Anushka lands a role in Vishwaroopam

After several names being tossed, Kamal Haasan has finally chosen the top Tollywood heroine to be his leading lady

The latest buzz in Kollywood is that Kamal Haasan has finally zeroed in on actress Anushka Shetty after having tried - almighty unsuccessfully - to cast a Bollywood heroine for his Viswaroopam. His search seems to have ended much closer to home rather than in Mumbai. Sonakshi Sinha was the original choice to play Kamal's young love interest. Post her walking out of the project, numerous names were tossed about and finally, it seems like Anushka is all set to do Viswaroopam.

Sources say Kamal seems to have been impressed by the top Tollywood heroine after her performance in the recently-released Deiva Thiirumagal and having seen the popularity she enjoys in the south. Incidentally, Anushka is also one of the most sought-after heroines at the moment. According to a source, the shooting of Viswaroopam is all set to start from Monday and Kamal Haasan will be wielding the megaphone himself post the ouster of director Selvaraghavan from the project.

Apparently talks are going on between the actress who reportedly charges a cool 1 crore per film and Kamal. "Since Anushka already has several films (Tamil and Telugu) on hand, they are trying to work out the dates to shoot her portions. Kamal will start shooting his portions from Monday onwards," adds the source.

As the film is touted to be released in both Tamil and Hindi, the Ulaganayagam is keen on roping in Bollywood actors who appeal to audiences in both languages. Recently, Rahul Bose was finalized to play one of the key roles in the film. Music director Shankar Mahadevan has already finished composing a couple of songs for the film.

Apparently, massive sets for the film - the budget of which is touted to be around 60 crore - have already been erected in a popular engineering college owned by Jeppiar on Old Mahabalipuram Road. There was a buzz that the movie would be produced by a top production house from Hyderabad but sources say it's likely to be made under the Raajkamal banner.

Click here for more of Anushka's sizzling hot images..!!

Priya Anand., Who? asked Kamal Haasan

There were reports earlier that the 180 heroine Priya Anand would play one of the female leads in Kamal Haasan’s Viswaroopam.

Kamal Haasan, the star who is also the director of the movie, was questioned about this, he has said that he was not even aware who Priya Anand was.

Kamal wondered where such rumors surface from and clarified he has not finalized anyone for the role in question. He also made it clear that the main female lead is yet to be signed up.

Viswaroopam was announced several months ago with Selvaraghavan as the director and Sonakshi Sinha as the heroine. But the film underwent several changes and now Kamal will be directing the movie apart from playing the hero.

Kamal adamant on casting Sonakshi

It seems the saga of Sonakshi Sinha's proposed Tamil project, Vishwaroopam, with the mighty Kamal Haasan is far from over. Though the delay in the project has forced the actress out, the indefatigable maestro of makeovers has his heart and mind set on her.

Feelers after feelers are apparently being sent to Sonakshi and her father Shatrughan Sinha.

"Now that Kamal Haasan has taken over the direction of the project it is more imperative than ever that he get his first choice for the leading lady, and that's Sonakshi. The role was written with her in mind," said a source.

But despite the legendary actor's persistence, Sonakshi is unable to accommodate the project.

"Sonakshi has allotted her dates to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Prabhu Deva for Rowdy Rathore. This will go on through August. Then in September she does another schedule of Shrish Kunder's Joker. Vishwaroopam was supposed to start rolling in May-June. It's still not taken off. There is no way she can accommodate Kamalji," said a source close to Sonakshi.

Apparently Sonakshi, who became a rage after her debut in superhit movie Dabangg, has been wondering why her presence in the film is so important.

"It's a wonderful role and it suits Sonakshi. Kamal Haasan wants Vishwaroopam to compete at the box-office with Rajnikanth's Rana," said the source.

In the two lavish projects set in two continents, the two Tamil superstars share screen space with the two Bollywood beauties Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi.

Interestingly both Rana and Vishwaroopam got delayed due to various reasons and are now expected to start and be completed at about the same time.

Priya Anand bags Vishwaroopam

The buzz surrounding Kamal Haasan's Viswaroopam is getting interesting by the day.

