ENDHIRAN / ROBOT/ ENTHIRAN - The Film (*ing RajniKanth-Aishwarya Rai) Xclusive Updates

Enthiran to be released in South Korea with 50 prints!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:48:00 +0000

Eros International is to enter new international territories with the releases of Ra.One in Taiwan and Endhiran in South Korea.

Enthiran, which is already the highest grossing Tamil film in a number of international territories, will be released across 50 South Korean screens in Tamil with Korean subtitles in September 2011. Last year, Enthiran’s opening weekend broke all Indian box office records for any film. In 2010, the three language versions of the film (Tamil, Telugu and Hindi), directed by S. Shankar, earned US$20.6m over the opening weekend. During its theatrical release it earned overseas box office receipts of US$13.2m.

Kumar Ahuja, senior vice president business development, Eros International said: “We are delighted that we have this opportunity to access the lucrative Taiwanese and South Korean markets. Ra.One will be the first Indian movie to be released on such a scale in Taiwan and combined with Enthiran’s release in South Korea we believe that there is significant potential for further Hindi and Tamil blockbusters to be released in both countries. With our rich catalogue of over 2,100 films and a strong future release slate these releases are another step in our global expansion plans as we endeavour to take Indian cinema to new markets.”

Now get Exclusive Rajinikanth's RANA Updates @ www.ranathefilm.tk

Rajini's Next project - RANA

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:27:00 +0000

Just when news about Enthiran is subsiding, brand Rajini is making news again: Not for his next (animated) movie Hara but for his next project with director KS Ravikumar. The news is official now that Rajini and KS Ravikumar have agreed to work on a project together which has been titled "Rana". The USP of the movie is that Rajinikanth will be acting in three roles in the movie. The last time we saw Rajinikanth in three roles was in Moondru Mugam. It is reported that Yesteryear's Rekha, Deepika Padukone and Vidya Balan are being paired with Rajini.

Rana will be co-produced by Eros International and Ocher studios. The multi-lingual, which will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, will have music by AR Rahman who also scored music for Rajinikanth's last movie Enthiran. Editing will be done by Anthony and Ratnavelu, of Enthiran fame, will be the cinematographer. Art direction will be taken care by Rajeevan while The technical & special effects director will be Soundarya Rajnikanth and Charles Darby of Eyeqube Studios. The shooting is expected to commence from April this year and the film is expected to be released in 2012.

For More Xclusive updates of RANA visit : www.ranathefilm.tk

Enthiran in Global Film Festival!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:36:00 +0000

“Enthiran/The Robot,” a Hollywood-Indian collaboration that is the biggest-budget film in the history of Indian film-making – and also the highest-grossing – will make its southern United States debut at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, opening night of the fourth annual William & Mary Global Film Festival.

The festival runs through Sunday, Feb. 20. This year’s theme combines three of the highest-profile trends in film and pop culture today: the environmentalist movement, comic book super heroes, and vampires.

The occasion also marks the inaugural awarding of the “W&M Global Film Can” awards. This year’s recipients are Japanese director Nobuhiko Obayashi and his daughter, screenwriter Chigumi Obayashi; French director Yann Arthus Bertrand; and Indian director Shankar, director of “The Robot,” and named 2010 Indian of the Year in Entertainment by CNN IBN.

Attending “The Robot” at the Kimball Theatre, located at Merchant’s Square in Colonial Williamsburg, will be the film’s Hollywood executive producer, Jack Rajasekar, president of Virginia Beach company Fusion Edge Media, its costume designer, Hollywood’s renowned Mary Vogt (“Men in Black,” “Batman Returns”), supervisor of animatronics Alan Scott (“Terminator 2,” “Terminator 3,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Jurassic Park III), special makeup and effects coordinator Vance Hartwell (“Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “War of the Worlds”), the film’s cinematographer Randy Rathnavelu, and special-effects supervisor Sreenivasan.

Other international luminaries attending are Obayashi and daughter Chigumi; Sundance award-winning documentarist Judith Helfand; and internationally acclaimed storyteller Clay McLeod Chapman.

Rajasekar says he had the "honor" of working with superstar Rajinikanth, who stars as Dr. Vasi and the robot; Vogt, who created the film's costume design; and animatronics by Legacy Effects (“Iron Man,” “Avatar”).The budget -- $41.6 million (U.S.) – is the equivalent of 1,900,000,000 Rupees. Rajasekar and Fusion Edge Media are already planning sequels to “The Robot.”

“It is the greatest assemblage of talent ever to work on a Kollywood film,” Rajasekar said from his office in Virginia Beach. “The enthusiasm and passion with which everyone thrust themselves into this project proved something to me that, frankly, I already knew: Hollywood and the Indian cinema community have embarked on a cooperative course the result of which will be a ‘Golden Age’ of cinema unlike any ever before witnessed. ‘The Robot’ is just the start.”

The story centers on a genius scientist Dr. Vasi (Rajinikanth) who makes a genius robot (called Chiti), but tests the limits of technology by infusing him with human emotions. The more Chiti begins to feel and think, the more uncontrollable he becomes, eventually falling in love with Dr. Vasi’s fiancé (played by Aishwarya Rai). When Dr. Vasi attempts to destroy his creation, Chiti mobilizes an unstoppable army of machines, terrorizing India.

The festival promises to be filled with highlights.

Rare Enthiran Pics - Xclusive

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:50:00 +0000

Endhiran Rockz the World!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Endhiran/ Robot stands at either number one or number four in the world its first weekend, depending on who is talking. The producers of the film have not released official figures. About 75 percent of the film's grosses came from the Tamil and Telugu versions, according to trade observers.

