In Media

Flight of imagination

2012-11-08T23:16:00.001-08:00

Cinema Telugu film director S.S. Rajamouli talks about his Makkhi taking a successful flight to Bollywood. ANUJ KUMAR

“Now I can tell the world that the Indian film industry has Salman Khan on one side and aMakkhi on the other.” This is what Shekhar Kapur told director S.S. Rajamouli after watching the antics of his precocious fly. After a long time a dubbed film has created buzz at the Bollywood box office, and Rajamouli is elated.

Son of eminent Telugu writer and director S. Vijeyndra Prasad, Rajamouli says the idea ofEega (the title in Telugu) came from his father in the early ‘90s. “He narrated to us this love story where the villain kills the boy and he gets reincarnated as a housefly and torments the bad guy. We found it very funny.” Years later, after making a series of big-budget action blockbusters, when Rajamouli decided to “dabble in something small” the funny story came back to his mind. “Small films are usually romantic films, comedy films or horror films – the three genres I am not comfortable with. I wanted to make an experimental film which would shock the audience in a positive way. At that time the story resurfaced in my mind.”

Rajamouli says that when he started the idea was to make a Rs. three-crore film in five months. “Initially I was hesitant because, come to think of it, the idea was crazy. I thought only a small section of the audience would dare to come to theatres. But when the story was complete we knew we had a winner on our hands. So we went all out. It ended up being a Rs. 30-crore film and was made in two years.” According to reports the film garnered around Rs.130 crore in the Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam versions.

The film’s special effects have been appreciated. Rajamouli maintains that the perception that special effects will take a whole lot of budget is a misconception. “There are ways of working around it. I went for relative newcomers and gave them training. This film would have cost me four to five times more if I had gone to any established studio. I like larger-than-life ideas. I take an impossible situation and then make the audience believe in it. Sudeep is a superstar in Karnataka but I approached him after seeing his performance in Rann . I was not sure whether he would accept a negative role but not only did he accept the role but also made it so nuanced and intense.”

What prevents him from turning his works into Hindi, considering directors like A.R. Murugadoss and Siddiqui have done it? “As a storyteller I want to reach out to as many people as possible but I don’t want to make a remake. I spend almost two years on one subject, and I don’t want to spend another two years on the same subject. However, in my forthcoming films I am looking at the possibility of shooting my films simultaneously in Hindi.”

Rajamouli is all for the change that Hindi cinema has seen in the past couple of years. “The Hindi film industry is offering a complete package. On one hand there is mass masala like Rowdy Rathore and Salman Khan films, and on the other hand you have experimental films like A Wednesday , and there is space for innovative ideas like Vicky Donor as well. These films are commercially successful and catering to different sections of the audience. That is the way an industry should be.” Does the socio-economic profile of the audience coming to theatres influence the kind of films that are being made? “It could be just an argument. It is a chicken-and-egg kind of situation. You can’t deny the fact that there is too much gore in our films and I am myself guilty of it. In the last two to three films I have completely cut down the sleazy part and edited out too much violent portions but, being a director who has gone through this route, I feel we go for these things more out of insecurity rather than the audience wanting it. We feel that youngsters might like it. It is more out of insecurity than anything else, but I gradually realised that we are losing more audiences rather than gaining them. It is just a matter of time when we will be catering to all sections of society,” signs off Rajamouli with the promise that he is working on a big-budget historical.

I take an impossible situation

and then make the audience believe in it.

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2012-11-06T03:47:00.002-08:00

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Bumper amount for Eega Hindi satellite rights

2012-11-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

The satellite rights of ‘Makkhi’, the Hindi version of ‘Eega’, fetched a cool price of about Rs 8 Crores!This is a bumper amount for a dubbed Telugu film in Bollywood and shows what kind of craze the movie generated in those circles.

Ace director S.S.Rajamouli’s graphics extravaganza gained rave reviews and superb Box Office collections in all areas of release. The film had Nani and Samantha in lead roles with the crucial negative role played by Sudeep. Keeravani scored the music.

In these times when Telugu films and scripts are gaining attention in Bollywood, Eega’s good reception will only increase the market and exposure for our films across the country.

Makkhi satellite rights sold for Rs.8 crores

2012-11-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

SS Rajamouli's Eega, which flew high in Tollywood, migrated to Bollywood as Makkhi. Unfortunately, Makkhi failed to reach the heights in Bollywood. However, it was not a failure too. Anyway, success came in another form as the satellite rights of Makkhi were sold at eight crore rupees, which is undoubtedly a big figure for dubbing movies. Telugu film makers who have plans to dub their films in to Hindi can now be happy since Telugu dubbed movies will apparently be purchased for big amounts even if the movie doesn't do well at the box office. Rajamouli seems to be happy that his film's satellite rights were purchased for such a huge amount.