Be it for the news that Selvaraghavan and Sonakshi Sinha opted out of the film or Kamal helming the project and planning to rope in Deepika Padukone and Isha Sharvani for important roles, the film has always been in the limelight. Now, the latest we hear is that actress Priya Anand might be playing one of the lead roles in it.

According to sources in the industry, Priya, who's worked in films like Vaamanan and 180 in Tamil, was approached by the unit recently for a prominent role. It's reported that the actress even gave an audition and did a screen test early this week for her character. While the details of her character have been kept under wraps, we understand that it's one of the female leads in the film.

When we contacted Priya, the actress declined to comment on the development.

No Bollywood babes for Kamal Hassan

When it comes to working with two of south India's biggest superstars, Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth, you'd assume there's no thinking twice.

But looks like Kamal's hunt for a heroine for his latest film Vishwaroopam may have hit a major roadblock. Despite approaching some of Bollywood's A-list actresses, he hasn't been able to rope in a Bollywood leading lady for his dream project.

First he signed on the Dabangg beauty Sonakshi Sinha, who later opted out citing date issues. Her fluctuating weight added insult to injury considering this is an out and out spy-thriller that requires the heroine to be fighting fit.

And though sources say that Sonakshi may still be in two-minds about accommodating the film in her schedule, Kamal is not taking any chances.

The filmmaker has apparently approached both Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra for the role considering action has been a genre both the actors have experimented with in the past with Chandni Chowk to China and Don respectively.

"Kamal is very keen on shooting the first schedule of the film in August itself and that is precisely what's creating all the problems. Priyanka and Deepika both have their diaries packed for now, and to take out time for Vishwaroopam would be quite difficult. But yet we are hoping something should work out," says a source from Kamal's office.

He adds, "Kamal's very first choice after Sonakshi Sinha was Vidya Balan. But with The Dirty Picture and Kahani, the actress could not commit to the project despite wanting to be a part of it."

First, popular south director Selvaraghavan walked out of the project because of creative differences with Kamal. And now, the never-ending search for a leading lady.

So talk is that if none of them get on board soon, the south star will have to resort to casting a fresh face.

It may be a sheer coincidence, but both the superstars seem to be facing problems with their upcoming projects. Rajnikanth faced a similar issue with his film Rana where everyone from Vidya Balan to Madhuri Dixit to Rekha opted out of the film.

Interestingly, the reason Kamal is so keen on wrapping up the shoot for Vishwaroopam is also because he is aiming to release it alongside Rana. For some reason, the film has been facing trouble ever since its inception.

Post Dasavatharam, which tanked at the box-office, Vishwaroopam is Kamal's biggest and most ambitious project, but as of now it's turning into a one-man army. Kamal is acting, writing and directing the film, and is now just back from a location recce. The film that is expected to showcase special effects similar to that of Mission Impossible 2 will be shot in Uzbekistan, UK and other parts of Europe.

Click here for more pics of Vidya Balan !!

Wanted Bollywood hotties for Kamal's next

Kamal Hassan has been globetrotting in the USA and across Europe. He wanted to finalize ideal locations for Viswaroopam himself.

It is going to be an action packed film made on a mammoth budget of 100 crores. The cast and crew are yet to be finalized.

The shoot will begin some time in August, with Kamal's scenes being shot first. As for the heroine and supporting cast, we hear that Kamal is looking at some big names in Bollywood.

Sonakshi Sinha who was supposed to be the heroine, has left the project, so Kamal is looking around for someone else to step in. There are a lot of volunteers but Kamal is still to make up his mind.

Sonakshi walks out

Sonakshi Sinha, the hot girl in Bollywood has withdrawn herself from Kamal Hassan‘s much publicised project Vishwaroopam that is yet to be launched.

Sonakshi has signed the bilingual, in which she was to play Hassan’s wife, has opted out due to her prior commitment to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s project, ‘Rowdy Rathod’.

Her decision to opt out comes as a surprise since the actress was very enthusiastic when she initially signed up for the film without any hinderance about the age difference between the actors.

In a media report, Sonakshi stated, “I don’t think that age should be a bar to essay the role of Kamal Hassan’s wife. When I stand before the camera, it is the role that matters. It is not an easy task to act with Kamal. I was a little scared, initially. Language too will not be a problem for me.”


