NEWS: Tamil film company gets ticked off for poor show
Frederick Noronha (FN)
By Papri Sri Raman, Indo-Asian News Service
Chennai, May 11 (IANS) Among four Tamil Nadu companies that the Comptroller
and Auditor General of India (CAG) says should be shut down is the Tamil
Nadu Film Development Corporation Limited.
The government-supported company has been ticked off by the CAG for not
earning even Rs.50 million annually in the last five years.
This in a state that is supposed to be making some of the best films in the
country every year; is the nation's film and music technology and processing
headquarters; and is also the emerging animation centre in India.
Pentamedia Graphics Limited is a Chennai-based company that has, for
example, produced "Sindbad", "Pandavas" and "Alibaba", three animation films
that have been very popular with children.
Pentamedia is now working on "Sindbad And The Colonies", a sequel to Sindbad
"Beyond The Veils Of Mists" that featured Brendan Fraser, Jennifer Hale and
Leonard Nemoy. The film will cost $11 million.
The two other Pentamedia 3-D movies on board are "Buddha" and "Son of
Aladin".
With animation being marketed as India's strong point, Pentamedia hopes to
make four animation films every year.
The government of Tamil Nadu this week decided to double the entertainment
tax for dubbed movies released in the southern state.
The information minister says the Tamil dubbed versions of foreign films and
other language films will now draw 50 percent tax. At present the tax is 25
percent.
Meanwhile, actress Abhirami has been chosen to play the female lead in Kamal
Haasan's "Sandiyar". Abhirami's first film "Vaanavil" was a runaway hit but
her other films haven't made a mark.
Believe it or not, Bollywood star Namrata Shirodkar could not meet the
dancing and singing standards of Kollywood, as the Tamil film industry is
popularly known.
Namrata couldn't "emote" as the director and the hero Vijay wanted for the
film "Thirumalai". So she was replaced with Kollywood's own Jyothika, who
has paired successfully earlier with Vijay in "Khushy". Jyothika's recent
success was "Dhol".
Vijay has not had a very good year either but his new film "Puthiya Geethai"
promises to be an entertainer. It was first named "Geethai" but several
Hindu organisations protested the name to the Film Censor Board, as it
resembles the holy text "Bhagwad Gita", so it was changed.
Opposite him is Amisha Patel, in her first Tamil film.
Another missed date with Kollywood is Mandira Bedi's. She came down to
Chennai to talk to filmmaker Parthiban to discuss a possible lead role in
"Lingam" but "the role did not impress me", says Mandira.
She says there is no deal and she isn't acting in any Tamil film at the
moment and "it is ridiculous for Parthiban to show around photographs taken
during the discussions" that resulted in nought.
Among new films this week is "Indru Muthal" by new director M.A. Murugesh.
It is the story of two childhood friends turned strangers turned lovers in
the rubbles of earthquake-hit in Gujarat, far away from Tamil Nadu. The film
fails to make an impact.
Manibharati's "Anbe Anbe" has, however, been drawing crowds with a story
about three cousins.
Vikram is doing "real shots" of pain and pleasure in his latest film
"Pithamahan" which he promises will be better than "Kadal Sadugudu" which
has been running in the city halls for a month without drawing big crowds.
His other film in the halls this week is "Saamy" that has been doing fairly
well at the box-office.
This week the South Indian Film Chamber screened "Occident", a Romanian film
nominated for the Cannes Fest 2002.
--Indo-Asian News Service
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On Sunday, May 11, 2003 8:47:27 PM UTC+5:30, Frederick Noronha \(FN\) wrote: