Jiiva keen on more action movies

"You will remember Kamal Haasan from Sathya when you look at him. He is a man of conviction and believes it's his duty to question the wrongdoers and help the helpless." This is exactly how Jiiva describes his character in Rowthiram, which hits screens today.

"It's a usual film, but director Gokul has brought in the element of difference through his way of filmmaking. It's a contemporary, no-nonsense film that will have the audience hooked," he says with confidence, "Despite being a debutant, Gokul had me hooked with his narration. He showed me videos of his previous works and explained how he was planning to shoot the film."

So, what is Rowthiram all about? "In pure Tamil, it means kovam. It's not about hopping mad with anger, but staying composed and thinking things through even when someone is angry. There's a saying - Tamizh oruvanai shantha padutthum. Tamizh oruvanukku rowthiram pazhakkum. The film talks about that kind of anger," he explains.

Despite being high on action, Jiiva says the film revolves around a cute love story. "People will not sit through a film if it lacks lighter moments. If Titanic was all about how a ship hit the iceberg and sank without a trace because the engine failed, it would have sank at the BO as well! The core of Rowthiram will be a love story between Shriya and me. It's a story that everyone can relate to and enjoy watching," he smiles.

Talking about Shriya, he says, "Despite having worked in several films with top actors, Shriya is down-to-earth. She gels well with everyone and is one whom you would call perfect heroine material."

Rowthiram was in the making for long and was even surrounded by controversies. But Jiiva says it was worth the wait. "It took us almost two years to complete the project. Some even thought that audiences would forget that a film called Rowthiram was being made! But, I'm confident that it will bring people to the theatres because it's a film worth watching. Be it the script, the cinematography, the music or the artists' performance, the audience will have a lot to look forward to," he signs off.

Shriya to pair up with Prithviraj

Shriya Saran will once again team up with Prithviraj to scorch the screens in the Malayalam movie Hero.

The film is scheduled to begin production in November and will be directed by Deepan.

Earlier, Trisha was rumoured to play the lead actress in the movie, making it her debut vehicle in the Malayalam cinema, but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. Deepan confirms that Shriya will now play the role.

This will be Shriya's third Malayalam movie after the Mammootty-Prithviraj hit Pokkirri Raja and Mohanlal's Casanova. Hero will also star Srikanth in an important role.

Click here for more of Shriya's sizzling images..!!

Dazzling Shriya..

Shriya Saran dazzled at the Gem Visions India 2012 held last Sunday August 7, 2011 around 7:30 pm at the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel, Powai, Andheri (E), Mumbai.



The event’s Chief Guest was Priya Dutt, Member of Parliament.



Shriya looked gorgeous in this event, which was restricted only to selected invitees.



The Design Appreciation Awards were given to some of the well known jewelry designers & brands and the catwalk in which Shriya and others participated was the highlight of this show.



Shriya in heavily brocaded lehenga with matching accessories was truly a feast for the eyes of the fashion conscious.

Nayan to replace Shriya in Osthi's item number

If sources are to be believed Nayantara will be seen doing the hot item song in south remake of Dabangg.

If you think Nayantara has decided to quit films after Shri Rama Rajyam then you will be surprised by this news. We heard the actress has been approached to do an item song in Osthi , the Tamil remake of Dabangg .

Reportedly before Nayantara, Shriya Saran was considered for the same item number. Though Nayan is yet to give her nod, the actress is certainly open to new offers. The hot item number which was done by Malaika Arora in Dabangg gained a lot of publicity and helped the film too. Osthi makers are looking for the same hot treatment to their item number.

Silambarasan aka Simbu has already started shooting with Richa Gangopadhyay who plays Sonakshi's role in the film. It seems director Dharani has to wait for Nayan's approval before making any announcement.

Osthi was officially launched in May and is scheduled to release end of this year.

No demand for Shriya Saran down South

Shriya Saran, who was once the hottest property down south, seems to have slim pickings now in the Telugu film industry.