However, Sonakshi’s enthusiasm had fizzled out, when the film failed to go on floors as scheduled. Shooting for the film was to start from the first week of June but the plan was squashed when director Selvaraghavan walked out of the project.

Remember Sonakshi was the first choice for Superstar Rajini’s Rana, but was omitted from the project as the actor was uncomfortable to pair up with his friend Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter.

Sonam foraying down south?

Double Cheers for Vijay fans, if what we heard from the closer sources is believed to be true. It is time for Vijay to rock as he’ll be joining hands with filmmaker A.R. Murugadoss.

The film that is likely to be produced by Aascar Ravichandran and Vijay’s father’s S.A. Chandrasekhar on first copy basis with to release the film worldwide.

Soon after Fox Star Studios signed up A.R. Murugadoss as the creative producer, Murugadoss mentioned that more movies would be made under this collaboration and if things work out well, he might wield the megaphone for a film.

Murgadoss, who has been keeping busy with the post production work of his Suriya starrer 7am Arivu has met Vijay recently and narrated a oneliner that floored Vijay to have given his nod to the director.

Hold your breath now, the director is in plans to cast Bollywood beauty Sonam Kapoor opposite Vijay in this film. However the official announcement on this is yet to be made.

It was recently learnt that Sonam already had plans to star in South Indian films as well ever since her arch nemesis Sonakshi signed up Kamal Hassan's Viswaroopam who would not just be romancing the actress but also be directing her for the film.

The official announcement on this vijay-Murgadoss project would be made once the duo finalizes the script and other crewmembers.

New heroine for Viswaroopam?

Bollywood beauty, Sonakshi Sinha is not the only one who will be romancing Kamal Hassan in Vishwaroopam. Isha Sharvani has also been roped in as the second female lead, for a fine dancer that she is, formally trained in Kalaripayattu, Kathak, and other classical dance forms.

Isha has starred in Hindi films like Kisna, You Me aur Hum, and Luck by chance. She is also a page 3 regular as she is currently dating cricketer, Zaheer Khan.

Vishwaroopam will be a trilingual shot in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi with a whopping budget of a hundred and fifty crores to be produced by Telefoto films.

Kamal Hassan in addition to directing and acting in the film will also handle screenplay, lyrics, and the dialogues with Bollywood trio, Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy scoring the music.

Shooting will begin in August and filming will take place across the length and breadth of Europe.

Sonakshi upset with Kamal..

Sonakshi Sinha was announced to be the heroine of Viswaroopam, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead.

The Bollywood actress decided to foray into Kollywood in a big way with this Kamal starrer. But things did not go well for Sonakshi as planned and the actress is upset with Kamal because her dates have been wasted as still there is no news about Viswaroopam commencing any soon.

When we enquired about this, credible sources in Bollywood said that there is no truth in Sonakshi being upset with Kamal and the actress is very much in the film that is to commence shortly.

It may be recalled that some days ago, it was announced that director Selvaraghavan moved out of the project and Kamal Haasan will wield the megaphone in addition to playing the lead role.

Gowtham's next hero?

Word on the grapevine is that Karthi will be Gautham Menon's next hero. Karthi is currently working on Saguni and hopes to finish it before his wedding.

Gautham Menon is busy with his Hindi remake of VTV, Prem Katha. After fulfilling their prior commitments, the duo is likely to do a film together, as Karthi likes the script Gautham has in mind for him. Once Gautham finds a producer, the film is likely to take off.

It must be remembered that Gautham Menon's best films were with Suriya, so it is to be hoped that he will have a similar dynamic with Karthi. However, there are also rumors that Gautham has committed to do a Kannada film with Puneet and is hoping to work with Kamal Hassan for his next Tamil film.

Only time will tell which of these projects will see the light of day. Keep watching this space for more on this front.

Sonakshi's date trouble..!

Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha's south side story comes with its share of hiccups.

Superstar Rajinikanth's ill health gave Deepika some free dates and the actress immediately started shooting for Saif Ali Khan's Cocktail in London and is expected to finish her work on the film by mid-July .