On the high end, the film grossed $21 million in India (and an estimated $3 million outside India) as claimed by trade analyst Komal Nahta. On the low end, it made $12.4 million (with additional $3 million from overseas territories) as claimed by boxofficeindia.com

If Nahta's calculator is right, the film -- which was showing in some 2,100 screens worldwide -- was certainly the number one film of the world. It beat Resident Evil: Afterlife, which grossed $18 million on 6,000 screens worldwide, according to The-Numbers.com. It totaled to $280 million in its fifth week. The film was made for $50 million and is expected to end its run with $300 million.

The Chinese film Detective Dee: Mystery Of The Phantom Flame opened with $16.42 million on 650 screens in four markets, as per The-Numbers.com. Most of its collections came from China.

Julia Robert's Eat Pray Love, which was partly shot in India, was at third place with $15 million on 4,000 screens in 32 markets for a total of $120 million. It still has a lot of fuel going for it.

Whether the first estimate for Endhiran would prove to be right or the second one, one thing is clear: The film, which was made for about $31 million (and a reported $10 million for print and promotion), better have sturdy legs in the next three or four weeks.

For most Indian films, even the hits generally tumble by about 50 percent in the second week. The producers and distributes of a film get about 50 percent of its box office worldwide after paying rent to theatres. In India, the entertainment tax also takes out some 35 percent of the gross.

By conservative estimate, Endhiran has to gross about $70 million to break even.

The producers of the film have reportedly recovered their investment because of the sale of the ancillary rights such as television licensing fee and the high fee it has been sold. But the distributors will have to depend solely on the box office returns to recover their investment.

For sheer numbers, it will have to go a long way before it beats the worldwide gross of Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots (reportedly $55 million) and Shah Rukh Khan's My Name Is Khan (around $55 million).

Setting a huge recording for a Tamil film, Endhiran grossed over its first weekend an estimated $1.56 million in North America. But it could not topple the $1.7 million record weekend gross of 3 Idiots, which earned more than $6 million becoming the highest grossing Indian film in North America.

While the Rajnikanth film, which was showing in 139 theatres in North America, is the toast of the town, the romantic film Anjaana Anjaani had a decent opening. It grossed $517,000 in 91 theatres.

In the UK, Endhiran/Robot grossed about $467,000 in 30 theatres. The film reportedly grossed about $800,000 in Malaysia and Singapore.

"This is an awesome gross for any Indian film, particularly a Tamil film," said a distributor in New York who asked not to be named. "But people forget a number of theatres doubled the admission price for many shows to $25, some even charged $40 which would be more than the IMAX admission price for Avatar."

Robot became the bigger weekend opening film in North America and India not only for Rajnikanth but also Aishwarya Rai Bachchan .

Many diehard Rajnikanth fans at universities, even those who have just started their studies and have to watch out for every penny spent, saw the film mostly on Friday or Saturday. Several newly migrated students from Tamil Nadu and other southern states, especially those enrolled at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, said they did not feel homesick for many days, in anticipation of seeing Robot.

According to Endhiran/Robot distributor in North America, it took $170,000 for the Hindi version (39 locations), $330,000 (Telugu, 33 locations) while the Tamil version grossed $1.1 million at 64 venues.

Many young viewers, who said they would have loved to see it the second time in the opening weekend, also confessed that they would be seeing it again after two weeks when the admission rates would be the standard $10.

3D Enthiran / Robot Trailer Xclusive

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:47:00 +0000

Rajni promotes Robot in Mumbai!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:05:00 +0000

While Enthiran has proved to be a hit at the box office raking in collections that have stunned the industry pundits, Robo (Telugu version) is doing no less. The film has been well-received by the Telugu audience and it is said that it could garner 35 to 40 crores in Tollywood alone.

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it is a mega success. He is marketing the film vigorously by promoting it with his star power. This is something that Rajini had never done before and he seems to be thoroughly enjoying it.

Whenever he does a big film in Tamil, the super star Rajinikanth screens special shows of the film to his friends in Bollywood. It last happened for ‘Sivaji’ and now the ‘Endhiran’s Hindi version ‘Robot’ is captivating the who’s who of Bollywood.

The super star was in Mumbai and he showed ‘Endhiran - the Robot’ to his friend, guide and philosopher Amitabh Bachchan and his other friends in Bollywood like Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Urmila Matondkar, Shriya Saran, Hema Malini, Vrinda Rai, S. Shankar, Kiran Rao, Karan Johar, Sunny Deol, Yash Chopra and many other celebrities.

After watching the movie all the stars including the Big B was nothing but awe struck came back speech less.

Amitabh has said “I went to see the event of the season - ROBOT! Rajini had called yesterday from Chennai, was holding a show in Mumbai and as was his tradition wanted me to come over to see it along with other friends. And so we went and so we remained awe struck on what transpired and so we came back speechless on the experience. Aishwarya looked smashing and danced like she had never danced before. Rajini … what can one say for this man. He is just unbelievable. The film is a roller coaster ride of fun and ecstasy and events of mammoth proportions.

Amitabh further said “An incredible experience it was. Rajini was incredible, Aishwarya was colorful and danced like a dream and content and delivery was simply extraordinary.”

The man perfect Aamir Khan said after the movie that he wanted to ‘eat his brain’ - Shankars that is - to know how Shankar managed the awesome film.

So the first real Indian International film has arrived.

Audience shower praise on Enthiran as box office collection Roar!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:31:00 +0000

There was nothing new on October 1 for the people living in Chennai. They got up early in the morning as usual. But the only change in their routine was that instead of going to the Mylapore Kabaleeswara temple, many among them marched to Kasi `temple'.

Interestingly, they were there before 5 A.M. They had gone there to see Lord Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, also known as Rajinikanth, a modern day Super God. Rajnikanth has a huge following in Tamil Nadu, where his latest film has been released.

Millions turned up to see their beloved actor entertain them. There was a mad rush of movie buffs outside theatres showing the new film. The popularity of the film could be gauged from the fact that in places tickets were sold in advance. Endhiran is a huge hit.

The credit for this goes to none other than Rajini. It is learnt that he worked overtime in Endhiran. He has played the role of robot the Chitti in the film. The character has become an instant hit with fans. They are head over heel in love with it. Interestingly, Rajini also plays the comic part. That is why the film is the mixture of comic, serious and action.

Besides, he has also played the role of the villain as Chitti, the reincarnated robot. This movie has made Rajini the number one Tamil hero. He has outclassed his closest screen rival Kamal Haasan. Rajini and Kamal have been in contest for the number one position for long.

It is necessary to point out that Rajini started his career in the mid 70s. Since then he has never looked behind. However, in his intial days Rajini was more popular as the bad guy. But slowly he switched over playing antagonist role to good effect. And in this new film he has made the bad guy look more attractive.

Just 4 days after release, the film has already been a huge hit. It has broken many old records at the box office. It would be interesting to see how it unfolds in the coming weeks. All eyes will be on Rajini and Endhiran.

‘Enthiran’ celebrations continue!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:16:00 +0000

Fans thronged cinema halls screening ‘Endhiran’ and ‘Robot’ all over the world for the second consecutive day today, making the film the biggest ever hit Indian film industry had ever witnessed. Special shows and breakfast shows have been planned for three days in theatres all over Tamil Nadu, which is always considered a fort of Superstar Rajinikanth. “The response is amazing and overwhelming”, said a theatre manager in Chennai.

“Since I was unable to get a ticket for the first day, I have come to watch the film early this morning”, said Revathy Gopi, who was spotted at a Bangalore theatre. Yes, the movie has witnessed an unimaginable opening in other States of India too.

The Hindi and Telugu versions of the Sun Pictures production, titled ‘Robot’, have been lapped up by masses and critics alike. Websites of national newspapers carried reviews on the first day itself hailing the film while top channels aired special features on the movie’s release.

P S Ravithej, a management professor in a Chennai college said, “Watching a Rajini film has become a social obligation. The actor has created a huge impact in the minds of people. We are planning a case study”.

Endhiran Review Exclusive!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:34:00 +0000

Just go with an open mind just to enjoy the combination of Shankar, Rahman, Rajnikant and aishwarya rai. Rajni defies all odds in this movie and people screaming and whistling for him from the opening song. Of course there is no bang opening like the usual rajni movies, but its rajni, rajni, rajni all the way! Watch out, I don’t want to spoil the fun!

I was amazed at the way certain pockets of the story were handled and the second half is too good. Rajni as robot has some negative shades, and it’s a cake walk for him. I could see glimpses of his characters of classics like Nettrikan, Moondru Mugam (Alex pandiyan) and Nenaithale innikum, all rolled up into one! Enthiran does steal your heart, especially in the emotional last frame!

His makeup and hair style do make him look quite younger and Aishwarya looks stunning in her costumes of Manish Malhotra. She completely steals the frames in all the songs.. The songs are shot in some picturesque beaches and the song “Kilimanjaro” shot in Machu Pichu is amazing! Special effects, in the second half are creative and shankar’s brilliance flashes.

Some points I would like to mention about the movie are:

1. This is a complete masala movie with comedy, song, dance, romance, fight, sentiment.
2. The story’s base is Science Fiction – but it is a science fiction masala.
3. That means, do not expect a complete Sci-Fi genre movie like Terminator. But expect a movie like Avatar. (Indian version of Avatar).
4. It has all the ingredients to make it attractive to children, youngsters, family members, ladies and Rajini’s mass audience.
5. The last 45 – 50 minutes will be a celebration for Rajini fans.
6. The animations are never before seen in Indian cinema and takes Indian cinema to next level in terms of visual effects and animations
7. The stunt sequences are again, the best in Indian cinema.
8. He was sure that the movie will be liked by Hindi audience too.
9. He was absolutely sure that Rajini’s performance as the villain will win him a National Award.
10. He was also sure that A.R. Rahman will win next year’s National Award for BGM.
11. He said that the climax Symphony based BGM by Rahman is worth even Grammy awards.
12. The one point that the Hindi audience may not like is comedy that is specific to south India. He said, they may cut there scenes in Hindi.
13. The International audience who like song and dance will enjoy the movie. But, the film will not impress international audience in general as this will be a typical Indian masala movie.
14. The movie will definitely break all records for sure.

My Rating 4.7/5

Verdict: I would strongly recommend you to watch the movie for its thrilling Experience!!

-Rajini Fan

Enthiran Anti Piracy Group - Report it now..

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Anti Piracy Group (APG) is protecting Superstar Rajinikanth-starrer Enthiran / Robot / Robo (2010) against online piracy. Since the overseas theoretical screening and DVD rights are owned by FICUS Entertainment (www.ficusmovies.com), APG would pursue legal action as per DMCA rules against individuals/websites who distributes pirated links/sharing files/torrent files of Enthiran / Robot / Robo.

Notices regarding this have been issued to various torrent websites that have actively indulging in online piracy in the recent times.

Enthiran / Robot / Robo is a graphic-rich movie and its EFX and SFX can be experienced only in theatres. APG requests movie buffs not to encourage piracy. If you find Endhiran/Robot pirated videos online please report it immediately to antipiracygroupllc@gmail.com and save the Industry.