The actress, who has worked with all the biggies, made headlines for walking out of Manchu Manoj's film Mr Nokia. She is now finally making a comeback in a low budget movie, opposite Allari Naresh and Sharwanand.

Ask her why she chose this film and Shriya says, "This is a cute love story and that's what prompted me to sign it."

While she has made special appearance in many films lately, this movie, directed by Narayana,will be Shriya's first leading lady role since Don Seenu, early in 2010.

Meanwhile, Shriya is awaiting the release of her Tamil film, Rowthiram with Jiiva. When we asked her if Rowthiram marks her return to Kollywood, the actress said, "Return? Why would you say that? The only reason I've not had a release after Chikku Bhukku (late 2010) was because this film took a long time to make. But it's finally releasing now and it's been worth the wait."

Click here for more of Shriya's hot images !!

Nayanthara refuses STR's offer

Nayanthara may have bid adieu to films but the film industry is reluctant to let her go. Recently STR and Dharani approached her with an offer for an item number in Osthi.

This will be a remake of the famous Munni Badnam Hui number which had diva Malaika Arora Khan in a scorching routine.They were willing to pay big bucks too as Nayan has a super successful track record for sizzling numbers.

Nayan however refused politely as she wants Sri Rama Rajyam in Telugu to be her last outing.

She plays Sita in the film and the role is very close to her heart as she found it very spiritually uplifting. It will be the perfect way to say goodbye to the big screen which she loves. So her answer was a firm no.

STR is not too upset however, and he asked Shriya Saran, who was more than happy to oblige.

Shriya in a remake too..

Shriya Saran is currently busy on the sets of Rowthiram working opposite Jiiva. Rowthiram is nearing completion and Shriya is yet to sign another project in Tamil. However, she has been roped in for a Telugu film with Allari Naresh.

Naresh who debuted with Kurumbu in Tamil is very successful in the Telugu film industry ever since he shifted his focus on to Telugu films.

This project in the talks will be a remake of the Hindi film, Deewana Mastana which was released in 1997. It was a David Dhawan comedy with Anil Kapoor and Govinda vying for the affections of Juhi Chawla.

Shriya and Allari Naresh have already been finalized and the search is on for the other hero.

Neither Shriya nor Anushka

Actress Pranitha made her debut in Tamil with Udhayan opposite Arulnidhi. She is very happy with the response she has been getting and says that everyone has only good things to say about her performance in the film.

Pranitha has been hoping that the film will get her noticed and help her to land some good films and it looks like Pranitha's prayers have been answered.

Pranitha is now Karthi's heroine in Saguni. Karthi's last film Siruthai with Tamannah oppsosite him was a smash hit, and he has been waiting patiently for a good script to follow it up. Debutant Shankar Dayal impressed Karthi with Saguni and he readily agreed to do it.

The talks that Shriya Saran or Anushka to be pairing opposite was finally put to rest with Pranitha being finalized to be Karthi's arm candy.

Shriya advocates drinking?

Shriya Saran might well have got herself in trouble again. The actress has said that it is really absurd to raise the legal age for drinking to 25 when people are allowed to vote and get married when they are 18 years of age.

Shriya has said that she is not advocating drinking but matured people should be allowed to make their decisions.

This statement from Shriya has raked up a controversy, no doubt.

Shriya has said that she does not want to discuss this issue again and has put an end to by saying sorry.

The Salman Factor for Shriya..

Shriya Saran recently met Salman Khan when he was in Chennai for the audio release of Markendeyan. The two bonded over a shared passion for all things related to fitness.

Shriya was blown away by the Bollywood superstar's chilled out attitude to life and his friendliness. She suggested that they do a film together and Salman was game. He then had promised her a role in one of his movies in the near future.

The sexy siren made her Bollywood debut with Emraan Hashmi that failed to make an impact. So she wants to make sure that her second innings is off to a good start. And as Salman's heroine, it will be easy for her to make an impression. After all he was the crucial factor in reviving Asin's career.