Makkhi: Sensational superfly

2012-11-02T09:58:00.002-07:00

With bulging red eyes, tiny winged structure and wiry hands that victoriously punch the air, the fly in SS Rajamouli’s Telugu film, Eegathat now releases in Hindi as Makkhi has become a rage among the masses. And Makuta VFX, the studio that has worked on films like V. V. Vinayak’s Badrinath, Rajamouli’s Magadheera and Maryada Ramana, is responsible for bringing this fly to life. This revenge story of a man reborn as a fly to avenge his death and protect his girlfriend has over 2000 shots of computer graphics and was one of the toughest projects that the studio has worked on, according to Pete Draper, co-founder, division head and chief technical director at the studio. “Originally the film was going to be relatively low-budget and it would take shorter time in post-production but as the script progressed, the amount of animation treatment in the film increased and became more complex. The budget of the film also went up to Rs.25-30 crore,” says Draper. Here’s a look at how the studio achieved the animation of Makkhi.

Bringing fly to life

According to Draper, the studio took the references for the fly’s anatomy from real life flies. “We froze a lot of flies, so they go into hibernation but it doesn’t kill them. We photographed them closely to understand their anatomy, structure, etc,” says Draper. After creating the initial rig of the fly, the team began to shoot the film with this design but it didn’t work. “The body animation and the wings were fine but the face looked hyper-real and the design aesthetics didn’t work,” reveals Draper and adds, “We needed to exaggerate the physical features. For instance, we integrated a little nose, added feelers, toned down the hair and made it a little more fluffy like a mane on the fly’s head. It took nine months to lock the design of the fly.”

Integrating live action with animation

As the fly had to be integrated into live action scenario, it was imperative for the animators to be present on the sets during the film’s shoot to get clarity on the fly’s body movements. “The director treated fly as another character and he directed it as he would direct other actors. So two animators would shadow the director and they would do walk-in animation for the shots. For instance, as soon as the shot was taken, it would be trimmed, the animators would block the animation and show it to the director. After that, the director would dictate how the fly would move, it’s expressions, etc. We also recorded his instructions that aided the animators while working in the studio.”

Software used for animation

The studio created a split pipeline where Autodesk 3ds Max was used for modelling and animation while Autodesk Maya, with its innovative tools, was used for character animation. “The animation process took around eight months with around 20 artists—in house and outsourced— working on the animation. We used a split pipeline and the rendering of hard surface animation was done using 3ds Max.”

Facing challenges

Many sequences in this film proved to be quite a challenge for the studio. Moreover, some of the sequences that the studio worked on for months didn’t even make it to the final edit. “There is a scene where the fly gets stuck in the chain of a bicycle and we spent three months of production to create a perfect bicycle using VFX but the scene didn’t make it to the final edit,” says Draper. Another sequence that proved to be challenging was a scene in the film where the fly is just born and it has to leave the trench. “We had to make the trench look like Grand Canyon in front of the fly. He is running along the wall as its wings are not fully developed and simultaneously, water droplets fall on him, he is thrown from one wall to the other. This was the most complex scene because it involved every single discipline,” says Draper. For this particular scene, the animation artists used painting work, fluid dynamics, high levels of geometry, dynamic effects, etc. “For an average sequence involving visual effects, you roughly work with about maximum 10 million polygons to create images. For this scene, it took five billion polygons due to the amount of detail in terms of trench walls, debris, foam, etc. That was absolutely astronomical!” exclaims Draper.

Changes in the Hindi version

Surprisingly, the studio’s work didn’t end with the release of the Telugu version. Post the Telugu and Tamil release, the animators made a couple of changes in the film to tailor it for the Hindi market. “We jazzed up the effects in certain scenes that we were unhappy with. Moreover, in the Telugu version, we have an Eega dance number where he does specific dance moves related to South stars. In the Hindi version, we have shown him pay homage to Bollywood stars. For instance, he is doing the famous Salman Khan dance move with a towel.”

courtsy : indianexpress

Exclusive: Eega DVD/ Blue-ray Released

2012-10-18T23:13:00.004-07:00

Eega movie video VCD, DVD & Blue Ray releasing through Aditya Video (Aditya Music)

VCD (75/-) - Movie & Songs

DVD (149/-) - Movie
                    5.1 DTS & Dolby Digital Audio
                    English Sub-Titles
                    Progressive 24 FPS - 16*9 Anamophic Wide Screen Edition
Interactive Menus of Songs, Scenes for Easy Access
Digitally Remastered from the original film
                    NTS / All Region DVD