Also Share your Movie celebrations news, photos to us by sending it to endhiranupdates@gmail.com and we will publish them.

Endhiran ready to storm theatres!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:07:00 +0000

Finally, we are just a day away from the release of India's biggest budget film Endhiran – The Robot. After waiting for three years, fans are excited to watch superstar Rajinikanth on-screen.

According to reports, Tamil version will be releasing in 1450 theatres with 1000 plus prints. movie tickets in Tamil Nadu has been sold for a week. It includes PVR, Sathyam Cinemas, Inox etc. In Chennai alone the movie is releasing in over 30 theatres.

In Andhra Pradesh, Thota Kannarao has the rights for Telugu version of the film Robo. In some regions the movie will be released in both Tamil and Telugu version. In Hyderabad and many big cities, tickets for three days have been sold out.

In Karnataka, it is a different case, as the distributor and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) is yet to settle the dispute regarding prints. It has allowed to screen the film in 35 theatres from three versions. According to the rules of the KFCC, a non-Kannada movie can be screened in only 24 theatres. But the distributors are demanding 60 theatres.

The Hindi version of Endhiran has also grabbed attention among North Indian fans. Sources say that the movie has generated huge-hype in Mumbai.

In US and Europe, ticket booking started 10 days ago and were sold out in few hours. The movie is also releasing in Colosseum Kino, the largest cinema hall in Oslo (Norway).

The three versions of the film is releasing in over 3000 screens (2250 prints) worldwide on Friday, October 1.

Aishwarya dons different looks in Enthiran!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:41:00 +0000

The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai is famous for her style statement. In the film she looks glamorous as never before.

In Endhiran she is paired opposite South superstar Rajnikanth. In the film she dons different looks. She is seen dressed in various blingy dresses and head gears.

Her eye catching dresses in the film are dressed by renowned fashion designer Manish Malhotra.

Innumerable costumes were used during the shooting of some songs. As you know that “Endhiran” is the most costly Indian film till date. So wait till tommorrow, when the dream comes into reality!!

17 facts of Enthiran!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0000

*Will be the first tamil movie to be distributed by HBO films.

*Aishwarya Rai's 5th tamil film, ironically all of them had A.R. Rahman's music.

*Shankar's dream project for 10 years.

*Hollywood special fx studio Stan Winston will do the robotic special fx.

*Peter Hayne, the film's stunt director, almost lost his life on the set, with Shankar nicknaming him "Peter Pain" at the Endhiran audio launch.

*The 8th A.R. Rahman-Shankar film.

*The second consecutive Rajini-Shankar film.

*The most expensive tamil and indian film ever made.

*The soundtrack was the first ever tamil soundtrack to top itunes for world albums.

*The film set a record for highest foreign prints sold.

*The first film with double acting Rajini's since Muthu.
Endhiran

*Originally was to be made with Kamal Hassan and Preity Zinta in the leads.

*The audio launch was the biggest in tamil history.

*Some scenes of the film were shot in Machu Pichu, a historical site not usualy allowed to be used for shooting.

*Endhiran will be the last film that Rajini will play a youthful character, as his films after will feature him in roles closer to his age.

*The final song Arima Arima will feature a reported 100 Rajinis.

*The First Audio Launch of Rajini which is released out of India.

less than 2 days to go.. Rajini, the centre of sensation..

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:44:00 +0000

What would you call a man who has been a beacon of hope for nearly four decades and delivers stellar performances that touch global audiences? Who is also worshiped as a champion of the masses and effortlessly stylises even the simplest of screenplays? The name is Rajnikanth.

Despite other regional cinemas vacating the space of good samaritan scripts and desi Robin Hood type storyboards, Rajinikanth is perhaps the only phenomena, who just by the sheer fact of being in the film, has made it a success.

This grandfather of two is no bicep-wielding hunk, yet in his veshti-clad avatar manages to make even women, who have crossed the half century mark, whistle with vigour. Rajini might not have consumed the youth potion, but his sex appeal seems to soar as he transforms into this slick superhero. But it is this unconventional look combined with his street-style that gives him the edgy appeal. The nine-yards maamis who secretly wish they dated a bad boy, find him suitably refined. His image is that of a good at heart, quirky and vibrant young man — the perfect package for the one that roars in and out of intimate spaces.

Temple priests have started performing Paal abhishekams in the name of Rajini at the behest of fans.

“Tickets have been sold out for the first week. Even the trailers we are running are receiving a thunderous response,” shares Swaroop Reddy, director of Sathyam Cinemas. He also adds,“We had fans lining up outside our gates from 6 am, the day we opened ticket sales.”

Reality show director, Akhila Prakash, says, “I will ignore my bias against Tamil cinema and still whistle for Rajini. He is a legend who has infused dynamism and a light-hearted way of looking at everyday instances through his histrionics.”

Predicting a blockbuster reputed astrologer P.B. Sethuraman says, “The release date October 1 is not that auspicious but Rajinikanth and his family’s stars outshine any negative aspect. The film will definitely be a superhit.”

The lane in which Rajinikanth lives, which is used to frenzied scenes of sycophancy has once again started seeing fans line the pavements to catch a glimpse of their Robot. High profile neighbours of the star, who requested anonymity share, “It is a tradition we are used to. Some even climb trees to peek into his house.”

And surprisingly no one seems to mind this. “There is none like Rajini in the entire universe and if he is living amongst us, it can only be a good thing,” says a leading industrialist who is also known for his real estate portfolio.