Shriya is hoping that Salman can do the same for her.

Shriya's denial on her catfight with Sonakshi

Recently, there were a few stories doing the rounds that Shriya and Sonakshi Sinha do not get along.

The two divas were seen at the CCL and it was reported that they were going out of their way to avoid each other and some gossip mongers went as far as to say that Sonakshi tried to sabotage Shriya's dance performance and Shriya retaliated by snubbing her.

Shriya responded to these stories and said they were absolutely baseless as they got along just fine.

Shriya says that "Sonakshi was very sweet to me and I have no idea where these works of fiction crop up from?" Looks like in this case, there was smoke without a fire!

Babe for Saguni !

All the heroines in tinsel town are dying to work with the hot and happening Karthi, and they were all considered for the female lead in Saguni. But Shriya Saran is the lucky lady who has landed the part. She is pleased to be sharing screen space with a livewire like Karthi.

Kannada babe Praneetha, who will be seen in Arulnidhi’s Udayan is also being considered for a part in Saguni. Apparently, Saguni is a two-heroine project and is being directed by newcomer Shankar Dayal for the banner Dream Warrior Projects with music composition by GV Prakash Kumar.

Saguni is touted to be a racy political drama with twists and turns designed to keep the audience guessing till the end. It would also have actress Radhika Sarathkumar who will be seen on the big screen in a meaty role after a very long time.

SRK and Shriya set the stage on fire

Shah Rukh Khan on stage is nothing new. He's been charming audiences for years, be it in India, across Europe, even the United States. So, when he took the stage at the IPL Opening Ceremony at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday night, we knew he would be his charming self.

The show started off with SRK performing to the superhit 'Chak De India', but this version was remixed in a very different way. He then moved on to the hits, 'Love Mera Hit Hit' and 'Marjaani' from Billu in true crowd pleasing King Khan style.

Next SRK surprised the crowd by grabbing a water bottle, holding it as a microphone, and mouthing a greeting in Tamil (his voice had been recorded earlier), which brought cheers from the crowd. He told the crowd that Chennai's energy is the highest, their Rajni is the best, and their whistles are the loudest. From the King to the Super Kings.

He then surprised the crowd again, inviting Shriya Saran on stage to dance with him to some Tamil songs. Chennai's crowd lived up to his earlier words, bursting with energy and applause.

The performance ended with a night sky lit with fireworks, kicking off the 2011 IPL season. Best of luck to SRK's team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, and all the other IPL franchises. Here's to another great season!

Shahrukh and Chiranjeevi at IPL opening ceremony

The reasons were different. But Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Tollywod megastar Chiranjeevi enthused Chennai crowds on Friday, proving the popularity of cinema in other fields too.

Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of the visiting KKR team, knew a way to steal the hearts of the locals at the inaugural function of IPL at the M A Chidambaram Stadium. He and his troupe danced to a couple of peppy Tamil numbers — ‘Appadi Podu…’ and ‘Nakka Mukka…’

While Chiranjeevi met the voters in the suburbs of the city in support of Congress candidates, in view of the April 13 Assembly elections. “The CM has been handling affairs of the state even at his age like Bhishma pithamaha,” he said at a meeting in Avadi.

Says Kowshik Umashankar, an Avadi resident, “In the morning I saw Chiranjeevi campaigning in our place while in the evening I went to the IPL where I had a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan and Shriya among others. Thanks to cricket and politics, I was able to see my favourite stars in person.”

Shriya sizzles with SRK

As the fireworks display peppered the night sky with brilliant hues here on Friday, a patch of green once again captured the nation's attention and imagination.

Though the World Cup got over just a few days ago, a packed M.A. Chidambaram stadium lapped up ałl that the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL-4) had to offer as the mega sporting event got off to a thunderous start.

At the opening ceremony, Bollywood was out in full strength, led by its Badshah, Shahrukh Khan.

The master entertainer sent the crowd into raptures when he launched into peppy Tamil numbers along with actor Shriya Saran.