2 DVD Set (249/-) Special Pack - Movie
                                                   BONUS DVD of EXCLUSIVE
Making of 2 hours content ( cast & crew interview with making,Theatrical Trailer & TV Trailers)
                                                   5.1 DTS & Dolby Digital Audio
                                           English Sub-Titles
                                                   Progressive 24 FPS - 16*9 Anamophic Wide Screen Edition
                         Interactive Menus of Songs, Scenes for Easy Access
             Digitally Remastered from the original film
                                                   NTS / All Region DVD

Blue Ray (999/-) Coming Soon - Movie

BONUS DVD of EXCLUSIVE Making of 2 hours content ( cast & crew interview with making,Theatrical Trailer & TV Trailers)

50 GB HD 1080p

HD Master Audio

'Makkhi' to get Japanese makeover: SS Rajamouli

2012-10-15T09:50:00.003-07:00

After getting rave reviews in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, director SS Rajamouli's realistic animation 'Makkhi' is all set to be dubbed into Japanese and Swahili.

Rajamouli, 39, whose 'Vikramarkudu' and 'Maryadam' have been remade in Bollywood as 'Rowdy Rathore' and 'Son of Sardar', debuted in the Hindi with the quirky film that revolves around the revenge of a fly.

"We shot the film in Telugu and Tamil and dubbed the film into Malyalam. We converted it into Hindi as well and it is a huge success everywhere. Now, we are in the process of dubbing it into Japanese and Swahili. But the process is in its initial stage as we have only spoken to a Japanese authority to dub and distribute the film there," said Rajamouli.

The film has been appreciated by the Bollywood A-listers and Rajamouli said he expected positive review right from its inception.

"We make a film because we think it is good and people will respond positively but we don't know to what extent. So it feels great when big directors and big stars praise your film," he said.

Rajamouli, who generally makes action films, says 'Makkhi' was inspired by a story that his father narrated to him long back.

"My father is a scriptwriter. He has done many films down south. He has written for most of my films. It was in early 90s and then I was not even assistant director. My dad used to narrate my cousins a new story after every two days. That time he narrated me the story of Makkhi. We found it very funny and interesting, which I revived when I turned director."

But the director said he had almost scrapped the idea of making the film because he was not happy with the animated fly.

"Initially I wasn't sure about the film because a lot of visual effects were involved in it. Last year when I was checking the first shot of our hero (animated fly), I thought to scrap the project because it was not upto the mark. Nothing was right about it but we had already spent 10 crore by them. We had to start all over again with the animation." Asked about why he chose fly as the protagonist of the film, Rajamouli said, "Fly is something which we look at as harmless. We look at it as if it does nothing to us so, the dramatic sense increases. That's is why we retained the fly." The director roped in superstar Ajay Devgn to give the voice-over of the fly in the Hindi version.

Courtesy : indianexpress.com

I was going to scrap the Makkhi: SS Rajamouli

2012-10-15T09:46:00.003-07:00

A still from the Telugu movie Eega.

He thought of making it as a minimal budget movie with an expenditure of not exceeding Rs. 3 crore, made it for over Rs.30 crore and it has already grossed over Rs. 130 cr so far in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. But did you know that director SS Rajamouli (inset) was going to put the project in a bin?

“I had never done animation and after about seven months of production, when I saw the initial work, I was so disappointed and frustrated that I was going to scrap the film. But then I realised that we had already spent Rs. 10 crore on it so far, so I couldn’t have put so much money to waste,” Rajamouli, 39, told us while he was in the Capital to promote the Hindi version of the film.

With opening narration from actors Ajay Devgn and Kajol, it hit the screens on Friday. Rajamouli got the idea for the movie from his story-writer father over 12 years ago and it took him two years to bring the project to the big screen. The director doesn’t deny chances of having a sequel to the fly revenge story if he manages to come out with “a great story” but is confident that if a Part 2 comes out, “it will definitely be in 3D”.

Not many know that Rajamouli’s hits Vikramarkudu and Maryada Ramanna have already been remade in Bollywood as Rowdy Rathore and Son of Sardaar (SOS) respectively. The rights to his 2009 period-drama Magadheera have also been bought by Anurag Kashyap. “I’ve only seen Rowdy Rathore so far and I liked it,” he said while praising SOS lead actor Devgn as “the most dependable actor in Bollywood”.

courtesy : hindustantimes.com

SS Rajamouli Times Of India Interview - Interesting One

2012-10-15T06:42:00.001-07:00

Is it true after Makkhi you've finally decided to take the plunge into making a Hindi film? Yes, it's actually going to be a Hindi-Telugu film. It's a universal story, not star-centric film. When I was in Mumbai for the promotion of Makkhi, I met Ajay Devgn, Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan and I wanted to meetAamir Khan. He was shooting out of India. I also met my favourite director Raju Hirani. All of them showered praises on Makkhi. I am now confident about attempting a Hindi film. I believe if you have a good story to tell, audiences will watch it.

Whom would you be working with in Hindi? It would have to be the Telugu star Prabhas.We are committed to make the next film with him. I did work with Ajay Devgn and Kajol who did the voiceover in Makkhi. I wanted a couple with easily identifiable voices but with an image for being family-oriented. Ajay and Kajol fitted the bill. You get a good feel about them. Ajay agreed when I approached him. But I insisted he see the film first. After seeing the film the first thing he said, 'I must show this film to my kids.'

I believe you've zeroed in on the subject that you want to do in Hindi? Yes, I am looking at shooting my next film in Hindi and Telugu. It is a period film but not historical. It's a folk story. And no, it's not about reincarnation. I'm done with reincarnation after Magadheeraand Eega.

What's this fascination with the theme of reincarnation? It started with Rakesh Roshan's Karan Arjun.I remember watching that film. For the first time, I openly laughed and wept during a film. Earlier I was very reserved about my emotions. Karan Arjun opened up my emotions.

Why have you stayed away from Hindi cinema so far? To be very frank I never got very good offers from Hindi cinema until Eega. Now I'm flooded with offers. But I've some commitments to fulfill in the south before I head to Mumbai to make a film. Of course as a storyteller I want my cinema to reach a larger audience, no doubt about that.

Your films have been remade and dubbed into several Indian languages. Yet you continue to function from Andhra Pradesh? I am very happy and proud to be known as a Telugu filmmaker. I am glad to know my films make a pan-India impact. I see no linguistic impediment. But to make a film in Hindi would be an advantage. It has to be a universal story like Makkhi. A fly is a fly anywhere. Vikramarkurdu was made as a star-vehicle for Ravi Tejaa. I couldn't have made it for the entire country. It was tailored for Telugu audiences.

Why didn't you direct Rowdy Rathore, the Hindi version of your hitVikramarkurdu? Because it was never offered to me! And even it was, I wouldn't have done it. I'll be making an original film in Hindi. No point in doing the same film twice over.

What did you think of Rowdy Rathore? Frankly, I'm not a fan of my original film in Telugu either. I know it had some good moments, for example the sentiments shared between the hero and the little girl who reforms him, which made the film work. The re-makers exploited those moments but not enough. We gave much more footage in Vikramarkurdu to the father-daughter scenes.

The refrain Chin ta ta chi ta ta in Rowdy Rathore was lifted from Vikramarkurduand used into Rowdy Rathore. Actually, it was not our original tune either. My music composer M M Kreem didn't compose it. It's like ...how do I put it? A folk tune in Tamil Nadu. It's a kind of anthem refrain among students in the State. Youngsters compose their own crude protest songs and then cap it with Chinta ta ta. It has existed in Tamil Nadu for generations. I made it a part of Ravi Tejaa's character and then it was given to Akshay Kumar.

Do you approve of filmmakers lifting secondary material? I think there's a very thin line between copying and adapting. I think its okay to use material from earlier films. As long as it doesn't hurt the original creator we can use it.

Can you give me an example? In so many films of mine I've used scenes and shots inspired by earlier films. My Maryada Ramanna (now remade into Son Of Sardar) was inspired by a 1923 Buster Keaton silent film Our Hospitality. One could say I copied the film. I don't mind. When I saw the original I liked it so much I wanted to re-tell the same story on my own way. I even tried to find the original creators. But no one existed. The original writers died in the 1930s. Technically any material that has existed for more than 75 years can be used without a copyright claim. But if you use material in Hindi film from a contemporary Punjabi, Oriya or Telugu film you need to take permission.

What did you think of Akshay Kumar in Rowdy Rathore? When I made my film I made Ravi Tejaa pander to Telugu sensibilities. I think Prabhu Deva who directed the Hindi remake, made Akshay Kumar act according to the tastes of North Indian sensibilities. The two performances cannot be compared.

Now your Maryada Ramanna turns your Telugu hero into a Sardarji in Son Of Sardar? I don't know what the cultural politics of Punjab is like. But in one area of Andhra Pradesh family feuds that persist for many generations is a reality. That's what I showed inMaryada Ramanna. I saw families that were perfectly cultured and courteous, killing each other. Now you will have to tell me if such family feuds exist in Punjab. I don't think this peculiar contradictory culture of the co-existence of violence and hospitality exists in Punjab.

Even your other blockbuster Magadheera is being remade into Hindi? Why don't you direct it? No thanks. I've already spent two years of my life on it. I'd rather make something else. Magadheera was my toughest film to make. Very tiring. But the most satisfying film I've made is Maryada Ramanna. That's my only film I don't get bored watching in its entirety. But Eega (Makkhi) is my biggest hit to date.

How did you think of making a film with a fly as a hero? It was there in my subconscious for a long time. My father was a well-known storywriter. He was a storehouse of stories. He told me a story about a boy who was killed by the villain and was re-born as a fly. I wanted Eega to be like a bedtime story.

The special effects in Eega-Makkhi are being compared with Hollywood films? I'd like to thank one Mr. Kamal Kannan, a VFX producer who has worked with me in several films. I was confident about the visual effects because I had done them before. But animation was entirely new to me. All the animation technicians in my film were youngsters in the 25-28 age groups. Looking at them you can't tell they are such high-calibre professionals. What I am proudest of in Eega is the animation.

How did the fly in Eega acquire its human personality? We had to make sure that the fly behaved the same way as the actor Naani who dies and is born as a fly. The quality in Naani's personality that had to be transferred to the fly was positivity.Once we got that in place we had to work on the physical appearance of a fly. In close-ups an actual fly is ugly. At the same time if we changed it, it would become a cartoon character. I have to thank the actor Sudeep who plays the fly's adversary for making the conflict look believable. I can say without any reservation that Sudeep is the best actor I've worked with. Shekhar told me the visual effects worked so effectively because of Sudeep. The fly has no expressions. It is only through Sudeep's expressions that we know what the fly is up to.

Why and how the fly was designed wearing a mask? When we sat down to write the script the first question was, why is it so difficult to kill the fly? That's when we thought the fly should have a protective mechanism. And to make that protective mechanism for the fly we made the heroine a miniature artiste.

Has Ajay Devgn shows you the remake of Maryada Ramanna? Not yet.

What did your children think of Eega/Makkhi? They loved it. My son and daughter constantly talk about films. I am getting worried. I feel I am pushing them prematurely into cinema.

Filmfare Movie Review: Makkhi

2012-10-12T10:45:00.003-07:00

Cast: Sudeep, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nani
Director: SS Rajamouli

Picture this: A fly sporting hi-tech goggles and washboard abs enters a speeding car through the vent and distracts the villain who is behind the wheel, only leading to an accident. This fly can dance like Hrithik Roshan in Ek Pal Ka Jeena and can also do the chinta ta chita like Rowdy Rathore. Most importantly, it can protect the girl of his dreams from the bad guys. Yes, it’s a superhero fly. Move over Superman.

Makkhi is a dubbed version of Director SS Rajamouli’s hugely successful Eega down South. Riding on a novel concept and exemplary execution, this revenge film has its own special sting.

A good-for-nothing bloke Jaani (Nani) falls for the pretty Bindu (Samantha Ruth). The feelings are mutual but the girl shies away from expressing her love towards him. Enter Sudeep (Sudeep), the vicious party pooper, who also falls in love with her. On learning about her affection towards Jaani, all hell breaks loose. He murders the lover boy. Wait, it doesn’t end there. Jaani is reborn, as a housefly. Yes, a housefly. And this Makkhi doesn’t fancy breeding along garbage cans with its brotherhood, instead its sole motive is revenge.

The wafer-thin plot of this film doesn’t affect its novelty. The zany concept does the trick. Brilliant camera work and intelligent use of CGI ensure a visual spectacle. It’s almost like riding on the back of Makkhi. It takes you from every imaginable nook and corner of a household setup. Sometimes, the camera movements actually make you feel dizzy.

'Makkhi hoon main makkhi, sair kar narak ki. Meri ek nazar se tune maut chakhhi.’ This is Makkhi’s signature tune. And each time the fly takes its stance, the thumping background score makes you want to clap and hoot.

Funny thing about Revenge, it could make a killer out of a housefly. Jaani as the fly shocks the living daylights out of Sudeep. Some spectacular scenes infused with humour are this films highlight. Take for instance the scene where Sudeep sprays HIT (a fly repellent) all over Jaani only to realise the fly is well-guarded to rinse the chemical off its body. This scene in slow-mo and later Sudeep’s expression is something you’d never be able to forget. The film also pays homage to Rajnikanth by using one of his famous dialogues from the film Sivaji as an introduction to the fly.

Kudos to Kotagiri Venkateshwar Rao for coming up with such a novel concept and director Rajamouli for his commendable execution. Despite the umpteen absurdities, Makkhi comes across as utterly ridiculous, yet believable. It’s a silly joyride with bouts of shameless fun. Go for it!

Review: Makkhi is a technical stunner

2012-10-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Ankur Pathak feels Makkhi is a visual delight.

Makkhi, which was released in the original Telugu version as Eega in July this year, is a meticulously crafted live-action film brimming with conceptual originality.

It boasts of delightful CGI-integrated action with the theme of vengeance.

The Hindi dubbing is superficial and substandard but that doesn't matter much.