Abhishekam for the idol
T. Ramalingam, who belongs to one of the numerous Rajini fan association says, "Everytime Thalaivar’s movie releases it is like watching God himself on the screen. We make elaborate preparations for the first few day. We all visit the Murugan temple in Vadapalani to offer prayers for the Superstar's success. We have even performed beer-abhishekham and paal abhishekham for our very own hero.”

Sci fi and Rajini
When creativity soars, the star’s value might diminish. But despite the film being touted as the costliest flick with revolutionary effects, the Rajini pull remains. “He is entertainment personified. Nothing else will outshine his calibre and I am happy to have worked with him,” shares a glamour model, who plays a blink-and-miss part in the film.

Security arrangements
Taking precautionary measures, M. Ravi, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) says, “We have deployed additional manpower for the first two days. It is to ensure free-flow of traffic and no clashes for tickets.” He also shares, “I have booked my tickets for the first day, second show and I can’t wait.”

All hail Rajini
His appeal knows no bounds. Adrenaline is at an all time high as youngsters scramble for last minute tickets. “Thanks to my father, I have grown up watching his films. This time Enthiran seems to be sold out and despite standing in queues across the city, I haven’t been lucky,” rues Nikhil Rajasekar, a student. Priya Natraj, a visual communication student shares, “My friends and I paid for five tickets of ` 250 each at a multiplex, the original price was ` 120 but by paying extra we didn’t have to stand in the queue and it was so much easier to get our hands on this.”

Special Shows
Cashing in on the rush, theatres like Kasi have factored in a dawn show. The film will be screened to fans who pay a price at 5 am on the first three days. Theatres outside the city limits have also been sold out and are trying to find out, if they are any cancellations from the bulk bookings. If rumours are to be believed, a private mini-theatre in the city run by the wife of a prominent director is planning to have a special screening for select celebrities.

The Journey so far...

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:05:00 +0000

Initially named Robot in Tamil and later changed to Endhiran due to the entertainment tax exemption on Tamil films that have Tamil titles, this Rajnikanth-starrer would have just been a dream of director Shankar, if the Southern super star had never taken the project to Sun Pictures Boss Kalanadhi Maran and convinced him to back it. The project that was initially backed by Ayngran International and Eros International, however was shelved when the world plunged into the financial slowdown.

This film with a budget of USD million (Rs. 1650 million ) has the best names in the industry contributing to each department. The film’s music has been created by Oscar winner AR Rahman, audiography is by another Oscar winner, Resul Pookutty and the lyrics are by the renowned Viaramuthu. The director of photography is Rathnavel, editing has been done by Anthony, the art direction is by Sabu Cyril and Srinivas Mohan was in charge of the visual FX along with Stanwinston Studios in California.

This is the first Indian film to use the Stanswinston Studio's animatronics technology that was earlier used in films like Jurassic Park, Iron Man, and the Terminator Series. The films have been shot in many locales including Machu Picchu the pre-Colombian Inca site in Peru along with Pune, Lonavla and Chennai, and majorly in the studios with the help of CGi.

This visual spectacle is said to be loosely based on late novelist Sujatha’s work En Iniya Iyanthira and Meendum Jeano. The film has been in the news since its commencement in 2007. Each day, the media was updated of the events around the film, to maintain the hype around it. In the three years of making of the film, various rumours have done its rounds including that of the opening scene where Rajnikanth does a full monty, a shot canned at a Chennai studio.

The music has already topped the charts and Rahaman’s daughter Kathija too has contributed to the project by lending her voice to the popular Pudhya Manida, singing along with SP Balasubramanian. Lyricist Vairamuthu also has introduced his son and lyricist Kaarki with the Boom Boom Roba Da number. The music of this film is on the paid applications in Apple’s iTunes and remains a hot favorite. The music rights were picked up by Think Music for a mind boggling price.

The monetary benefits of Endhiran have already started coming in, including advertisement revenue from the telecast of events such as the audio release and the theatre trailers released on the Sun Network channels. The tickets for the film marked record advance booking for the first few weeks, ensuring a bonus for all distributors who picked up the rights at astronomical prices, which is estimated to be five times the price paid for Shankar's earlier blockbuster Sivaji… the boss. Sun Pictures has planned to release over 2000 prints.

News on the film has been published as never before, with even national news channels adding snippets on Endhiran as part of regular news. Also, Shankar has confirmed in an interview that Chitti, the robot in the film, would be flown down from StanWinston Studios for promotions. It looks like the producers are leaving no stone unturned till the release of this film on Friday.

Enthiran is Treat for all Rajini Fans - Editor Anthony

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 07:47:00 +0000

For editor Anthony, life is back on track. After working on the much-awaited Endhiran for the last three years, Anthony says he can get back to his routine. "For the last three years, I was concentrating on Endhiran. I was always on call with Shankar and we used to meet during odd hours to work on the edit. Now, that crazy part of my life is over. But, I'm already missing it," begins Anthony.

Talking about his crazy schedule, he continues, "Shankar used to finish shooting at 8 pm and come rushing to the edit suite on the location where I would be editing scenes that were shot two days earlier. We would finish work and send it to the animation studio immediately."

Anthony says that Endhiran will be a treat for all Rajini fans, irrespective of where they stay. He also adds that the climax will be the highlight of the film. "The last 25 minutes of the film will draw maximum applause. It has a lot of graphics that will make the audience go wow! Everyone will love Rajini for what he's done in the movie," he adds.

Endhiran is the first film for which Anthony has had a pre-visualisation session. He elaborates, "We used to work on rough graphics. For every single scene. For instance, we would first visualise two characters sitting and talking in a grey background, then shoot the scene and have a rough edit ready for that particular scene. The film has 4000 shots of graphics. We first calculated the timing and shots on an empty background and after the CG was completed, I trimmed it. Sometimes, the timing of the pre-visualisation edit and the final cut would end up getting mismatched. To set things right and to get it synchronised, I had to trim scenes."

