City Chennai Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has announced its plans to expand global operations. The former head of studio at DNEG Bangalore and Chennai, Kiran ‘KP’ Prasad will head a full pipeline studio which will be based in Mumbai.  The visual effects division of Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco and has studios in Vancouver, London, Singapore and Sydney. It will open a new full pipeline studio, operating full visual effects and animation services for film and television in Mumbai to gain access to the talent base in the region.  Prasad will lead operations and report to ILM SVP and General Manager, Janet Lewin. 

EXCLUSIVE: Melbar Entertainment Group and Purple Pebble Pictures announced that award winning actor and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her production company Purple Pebble Pictures banner have joined the production team of Barry Avrich’s new feature documentary Born Hungry.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. One of the biggest sporting leagues in the world is the Indian Premier League (IPL), which features the best cricket players in the world competing in the most high-profile league across the sport. Millions of people tune in each week to watch the IPL matches, and as a new season kicks off, there are a few ways for you to watch IPL cricket as well.

One of India’s biggest stars has been announced as the first south Asian artist to perform at Manchester’s newest arena Co-Op Live.

Naman Ramachandran “Kalki 2898 AD,” the Indian sci-fi epic starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani, will release theatrically worldwide on May 9. The date was unveiled across Indian cities Varanasi, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Madurai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Bhimavaram, Kashmir and Vijayawada by actors in the raider costumes featured in the film. The film, which is directed by Nag Ashwin and backed by Vyjayanthi Movies, was teased at the San Diego Comic-Con last year.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor and politician Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami, known popularly by his screen name Vijayakanth, died in Chennai on Thursday, following complications related to pneumonia. He was 71. Vijayakanth, who had been ailing for some time, was admitted to Chennai’s MIOT (Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology) International Hospital in November.

Netflix sci-fi cop drama Bodies, which landed on the streaming service today (August 19).Set across multiple timelines, the series comes with an original score by Jon Opstad as well as using music from Vera Lynn, Katherine Jenkins and more.The Netflix synopsis of the show reads: “When a body – the same body – is found on Longharvest Lane in London’s East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate.“As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader – Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham) – becomes increasingly central. Did he have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play?“To solve the mystery, our four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years.”See the full episode-by-episode list of the show’s full soundtrack below.1. ‘Bodies Main Title’ – Jon Opstad2. ‘White Jazz’ – Joe Loss and His Band3. ‘Funk on Steroids’ – Cutta Crepe, Luke de Lux4. ‘The Love Song’ – Altitude Music5. ‘So Many Men, So Little Time’ – Miquel Brown6. ‘Since We Ain’t Together’ – Nia Chennai7. ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’ – Dinah Washington8. ‘Bodies End Credits’ – Jon Opstad1. ‘Bodies Main Title’ – Jon Opstad2. ‘Blue Skies Are Around the Corner’ – Jack Hylton and his Orchestra, Evelyn Lane3. ‘We’ll Meet Again’ – Vera Lynn4. ‘Bodies End Credits’ – Jon Opstad1. ‘Bodies Main Title’ – Jon Opstad2. ‘All Things Bright And Beautiful’ – Anglican Hymn3. ‘Super Mario Bros. Theme’4. ‘London Pride’ – Noel Coward5. ‘Lose My Way’ – Ane Brun & Dustin O’Halloran6. ‘Agnus Dei Op.11’ – Katherine Jenkins & Rodolfus Choir7. ‘Bodies End Credits’ – Jon Opstad1. ‘Bodies Main Title’

Naman Ramachandran The birth centenary of Indian cinema icon Dev Anand will be celebrated with restored versions of some of his classics receiving a theatrical release across the country. Known as one of the triumvirate of superstars who ruled Hindi-language cinema in the 1950s and ’60s (along with the late Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar) Anand made such hits as “Guide,” “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” and “Prem Pujari.” The birth centenary of Anand, who died in 2011, is on Sept. 26.

When Rajinikanth appeared on screen, the theater stopped the movie for a minute as fans danced and cheered, rejoicing in his return after a period of two years. Popular movie stars are treated like gods in India, often worshipped like deities by their fans. Rajinikanth is one of Asia’s highest-paid actors, known for his superhero stunts. He enjoys a devoted fan base that cuts across generations and even continents. His films have broken box-office records in India and in countries like Malaysia and the United Kingdom, both of which have large Tamil-speaking p

EXCLUSIVE: Dune and Oppenheimer VFX firm DNEG is making dozens of layoffs in its London HQ.

Several people have died and a further 100 are seriously hurt after three trains collided in India.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Indian streaming service JioCinema claimed a record for the number of concurrent viewers this week. It reported that 32 million viewers were simultaneously using its service to watch the IPL cricket final match between The Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans. The platform’s previous peak was 25 million. Chennai eventually won the rain-affected and one-day delayed match Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has removed its bouquet of 14 channels from Indonesia’s TV largest platform, MNC, ending decades-long affiliate arrangements, Content Asia reported. The decision, confirmed by WBD, involves channels from HBO and Cartoon Network to Discovery and TLC, all of which came off air on May 12. The move is understood to be the culmination of a payments disagreement. In November last year, beIN removds its sports service from MNC. WBD content remains available on three smaller platforms in Indonesia, IndiHome First Media and Trans.