The film has a wafer-thin plot, which in a way is good as it actually eliminates the need to process the dialogues in the first place. This is because Makkhi is visually explanatory, and stunningly so.

The intricacies of detail are remarkable. Like when the super-fly is attacked by a lethal spray, one can actually spot the chemical rinse off its body.

The super-fly at the heart of all the action is a Hindi film songs-loving reincarnation of Jani, a young fireworks maker who is brutally murdered by a womanising industrialist.

Jani's romance with the NGO-running Bindhu was about to take off after a two-year struggle, but is fatally interrupted by the villainous Sudeep.

Reborn as the fly, Jani seeks revenge as he had sworn to do just before his death.

'Makkhi hoon main makkhi, sair kar narak ki. Meri ek nazar se tune maut chakhhi,' he warns.

Makkhi stays true to his words as he annoys the buzzing daylights out of Sudeep by shadowing him like a dreaded psychopathic stalker who won't relent unless his revenge is complete. We root for the fly as he employs one smart tactic after another, making Sudeep's life resemble a post-apocalyptic nightmare.

The camera work is beyond belief. The makers have used Scorpio cams to capture complex shots. The result is a mind-blowing rampage of uniquely filmed scenes.

But it's not just all about a fly destroying infrastructure. Themes of jealousy and vengeance, of losing out due to indecisiveness, of survival and bad karma hitting back in the most confounding forms are deftly interwoven.

At its heart, Makkhi is a love story that never got the life it deserved. Jani remains a friendly stalker to Bindu in his lifetime and is reunited with her as the fly -- again a constant companion, a watchful protector.

At the centre of the commotion is the target, Sudeep, who gives a frighteningly realistic performance of a man haunted by an inexplicable force. His expressions and body language are spot on, and one shudders at the reign of terror unleashed against him.

The length of the film plays spoilsport. Makkhi could have been a far more engaging product had it eliminated the last 20 minutes which just stretch out the film. A suitable closure could have been achieved earlier.

But overall, this super-fly is a super-stud, a bee-sized package that promises definite entertainment which even the so called larger-than-life superstars fail to achieve or achieve at a highly superficial level.

Director S S Rajamouli and Kotagiri Venkateshwar Rao, who handled the editing and camera work, and the entire team deserves thundering applause.

Rediff Rating:

Ankur Pathak in Mumbai

India's No1 Critic Rajeev Masand Makkhi Review

2012-10-12T10:18:00.002-07:00

Fly high!

Makkhi

Rating:

October 12, 2012

Cast: Sudeep, Naani, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Voices of Ajay Devgan & Kajol

Director: S S Rajamouli

In Makkhi, the Hindi dubbed version of the blockbuster Telugu film Eega, a man is reborn as a housefly so he can avenge his own death. Few films are as wildly imaginative and as consistently entertaining as this one from director SS Rajamouli, who takes popular reincarnation sagas like Karan Arjun and Karz, and turns them on their heads.

Makkhi begins as inventively as the rest of the film unfolds – with a blank screen accompanied by the voiceover of a father (Ajay Devgan) narrating a bedtime story to his daughter. “Once upon a time, there was a fly,” he begins, kicking off the story of our protagonist Jaani (Naani) a man ardently in love with his colleague Bindu (Samantha Ruth Prabhu). Yet it all goes horribly wrong when a lustful business tycoon Sudeep sets his eyes on Bindu. When Jaani is murdered, his soul comes reincarnated in a fly to take revenge on Sudeep, and to protect his love.

With large opaque eyes, Jaani the housefly doesn’t have the facial expressions that you would see in animated films like A Bug’s Life, but Rajamouli invests so much personality in the insect by making use of his little body and spindly limbs.Makkhi has a superhero, comic book quality; you watch half-incredulously, half-amused as this persistent fly drives Sudeep insane. The fly becomes a character you root for, and incredibly, you can see characteristics of Jaani the human in the tiny bug. The animation in Makkhi is unfussy, but this is a great example of how the idea is truly the star.

Kannada actor Sudeep plays his part of the cold-hearted villain with true comic book flair and even a cartoonish tinge. It is because he is a powerful antagonist that you relish the face-off between the fly and him. Even if the film gets a tad repetitive towards the climax, it ends up a unique cinematic experience.

I’m going with four out of five for SS Rajamouli’s Makkhi. Make sure you don’t miss it; it’s the most fun you’ll have had at the cinema in a long time!

(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)

Wanted audience to connect with fly: 'Makkhi' designer

2012-10-12T09:28:00.002-07:00

Establishing an emotional connect between the fly and the audience was the biggest challenge for Pete Draper, the brain behind creating the housefly character in Telugu film Eega, releasing in Hindi as Makkhi Friday.