Despite the film belonging to a sci-fi genre, Anthony insists the editing pattern was quite normal. "Endhiran neither has flashbacks nor jazzy scenes. The edit is slick and sleek and will keep the audience hooked for a good two hours."

3D animation adds zing to 'Enthiran' climax

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 07:00:00 +0000

On Saturday, director Shankar is charming, tired and lively all at the same time. In an interview with a news media he said,

"Three years of hard work went into the making of 'Enthiran', and I am happy I have made a film which is for both the man in a Lexus and the layman," says Shankar. How can he be sure that the technicalities of a science film will reach a composite audience, we ask him bluntly. "I am depending on the story to do that, and audience in India today are neither the refined ones of Hollywood, nor are they green horns, when it comes to technical wizardry," he says.

The film is, however, loaded with special effects. "Barring three or four scenes and the songs, the entire film has plenty of special effects," says Shankar. He has opted for 'Light Stage', a technique adopted in the making of Benjamin Button' where 80 lights were used to capture a series of shots. "These are used by special effects team to deliver whatever a scene demands including human emotions," says Shankar. Animatronics (a kind of mechanical puppetry) and a never before attempted 3D animation in the climax are the other highs of 'Enthiran', says Shankar.

Storywise, it is about a robot, created in a scientist's lab and the consequences of its interface with society, Shankar tells you sitting beside the huge fish pond in his T Nagar office. The gently swimming fish, especially the one he had named 'machchakanni' which sadly perished recently, have been a source of comfort, inspiration and a vitamin tablet almost in the years that he chipped away refining and redefining the script of a film which he penned ten years ago.

The science fiction film was originally written with Kamal Haasan in mind. "I even did a photo shoot with him, and Preity Zinta was to be the heroine," he adds. The director and the actor both had other commitments. "Each time I picked up the film, worries over recouping the budget would rear its head," recalls Shankar, with a laugh. So he looked northwards, and he held talks with Shah Rukh Khan for a Hindi production with SRK as the hero. A couple of road blocks later, Shankar took another road, this time with Rajnikanth. "After the success of 'Sivaji - The Boss', I was convinced that Tamil film industry is ready for huge projects, and the film rolled on September 8," he says.

That was three years ago, but the mere thought of the scope of such a film stunned the industry. "The art department wondered how to execute what I demanded," he recalls with a laugh. And since the film is happening in the current time frame -- not futuristic -- in Chennai, the background score had to reflect people and characters of the present. "Without too much of synthesizers," he says quietly. Music director AR Rahman thought in tandem and a symphony orchestra went into play for the climax scene.

Making the film was akin to standing at the foot of Mt Everest. "Mind-blogging. So, I said, let's take one step at a time, and that worked," he adds. So, where does this film fit in his kitty?

"I have been clear that 'Enthiran' should not be cleaved into either of the Shankar genre' of films," he says. So it will be neither a Gentleman' reflecting social concerns, nor a Kaadhal' kind of love story, he says. "It is a film which will have a linear narration, with plenty of action, and far fewer dialogues," says Shankar. Rajni fans need not despair, there will be plenty of Rajni one-liners. "Only they won't be like a refrain," he says with a smile. And this is a film that everyone can relate to, it is not region-centric, says Shankar. "Go watch the film without expectations, and you will be stunned. Go with expectations and you will enjoy the film," he says with a huge smile.

American filmmaker visits India for 'Enthiran'

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:52:00 +0000

The 'Enthiran' excitement is crossing borders. Damon Lindelof, a noted American television writer, who is popular as the co-creator and executive producer for the television series 'Lost', is coming to India.

Guess why? While some say that he wants to watch Superstar Rajinikanth starrer 'Enthiran' in Chennai and catch all the excitement live, Lindelof himself has apparently confirmed this on his microblogging page.

"Hello. I am on a plane to India. Why, you ask? Oh... it MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS!!!!," he tweeted giving a link to the trailer of 'Enthiran' on the web.

There are also others saying that he might have associated with the mega budget film directed by Shankar and produced by Sun Pictures, as it was shaped up with the help of Hollywood technicians. Whatever be the reason is, one thing ssure that Lindelof is unable to control is excitement for 'Enthiran'.

A native of Teaneck, New Jersey, Lindelof had written for and produced Crossing Jordan, and wrote for Nash Bridges, Wasteland, and the MTV anthology series Undressed. Before these, he worked on reviewing scripts at Paramount, Fox, and Alan Ladd studios.

He is an executive producer and joint showrunner (alongside Carlton Cuse) on Lost. Lindelof and the Lost writing staff won the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Dramatic Series for their work on the first and second seasons. He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series a further three times.

And Lindelof and his co-writer Drew Goddard were also nominated for the WGA Award for Best Episodic Drama at the February 2008 ceremony for writing the episode 'Flashes Before Your Eyes'.

Fans Pray For Enthiran Success!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Success of Endhiran seems to be the only thing in fans' minds. We saw 'Milk Abhishekam', crackers and other celebrations when the trailer was released. Fans of Sholingur, Vellore district went one step further to pray for the success of Endhiran. In fact, 1305 steps further. Yes, Rajinikanth fans climbed to the Sholingur Temple which has 1305 steps on their knees.

Fans also performed special Abhishekam and pooja for the God and Goddess. All the fans also prayed sincerely for Endhiran's success.