In the meantime, Sonakshi — who was to begin work on the trilingual Viswaroopam with Kamal Haasan — finds herself twiddling her thumbs. She was to fly to London on June 5, say sources. One of them adds, "However, the reported differences between the leading man and the earlier director of Viswaroopam, Selvaraghavan, has given Sona free dates. She is now left following Salman Khan on the CCL trail because she is the brand ambassador for the Mumbai Heroes team."

One hears that the actress is actually not very happy with this windfall vacation but has no choice but to wait patiently for her Tamil film to begin.

Rajni wanted Sonakshi out, Deepika in

Sonkashi who is going to make her debut in Kollywood with Vishwaroopam opposite Kamal Hassan was the first choice for Rana.

It is believed that the Dabangg girl was offered the role before Deepika was roped in. But before she could give her consent, Deepika got finalized for the same.

Apparently the decision of casting Deepika was taken by Rana's leading star Rajinikanth as he wasn't comfortable romancing Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi as his leading lady. Rajini and Shatrughan Sinha are friends since long time. The duo has also worked together in films earlier.

So makers of Rana wanted someone who is equally suitable for the role and Deepika bagged it. While Sonakshi missed the chance to debut opposite a big star like Rajinikath, she will now make her debut opposite an equally big superstar Kamal Hassan.

Kamal Haasan and his Viswaroopam ..

Padmasree Dr. Kamal Haasan’s grand venture went through some decisive moments today and we at Behindwoods are proud to be the first to be bringing you these exciting revelations about Viswaroopam.

The most important decision made today was that the responsibility of directing this magnum opus will no longer rest on the shoulders of Selvaraghavan. It will be instead taken up by Kamal Haasan himself. He will be directing the film in addition to handling the story, screenplay, dialogue and lyrics. So, we will be getting to see a complete Kamal film; script, dialogues, and all, after a gap of 7 years. The last time Kamal directed a film was in 2004, Virumaandi. And after listening to his lines in Manmadhan Ambu, who wouldn’t want more such poetic songs!

The decision to transfer the reins of Viswaroopam, a mutual one, came after it became impossible to defer the shooting of Viswaroopam until Selvaraghavan completed his current project, Irandam Ulagam. News is that Irandaam Ulagam will take at least another couple of months to get wrapped up and the producer of Viswaroopam, Telephoto Films, feels that it will be too long a wait. That is not without reason because the producer has planned a November 7 release for this opus.

Yes, that is November 7, 2011, not 2012. Less than 6 months from now. And, this is not going to be a simple romantic comedy or drama that can be wrapped up in double quick time within a limited budget. It is in fact the costliest film that has been planned in Tamil to date; the initial estimate running up to 150 crores. And, it will also be released simultaneously in 3 languages, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

A 150 crore trilingual in 6 months! Going by industry trends, that is akin to climbing Mt. Everest in a matter of minutes. But, the team seems confident of meeting the stiff target they have set for themselves. And, their confidence is not without reason because the work has already begun. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have been entrusted with the music of the film and the first song has been recorded. So, as you can see, the team is wasting no time in getting things underway. And, for those of you who feel disappointed at not being able to see the Kamal-Selva combination, there is good news. The producer has expressed optimism that the trio will come together for another film.

There are not too many other details available at this moment except for the fact that Bollywood ‘Dabbang’ sensation Sonakshi Sinha will be seen opposite Kamal Haasan. Well, the young actress really does seem to have many cosmic forces favoring her at the moment; debut opposite Salman Khan that broke all box office records and now her first film in Tamil is opposite one of the finest actors in the country, in one of the biggest ever productions. It does not get better for a one film old actress.

And, what is Viswaroopam about? Well, trust Kamal Haasan! Whatever news comes out about the movie, we are sure to be kept in the dark about the premise until the day it hits screens. And, we know it will be worth the wait. Going by the initial indications, this Viswaroopam is all set to dwarf the benchmarks set by Dasavatharam.

With Superstar recuperating well in hospital, we also hope that Rana will be up and running soon. With that Tamil cinema will have two giant productions getting ready in its wings at the same time. And, who is going to have the best of it all; we, the audience of course.

Sonakshi all set to romance Kamal Hassan

If Rajnikant romances Deepika Padukone in London, Kamal will romance Sonakshi Sinha.

Yeah, both Kamal and Sona are expected to be in the UK for 35 days to wrap up a major portion of their film.