Co-founder of US-based Makuta VFX, Draper, who hails from London, worked with as many as 13 experts and a huge team of animators to create the adorable fly for Eega that created history at the box office by garnering a whopping Rs.17 crore on its first day.

"Our biggest challenge was to make the audience emotionally connect with the character. Since there was little facial features for us to play with to display emotion, we took reference from silent movies," Draper told IANS.

"We wanted the design of the fly to be unique. He shouldn't be ugly. Viewing a normal fly 40 feet in size on a big screen will make the audience lose their popcorn and have kids screaming for the exit, so even though the body was based on a real fly, the head was toned down," he added.

Eega, a revenge story, rocked the box office and set the cash registers ringing. Now, Makkhi will narrate the story of a man who is killed and is reincarnated as a housefly to avenge his death.

How long did the project take and how many designers were involved?

"The fly was designed by three concept artists, three modellers, two shader designers, two hair and fur designers, three riggers and numerous animators. Due to different versions, it took almost eight-nine months to finalise the design," said Draper who has a bachelor's degeree in IT.

"The initial body and wing shape got locked first and this was followed by the head and fur. We were refining the design daily and even worked on clay models on the set to finish the design as soon as possible", he added.

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the innovative and technically Eega was made on a budget of Rs.30 crore.

Draper, who teaches VFX and animation in various colleges in London and has an office in Hyderabad too, was slightly apprehensive when Eega released July 6.

"Yes, I was apprehensive. The response from the trailer and audio launch had been positive so the apprehension was reduced; however, there is always a nerve-racking time during the first couple of days.

"We knew we have created a good work but were unsure if the audience was ready for it; it turned out it was," he said.

Courtesy : TOI

Makkhi Review by Taran Adarsh

2012-10-09T02:55:00.003-07:00

Makkhi

By Taran Adarsh, 9 Oct 2012, 15:02 hrs IST

Roman Polanski, the acclaimed storyteller, once remarked: 'Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theatre.' S.S. Rajamouli's MAKKHI, the dubbed Hindi version of the Telugu blockbuster hit EEGA, does exactly that. Original, inventive, innovative and imaginative, MAKKHI raises the bar of films made in India.

Right from Bimal Roy's MADHUMATI and L.V. Prasad's MILAN to Subhash Ghai's KARZ, Chetan Anand's KUDRAT, Shakti Samanta's MEHBOOBA, Rakesh Roshan's KARAN-ARJUN, Sanjay Gupta's HAMESHAA and Farah Khan's OM SHANTI OM, reincarnation tales were all about the lead man getting reborn in human form. In fact, Rajamouli's historic hit MAGADHEERA [Telugu] also tackled the theme of reincarnation. But the acclaimed director gives a new spin to the reincarnation theme in MAKKHI. Nani, the lover boy, is reborn as a fly. That's where the film triumphs. It gives 'out of the box' phrase a completely new meaning!

At a time when most dream merchants in Bollywood are concentrating on mindless entertainers that kiss goodbye to logic, Rajamouli strikes the right balance between logic and entertainment in MAKKHI. The scale of the film is colossal, the plot is invigorating and the outcome leaves you mesmerized. Rajamouli targets not just the kids, but the kid in every adult and you can't help but root for the fly as it seeks vengeance from the cold-blooded and hardhearted assassin.

A technical wonder, the computer generated fly is, without doubt, the star of the show. And its creator, Rajamouli, a sheer genius for creating a film that sweeps you off your feet and leaves you awe-struck.

MAKKHI is the story of Jani [Nani] and Bindu [Samantha Prabhu], who are in love but never communicate their feelings to each other. Sudeep [Sudeep], a billionaire, gets attracted to Bindu and wants to possess her, but realizes she is in love with Jani, which upsets him. Ironically, the moment Bindu expresses her love to Jani, Sudeep murders him. Jani is reborn as a fly…

Unlike most times when I forewarn my readers to leave their brains at home, I'd like to pronounce that you need to wear your thinking caps while watching MAKKHI. Although the genre [reincarnation] is done to death, the writing takes the riskier route to woo the spectator. Expect no shortcuts here, expect no formulaic sub-plots that you generally associate with films of its ilk. MAKKHI is a completely new experience once the soul migrates into an unborn fly and the dance of revenge commences. An itsy-bitsy fly torments the baddie and how!

A number of sequences leave you tongue-tied and I would not like to play the spoilsport by revealing the gist. All I'd say is that MAKKHI is one roller coaster ride with no dull, tedious or mind-numbing moment. The highpoint is the concept: A tiny insect taking on a mighty human, sending shivers down his spine, first ruining his peace and later, existence. The writing is smart and clever, the episodes are ingeniously integrated in the screenplay and the culmination to the tale leaves you spellbound. I'd go the extent of saying that MAKKHI has an unfaultable start, immaculate middle and impeccable end, which is a rarity as far as Indian films go.