Enthiran frenzy grips Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:56:00 +0000

It’s celebration time once again for Rajinikanth fans across the globe. As soon as the release date of the Rajini-Shankar magnum opus, Enthiran, was announced by Sun Pictures, the excitement in Seattle took on surprising proportions. For those who aren’t in the loop, Seattle happens to be the largest and most happening hub of the Superstar’s fans in the USA.

In fact the enthusiasm began right from the Enthiran audio launch in Seattle, says Elango, speaking to this newspaper from that city. “We always look for an opportunity to celebrate anything related to our matinee idol,” he declared, brimming with energy.

Accordingly, Seattle Superstar Rajini Fan Club, along with Saha Nathan, a well-known author from India, decided to make the Enthiran premiere tickets sales launch a memorable occasion.

A colourful event was organised at Mayuri Videos, Redmond, the only store in Seattle which sells the exclusive ‘collector’s edition’ tickets for Enthiran. A huge cake with an icing message, ‘Enthiran Tickets Sales Start,’ was cut on the occasion. Apart from the local fans, it was said that other fans from Portland (Oregon State), Idaho and other parts of Washington State thronged the store and grabbed the tickets.

It is interesting to note that Rajini’s charisma has lured even the Americans into making a beeline for the film’s premiere.

Mr. Kal Raman, founder and CEO, Global Scholar, who is a die-hard fan of Rajinikanth and Dr. Somasekar, Corporate VP, Microsoft, who has always encouraged and supported the Tamil community, also graced the occasion.It’s celebration time once again for Rajinikanth fans across the globe. As soon as the release date of the Rajini-Shankar magnum opus, Enthiran, was announced by Sun Pictures, the excitement in Seattle took on surprising proportions. For those who aren’t in the loop, Seattle happens to be the largest and most happening hub of the Superstar’s fans in the USA.

In fact the enthusiasm began right from the Enthiran audio launch in Seattle, says Elango, speaking to this newspaper from that city. “We always look for an opportunity to celebrate anything related to our matinee idol,” he declared, brimming with energy.

Accordingly, Seattle Superstar Rajini Fan Club, along with Saha Nathan, a well-known author from India, decided to make the Enthiran premiere tickets sales launch a memorable occasion.

A colourful event was organised at Mayuri Videos, Redmond, the only store in Seattle which sells the exclusive ‘collector’s edition’ tickets for Enthiran. A huge cake with an icing message, ‘Enthiran Tickets Sales Start,’ was cut on the occasion. Apart from the local fans, it was said that other fans from Portland (Oregon State), Idaho and other parts of Washington State thronged the store and grabbed the tickets.

It is interesting to note that Rajini’s charisma has lured even the Americans into making a beeline for the film’s premiere.

Mr. Kal Raman, founder and CEO, Global Scholar, who is a die-hard fan of Rajinikanth and Dr. Somasekar, Corporate VP, Microsoft, who has always encouraged and supported the Tamil community, also graced the occasion.

Rajini not in city before Endhiran Release!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:32:00 +0000

Superstar Rajinikanth's sentiment, among many, is to spend peaceful time, in a spiritual place, before the release of his film. Even last time, before the release of Sivaji, Rajini flew to the Himalayas and spent some time there. This time around, Rajini had already planned to go on a spiritual visit after his daughter Soundarya's marriage and before the release of Endhiran. As everything has gone according to plan without any hiccups, Rajini will make a trip shortly to the Holy lands of Hardwar to recuperate himself.

Ironically, his daughter Soundarya and son-in-law Ashwin will be flying to a secluded island in the Indian Ocean for their honeymoon. As is also customary, the entire family will get together for the release of the movie and watch it First Day First Show at the Albert Theatre.

The Power of a Rajini Film!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:06:00 +0000

As Rajnikanth's 'Robot' nears release, Arora theatre, a Mumbai- based theatre, famous for screening Rajni's films closed for renovation on Sunday 19th September. While it is the first time a theatre has shut its business to prepare for a release, theatre owner, Mr Nambi Rajan believes it's only fair. He said, "I don't want to disappoint the Rajni fans. Rajni's release is like god is coming to cinema. In south India, his releases are like festivals and people paint their homes, so I am painting the theatre and remodeling the seats."

To manage these renovations, Arora theatre will be shut for four days. The revamp was scheduled assuming the initial release date of September 24, but now that it has been postponed to October 1st, the theatre owner is hardly hassled. While the Rajni mania grips one and all, this is the first time when a theatre actually closed doors to renovate when a commercially successful film ('Dabangg') was being screened. Nambi Rajan who is himself a devoted fan of Rajni adds that any expense incurred for Rajni's film is worth it. He says, "My theatre is going to close after this film. There is a proposal to construct a multiplex in its place but I was just waiting for the release of this film."

'Enthiran' to do Rs.600 Crores business!!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0000

A hype that was ever seen in entire Indian Film Industry is Super Star Rajinikanth’s ‘Robot/Enthiran.’ Made on a magnumopus budget of Rs.180 Crores by Director Shankar and Producer Kalanithi Maran; movie is set to release on October 1st all over the world.

The Highlights of this movie are enough to make it a Block Buster as the hard work that is put in by a team of thousands of members for over two years has resulted in a mind blowing cinema which will fill your eyes with flow of surprises, a report says. If South Indian movie rights for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala are known to have fetched more than Rs.60 Crores while satellite rights will recover them at least Rs.10 Crores, a figure ever heard off.

With the scale of release that is beating the likes of Hollywood movies; nearly 2,400 screens world wide on the first day is unique achievement of an Indian Cinema and that goes to the only name of Rajinikanth. Other than these, we do have special attractions like first time shooting in Machu Picchu in Peru, first time usage of Animatronics, final climax graphics working out to Rs. 60 Crores and many more.