Shankar Narayanan, who has been to every IPL match that took place in Chennai, screamed, “I never expected Shahrukh to perform to Tamil numbers. Kalakkitta maamu [You rocked dude]!”

Outside the stadium, cricket fanatics such as S. Srinivas (13) were waiting to get their faces painted. Being a Kolkata Knight Riders supporter, he kept saying to all the paraphernalia sellers, “I'm not CSK!”

Explaining the reason, he said: “I like Gambhir. So I shifted loyalties.”

His mom Vanitha, a die-hard CSK supporter, cannot forgive Srinivas. “He's a traitor,” she said.

Despite the infectious enthusiasm, there were quite a few offering tickets for half the price showing that ‘World Cup hangover' seems to be true for at least a section of the fans.

E. Jaishree (11), from Villupuram, a beneficiary of the Save A Child's Heart Foundation project of Apollo Hospitals, walked with the two team captains on the pitch.

Bips & John head to Splitsville

Bollywood actor John Abraham is maintaining no comment stance on his alleged split with his longtime love-mate Bipasha Basu.

While Bipasha, who has been vehemently denying the split rumors, recently created quite a stir among her guy friends, industry people and tabloids by reportedly sending a message to every person on her phone list declaring that she’s single.

“Hi, I am single…being single is great,” read Bipasha’s message that shocked everyone, who received the text message.

Bipasha did not send any message?

Though Bipasha could not be reached for comments, her publicist sprang to action immediately after finding out about the on-going reports and explained to journalists what exactly transpired.

As per actress’s publicist, Bips is busy shooting for her international film in Madhya Pradesh and has no idea about the text message, in which she has confirmed her split from beau John.

Apparently, recently Bipasha lost her phone while filming and device remained untraceable for over 24 hours. She searched everywhere and even hotel staff and film crew members helped her in her search as she was struggling to remember where she’d last seen her phone, in her hotel room or on set.

However, phone turned up miraculously just before Bips was getting ready to lodge an FIR as she feared that someone might misuse her phone.

As per insiders, at first she did not think anything was amiss, but later found out to her horror that someone had sent messages to almost every guy on her phone list declaring “she’s single.”

“She was distraught at this malicious intent. She didn't know how to control the damage, and kept asking people how to undo the mischief created by the thief,” added insider.

Bipasha on damage control mode

After finding out about the mischief, poor actress reportedly spent the next entire day trying to undo the damage done by the malicious message.

Reportedly, Bips called every guy, who had received the message, and explained what exactly had happened. Not only this, she also apologized for causing inconvenience.

Now the question is who’s spreading these malicious rumors.

"Being single is great" says Bips

The cat is out of the bag, and none other than Bipasha Basu let it out! The actress who has been denying break-up rumours with long-term beau John Abraham has revealed in an SMS that she is single and enjoying her feedom.

Don't know if it was intentional or not, but the Bong beauty sent a text

to a journalist saying, "Yes being single is great..." not just once but six times, reports Mid Day.

The text we suppose was inadvertently sent to the scribe in question and was meant for someone else.

Later, the actress' spokesperson clarified to the journalist that Bipasha had lost her mobile and it was one of her crazy fans who sent out the message.

We believe you Bips!

Bipasha tongue tied about Rana

Bipasha Basu is avoiding all questions related to south Indian actor Rana Daggubati, who will be seen with her in the film Dum Maaro Dum.

"It was great to work with him. He is a very talented actor and we built up a great rapport. I'm also working with Prateik Babbar for the first time; he seems to have great talent too. However, the growth while working with Abhishek (Bachchan) was different feeling altogether as we know each other-we are more like friends," Bipasha said recently.

So has the "rapport" between the two moved off- screen as well? " You guys need to keep linking us all the time," she remarked.

But since news of her break- up with John have started doing the rounds, the actress must be in dire need of a strong shoulder to cry on, isn't she? " It is not essential for me to answer your queries," Bips retorted before turning her back and rushing away fuming. Need we say more?