Naman Ramachandran Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP) is making its debut in Tamil-language cinema with a film starring Sivakarthikeyan. The project is currently identified as “SK21,” meaning that it is the 21st film starring Sivakarthikeyan, who headlines the film alongside Sai Pallavi. SPIP is producing alongside multihyphenate Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI) and co-produced by God Bless Entertainment, with Haasan and R. Mahendran serving as producers with SPIP. The film, written and directed by Raj Kumar Periasamy (“Rangoon,” “Bigg Boss Tamil”), is billed as a tale of “guts and gore” and “high on patriotism.” It is based on a chapter in Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s “India Most Fearless” series of books that recount stories of Indian military heroes. The film has commenced principal photography with a two-month schedule in the northern Indian state of Kashmir.

Naman Ramachandran Indian streamer SonyLIV has revealed a robust 35-strong series slate, including some returning hits, with a further expansion into South Indian languages in addition to its Hindi-language slate. Headquartered in Mumbai, the streamer now has three content offices in South India, in Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai. SonyLIV also now has 24 million paid subscribers, SonyLIV head of content Saugata Mukherjee told Variety. In the Tamil language, after the success of “Tamil Rockerz” in 2022 and “The Story of Things” earlier this year, SonyLIV has saga “Journey,” headlined by R. Sarathkumar with Cheran Pandian (“Autograph”) serving as showrunner; and “The Madras Murder,” set against the backdrop of the Tamil film industry in the 1950s and 1960s, with A.L. Vijay (“Kireedam”) as showrunner.

Shalini Dore Features News Editor Before there was “RRR,” director S.S. Rajamouli had box-office smashes like the two-part “Baahubali,” which proved how adept he is at making hits. But among Indian audiences, there is a deep divide between those who applaud that the rest of the world is waking up to his brilliance and those who are horrified that a “dubba” — or hollow film — is being lauded. I’ve heard it from my own Indian friends and relatives who have been reaching out to ask: what are they missing? Reports of viewers dancing at Hollywood’s iconic Chinese Theater to the Oscar-nominated song “Naatu Naatu” horrify these purists. But if you embrace what Rajamouli is doing, “Naatu Naatu” — which is not really the best song in Indian or Telegu films, or even in “RRR” — has somehow captured the zeitgeist, just as the film itself has. 

Netflix this Valentine’s Day.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has announced that renowned Indian actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan will receive an honorary award at its upcoming second edition running December 1-10.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Cannes Film Festival has added two more films to the Official Selection of the 75th edition, which will kick off on May 17. Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “As Bestas,” a French-Spanish movie, has been added to Cannes Première, the new section dedicated to world premieres for movies that are slightly more mainstream, similarly to the out-of-competition strand.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentFollowing a tortuous journey and dozens of crazy rumors, the Cannes Film Festival has landed Vincent Lindon, the French actor of last year’s Palme d’Or winning “Titan,” as jury president of its 75th edition.Lindon, who won best actor in 2015 for his role in Stephane Brizé’s movie “The Measure of a Man,” will be the first French star to be jury president since Isabelle Huppert in 2009. The festival said “French celebrities have often held this role in an anniversary year, such as Yves Montand in 1987 for the 40th Festival, Gérard Depardieu in 1993 for the 45th Festival, and Isabelle Adjani in 1997 for the 50th.”The jury will comprise two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (“A Hero”), as well as U.S.

Vijay Subramaniam, the former Amazon India and Disney India executive, has launched an independent venture that will develop, produce and finance content for the Indian market.

Naman Ramachandran Amazon Prime Video India has revealed Hindi, Tamil and Telugu-language versions of hit series “Modern Love.”Based on the weekly The New York Times column of the same name, the U.S. version of “Modern Love” was developed by John Carney (“Once,” “Sing Street”), who also directed several episodes over its two seasons in 2019 and 2021.

DNEG, the visual effects and animation company behind Dune and many other high-profile productions, is merging with a SPAC called Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. in a deal that aims to take the group public with a stock listing on the Nasdaq (symbol DNEG).

After an impressive start at India’s box office, the Tamil-language film Master has hit Amazon Prime Video across the globe, and looks set to maintain the star power of leading actor Vijay. Two years after playing a charismatic soccer coach in Bigil, Vijay dances into the role of a charismatic professor in Master.

BBC News and CNN, the acclaimed Indian singer had been hospitalised and placed in intensive care after being diagnosed with COVID-19 back in August.Balasubrahmanyam was reportedly first admitted to hospital in the southern city of Chennai  in early August after testing positive for the coronavirus.

CNN reported.“In a further setback this morning, despite maximal life support measures and the best efforts of the clinical team, his condition deteriorated further and he suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest,” Anuradha Baskaran, Assistant Director of Medical Services at MGM Healthcare in Chennai, southeastern India, said in a statement.Baskaran added that she was delivering the news “with profound grief.” His death comes as India marks over 92,000 deaths — the third most in the world after

Naman Ramachandran Singer S. P.

The hustle and bustle of India’s daily traffic chaos can be heard outside.