Sonakshi is really looking forward to the quiet of London because she wants time off from the local paparazzi who have been dragging her into controversies galore.

Next Kamal Hassan ?

Kamal Haasan’s daughter Shruthi Haasan didn’t have a great time neither with Bollywood nor with Tollywood as her films so far has bombed terribly at the box office.

The actress is now making her Tamil debut with A.R. Murugadoss’s ‘7Aum Arivu’ opposite Suriya in the lead role. Pairing with Suriya has made Shruthi Haasan much more famous than the brand of being a legend's daughter.

The actress reveals that she plays the role of a scientist and cannot unravel anything more than this as the project by itself is a suspense thriller and there won't be any fun without the X factor.

Singing praises of A.R. Murugadoss, Shruthi says, “I believe Murugadoss is the backbone of the film. He never gets off from the concept.”

When asked how does she feel about Suriya being considered as ‘The Next Kamal Haasan’? She says, “Tomorrow, someone might be called as Next Suriya. That’s film industry!”

Shruti-Siddharth move in together !!

Siddharth and Shruti Haasan have taken their relationship to an all new level. They are so confident about their relationship that they have started living-in to get to know each other better.

The couple hasn't hidden anything from the actress-singer's father Kamal Haasan and have also got his blessings. When Kamal learnt that the two were intending to take their relationship forward, the progressive father was more than happy to bless the duo.

"They felt they should live-in, given as they have never really fought with each other or had any sort of misunderstandings. Shruti is head-over-heels in love. She is willing to even chase a career down South and keep Bollywood as a secondary option. She has rejected around five good offers. She feels proximity with her beau will make her relationship work. The couple very much wants to settle down a few years down the line," says a reliable informer.

The insider adds, "Kamal is very happy about Shruti choosing Sid. He feels the actor is good for his girl. He liked Sid as an actor even before Shruti and Sid started seeing each other. Shruti has also not been performing with the new band that she had formed — the reason, again her relationship which doesn't leave her with much time to do anything else. Therefore, writing new songs, preparing new compositions and tracks is also not happening. But she is happy and content." When contacted, Shruti and Siddharth, who was married earlier to his childhood sweetheart Meghna for four years before they split in 2006, remained unavailable for comment.

Long Overdue already ..

Kamal Haasan has said that the Dada Saheb Phalke award for ace director K Balachander is long overdue. The star, who always says that he enjoys a father-son relationship with him, is happy that he is groomed by him.

Kamal revealed that KB sir changed his lifestyle completely when suffered a heart attack when he was around 40 and since then has been living a healthy life. While wishing him a long life, the star requested him to consider new stories, though he is not making films, and advise the newbies on making films.

It is interesting to note that Kamal has said that his favorite roles, which are directed by KB sir, are the ones from films that did not do well at the box office.

Ram Charan pulled it off when heroines fail . . .

Actor Ram Charan, son of Chiranjeevi, whose Maaveeran will be hitting the theatres shortly is overwhelmed with the warm reception he received from the Tamil industry. The journos were very surprised when he addressed them in perfect Tamil. Even the director Rajamouli and producer, Allu Aravind spoke in Tamil. This is amazing in an age where most of the heroines can barely string a sentence together in Tamil despite doing so many films in that language. They all received a thunderous applause from the delighted onlookers.

Ram Charan conveyed his gratitude to Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam for their kind words and encouragement. He said he loves Chennai as he spent his younger days in the city and it is close to his heart and hopes there will be more collaboration between the Tamil and Telugu film fraternities.

STR wanted Sonakshi

It is now confirmed that director Dharani will direct the Tamil remake of the Hindi film Dabangg. Silambarasan will essay the role done by Salman Khan in the original version. There was a talk earlier that STR wanted Sonakshi Sinha, who played the heroine in Dabangg, to essay the role in Tamil too. When he approached the actress, she brushed aside the offer as she had Kamal Haasan’s Visawaroopam to concentrate on.

But with Viswaroopam not commencing as planned due to the Visa hassles that the team is facing, Sonakshi is contemplating on offering her dates for this remake, sources say.

Meanwhile, Silambarasan is busy concentrating in Poda Podi and the team is in Spain filming some important sequences.