Finally, optimistic analysts are coming out with Rs. 600 Crores as the business figure that ‘robot’ is capable of reaching. Let us wait till October 1st, to know the real worth of ‘Rajini’ and ‘Robot.’

Explaining the Superstar phenomenon!

noreply@blogger.com (India Blogs Network) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Traveling on the city roads can be a mundane affair, almost boring you to death. The only respite offered is by the colorful movie posters that are pasted all over the city walls. It was during one such mundane ride along one of the busy city roads that I saw this poster from which this thought sprang. Stopping at a traffic signal, it was clear that all heads had turned in the same direction and were savoring that poster. It carried a still from Endhiran, the name of a local theater, the message ‘Viraivil’ (coming soon) and in a very bold and bright font – ‘Trailer ippodhu Thirayidapadugiradhu’ (Trailer being screened now). This is definitely something new and unheard of. We have seen all kinds of poster advertising films running in theaters. But, this is undoubtedly the first time that a theater has printed and pasted posters to tell people that a trailer was being screened.

What a waste of resources, many would think! But, think twice because what the theater owner has done here makes perfect business sense. If you want to get a better idea of what this is all about, better get a ticket for a movie in a theater which is screening the Endhiran trailer – you will be able to see the effect for yourself. Over the last fortnight or so, the Endhiran mania has reached fever pitch. Such excitement and euphoria over the trailer release of a movie has never been seen before. Of course, part of that can be attributed to the power and reach of the Sun Network, but the rest is pure Rajini charisma.

Sample this for the amount of excitement Endhiran has generated. Going by the crowd’s reaction in theaters, most of them have bought tickets and entered cinema halls just to watch the trailer, not the main movie being shown (no disrespect to any movie currently in theaters, but this is a fact). There have been ‘once more’ requests from the audience when the trailer has been screened. All kinds of SMSs asking for FDFS tickets for the movie have been circulating on mobile networks. And, a newly opened multiplex in Chennai is now running a Rajinikanth film festival, screening seven of his biggest hits and offering FDFS tickets to those who watch all the seven movies – smart marketing tactic; works only for Rajini movies.

There are some people who still don’t understand what all the fuss is about and why everyone is going nuts over a Rajinikanth film. Some North Indian friends say, ‘he is just an actor, he is not very handsome, nor does he have a great physique, there are many stars who are better dancers etc……. he defies all the definitions of a film star, then why do you call him Superstar?’ The answer is as simple as it is complex. The harder you try to explain the Rajinikanth phenomenon, the more inexplicable it becomes. It is not something that can be counted or measured in terms of awards or hits or crores earned at the box office. The Rajinikanth phenomenon is something that transcends the medium (cinema) itself. He is an excellent actor, a sincere and earnest performer, but to his fans this is not what matters most, it is the man he is and what he remains to be, in spite of his unimaginable success.

For more than 20 years, Rajinikanth has ceased to be just the character on screen. In almost all the films since 1990, there have always been references to his persona, his political possibilities, his previous films, his famous mannerisms etc. Remember the ‘Khushboo-Rajini’ song from Annamalai, the ‘Style’ songs from Basha and Sivaji, the ‘Pokkiri Raja’ song from Kuselan or even the songs from Endhiran (Irumbile oru Idhayam which has the line ‘Superstar come get this’ or the Boom Boom song which goes ‘Autokkara’). There is no other film star in India, not even Shahenshah Amitabh Bachchan, whose personality has superseded the character being played on screen. Any Rajini film is incomplete without the customary dialogue or two being said about his style, simplicity or political clout – and incidentally that is the part that his fans enjoy the most. Think of it; almost all his movies over the last decade or two have had moments where the Rajinikanth personality has taken precedence over the character. There seem to be a few moments even in Endhiran like when Aishwarya asks Rajini to go his own way ‘Thani Vazhi’. In an orthodox cinema outlook, it would not be the right thing for an actor to outgrow the character; but curiously that is what works most marvelously for Rajinikanth all the time.

Another thing about the Rajinikanth phenomenon is its omnipresence. There is no corner of Tamil Nadu, no class of audience that is immune to the Rajini effect. Even self-professed cinema connoisseurs, who scoff at ‘petty’ commercial ways of regional cinema, succumb to the Rajini magic. It is almost impossible to not be a Rajini fan in Tamil Nadu because it is scary to be part of a miniscule majority who are not ready to accept an overwhelming fact.

With respect to all other stars, there are two sets of viewers - first come the fans that adore the actor and like everything that he/she does. The second set is the non-fans who are not very concerned about the star in question and choose to evaluate the movie impartially. But, these rules don’t apply for Rajini- he has two classes of viewers; the fans and the fanatics. Every fanatic is a fan but every fan is not a fanatic; but everyone is definitely a fan. That is why Rajini films always break even (a clear understatement) at the box office unless overambitious producers and distributors overestimate a film’s potential, making a hash of the business (as was seen in Kuselan).

Clearly, the Rajini phenomenon is not the usual star-fan adulation thing. It is something unique that can be felt only by those who have grown up under the full glow of the Rajinikanh charisma. For others, it will always be difficult to understand and explain. Perhaps, it is best summed up in the way my friend, a die hard Rajini fan, chose to put it – mimicking a dialogue from Pammal K Sambandham, - ‘Rajini padam anubhavikkanum, aaraya koodathu’. Let’s wait for another electrifying Superstar experience. To put in the words of the Endhiran trailer – ‘Get ready folks’.

-Arun
(Also a diehard Rajini Fan)