say about the furore the line has managed to create? Huwa tha aisa kuch drama… People do and say many things. But I don’t take them seriously.
We heard your film Lootera with Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh has been preponed. Really? I have no clue! You should get Vikas Bahl (co-producer) to respond on this.
My USP is not my six-pack abs-Prithviraj Sukumaran
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
South star Prithviraj on his formula for success and working with Rani Mukerji in his Bollywood debut film ‘Aiyyaa’
Shakti Shetty (October 2, 2012)
Though he isn’t fond of the word ‘superstar’, Prithviraj Sukumaran’s filmography has assured him the exact status in South Indian cinema. Recommended by Anurag Kashyap, the 29-year-old actor is finally making his Bollywood debut in Aiyyaa opposite Rani Mukerji and has already started shooting for his second Hindi film Aurangzeb. The actor talks about the Hindi film industry, language barrier, his favourites and much more.
We heard you are not great at Hindi… I must admit I’m not a very fluent speaker of the language but I can converse easily. I’m not so confident about my grammar though. Having said that, I can understand what others are saying in Hindi and I can make them understand what I want to.
South stars are getting fitter by the day! I’m not the only actor from South to sport a toned body. Let’s just say that the new generation is certainly more health conscious. Furthermore, I strongly believe that my USP is not my six-pack abs but my acting skills. My physique can merely enhance the character I’m portraying on the big screen.
Will you make Mumbai your home? (Laughs) I won’t say I’m shifting base to Mumbai. I don’t have a house of my own here yet. The quest is to do good cinema as Bollywood is going through an interesting phase and I’m more than happy to be part of it.
Didn’t you feel awkward dancing in this More >
Would love to shift base to Mumbai-Prithviraj Sukumaran
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; September 30, 2012)
PrithvirajPrithviraj Sukumaran, a well-known Malayalam actor has nearly 85 films to his credit in a career spanning more than a decade. The tall, good-looking hero made his debut with Nandanam, a runaway hit followed by Chocolate, Mozhi and Puthiya Mugham. Several of his films have been remade in Hindi, the latest being Pokkiri Raja starring Akshay Kumar. When asked about it, he says, “It shows that aesthetically we are more or less on the same plane. Soon, we will be making pan-Indian cinema not Bolly, Tolly or Molly cinema.” The excerpts:
How does it feel making a Bollywood debut? Actually the fact that it’s a Bollywood debut is just sinking in. To begin with, Aiyyaa was just an interesting script; that it would be my Hindi film debut was secondary. But now that I have started promoting the film, I am realising the magnitude of it.
Didn’t you have apprehensions of making your debut opposite a big star like Rani Mukerji? When I took up the film, Rani was in talks but hadn’t signed it. The fact that Rani said yes was great because she is the reason the film got a big canvas for the story to be portrayed. It’s also because of her that there’s a huge buzz around it.
Aren’t you feeling sidelined? No. Even I would have done it in the same way. She is the single biggest name in the film. Director Sachin (Kundalkar) and I are secondary entities in terms of marketing. But I am happy with what I have done in the film. I play a More >