"Single and ready to mingle" says Rana

I am single and ready to mingle,” exclaimed Tollywood star RaNa Daggubati, reacting to a question about his alleged linkup with sultry Bollywood siren Bipasha Basu.

RaNa, the grandson of legendary producer Rama Naidu, was in Chennai for Ugadi and spoke about his foray into B’Town with Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum, his craze for Rajinikanth and the yearning to act in a Tamil flick.

But first things first. “It was Shriya earlier and now Bips! I really don’t want to waste time reacting to baseless rumours! Shriya has worked in my dad’s productions and I have known her for more than 10 years now! As for Bipasha, she was my co-star and I enjoyed every bit of our shooting. Please respect art and creativity. When you are out to promote a film, these absurd reports shift the focus from the agenda. It will not help bring the crowd to the theatres either,” he says. He quickly adds, “I have a long journey in cinema.”

In Dum Maaro Dum, RaNa plays Joaquim Fernandes, a Goa-based musician and deejay. “There is a classic term ‘Susegad’ they use in Goa, which means a chilled out person. That’s what my character is all about! DJ Joki is laidback and a recluse till one day his entire family is wiped out by the drug mafia.”

He did his homework before portraying a Goan guy. RaNa says that he stayed in Mumbai for a month before shooting commenced and worked on various looks with hundreds of costumes from local Goan shops. “I have never played a musical instrument in my life so I had to take guitar classes from music director Pritam’s assistant. Most of the people in Goa speak Konkani.

Since the film was shot in sync-sound system, I had to learn the correct diction. Thanks to a workshop and Sasha, a DJ I met in Goa and who helped me in many ways, I got it right.”

On sharing screen space with Abhishek and Prateik he says, “There are three parallel stories running in the film. All three of us meet at one point of time; it was a great mix of seniors and younger actors like Prateik and me. The three of us bonded so well that we felt that we were on a vacation.”

The moment you tell him that Rajinikanth’s next film is RaNa the Leader star becomes ecstatic!

“I was in Mumbai when I read the headline in a local newspaper — ‘Rajinikanth is Rana’! I was damn thrilled and couldn’t control my emotions. I called my mom and thanked her for naming me RaNa. I am crazy about Rajini sir and his films,” he candidly admits.

RaNa says that he is more a Chennaiite than a Hyderabadi. “I was born in Chennai and studied in Chettinad School. Even after we shifted to Hyderabad, I used to spend my summer hols here. Bunny, Ram Charan and I grew up in Chennai.”

He has a cherished dream to act in a Tamil movie and the day is not far off, he feels. “In fact, I wanted to make my debut in Tamil but the film with Selvaraghavan did not take off. I am constantly making efforts to act in a Tamil film, though I have become busy in Tollywood with Nenu Naa Rakshasi with Ileana and a new film Naa Ishtam with Genelia,” he signs off.

Shriya to turn an item girl

Shriya Saran who was one of the top league actress in Telugu has no offers in Tollywood now. Though she did 'Don Seenu' with Raviteja, she has no lead role offers now. She is relegated to item numbers and cameo roles.She did an item song even in Pawan Kalyan's Puli.

One of the main reasons for this is also Shriya's wide mood swings. We hear she doesn't eat rice as she wants to keep herself fit and this extreme diet concious makes her mood swing too wide for producers, directors and even journalists to handle. She is most often cranky on the sets and behaves wild with the crew which is also why many refuse to cast her anymore. The fact that she slapped a lot of people, fans and picked up fights with scribes acts as a testimony to this rumour.

If sources are to be believed, Shriya has signed a movie in which Manoj is the hero. However, that is only for an item song. The movie will be directed by Anil. Deeksha Seth or Nitya Menon are likely to be Manoj's heroine in this film.

D S Rao is producing this project on Sai Krishna productions banner.

Perhaps it is time Shriya eats healthy food, practice some mediatation, behave well and start re-working on her PR skills to bounce back.