Technically speaking, MAKKHI is a marvel. The computer generated fly does everything that a human does, which includes the shortcomings as well. The graphic designers at Makuta VFX deserve brownie points for creating an insect that's immensely endearing and also enormously convincing as it takes on the antagonist. M.M. Kreem's musical score is just perfect. 'Arre Arre' is melodious and comes easy on the lips, while 'Naam Apun Ka Jani' is energetic and bouncy. The background score is electrifying. Cinematography [K.K. Senthil Kumar] is top notch. The frames are spectacular. The Hindi dubbing is near-perfect.

Sudeep is remarkable as the lecherous, merciless adversary. He's most menacing in a role that must've been a herculean task to accomplish. He had to react to a fly [which was non-existent while filming] and get the actions and reactions right. Samantha is wonderfully restrained, while Nani is charming in a brief but significant role.

On the whole, MAKKHI is a landmark film. You ought to watch certain films in your lifetime. MAKKHI is one of those films. For choosing a crackling idea, for executing it with panache and for taking Indian cinema to the next level, I doff my hat to you, Mr. S.S. Rajamouli.

Kotha Katha Cheppu

2012-10-07T21:11:00.002-07:00

Rajamouli on Bollywood plans

2012-10-07T08:30:00.004-07:00

Rajamouli's Eega will be soon released as Makki in Bollywood. The promos are running on television and already are gathering enough interest. Many of his films are being remade in Bollywood and surprisingly doing well.

How does he feel about foraying into Bollywood with remaking his successful Tollywood films? Rajamouli says that this prospect doesn't really excite him. Simple reason being that he does not want to work on the same story on which he has spent two years, again in different language. Probably a new storyline would excite him more and he would invest his time on that.

Speaking to national media, as part of promotion of Makki, Rajamouli asserted that he'd definitely make a Hindi film pretty soon. "But it won't be remake. I would make straight Hindi film very soon," he said. "Every director aspires to reach the wider audiences and get applause from all quarters. So Bollywood would be my next stop," he added.

Prabhas's film..

Rajamouli would be starting his next film in Telugu next year. Prabhas is the hero. Script is being finalised.

courtesy : telugucinema.com

AJAY’S TRYST WITH THE FLY

2012-10-07T00:21:00.001-07:00

Ajay Devgn unveiled the Hindi version Makkhi of SS Rajamouli’s Telugu hit Eega on Friday. The actor recalled the time Bol Bachchan released and the collections down South were lower than expected. “I learnt that it was because of Eega, a film about a housefly’s revenge. I wasn’t too happy about it, but when I was told that our Son Of Sardaar is a remake of Rajamouli’s other film, I was okay,” said Ajay. When Rajamouli asked him if he could dub for the Hindi version, he said he didn’t think twice. Rajamouli also thanked Ajay for getting Kajol as well to lend her voice for the film. Makkhi is being released by Reliance
Entertainment on October 12.

courtesy : TOI

Shah Rukh Khan says Makkhi is must-watch film

2012-10-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Having watched Makkhi (Eega), Shah Rukh Khan says that it is a must-watch film. A premier show for celebs was held yesterday in Mumbai, which was watched, among others, by SRK.

In no time, SRK took to Twitter to say that it was awesomely original. "Makkhi (eega) the fly. Awesomely original & fun film by Rajamouli releasing on 12th oct. must watch with kids.all the best raja&team," he said.

On his part, Rajamouli was overwhelmed by SRK's "greatness" in complimenting a stranger like him. He said, "Thank you, King Khan. Offering your help for a complete stranger like me and tweeting about Makkhi shows your greatness. Honoured."

The movie is hitting the screens on Oct 12.

courtesy : indiaglitz.com

“Eega is an original film,” Rajamouli clarifies

2012-10-06T07:56:00.001-07:00

S S Rajamouli has vehemently denied allegations that his recent film Eega was plagiarized from an Australian short film named Cockroach. Ever since a section of media reported it, the ace director has been facing the heat on social networking sites when several people began tweeting the trailer of the short film. Recently, when Rajamouli went to Mumbai to promote Makkhi, the Hindi version of Eega, he faced the same question from a leading film critic, Rajeev Masand. Making his stand clear on the allegations of plagiarism, Rajamouli said, “In the past I have been guilty of plagiarism in films like Maraya Ramanna and Magadheera, but I must clarify that Eega is an original film. My father told me the story 15 years ago and we worked on it couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I don’t have proof to show. There is a film called “Fluke”, which most people wouldn’t have seen, where a human being is reincarnated as a dog. No one compares Cockroach with Fluke, but suddenly my film is under scanner.” Makkhi is slated for release on October 12 across India and it stars Nani, Samantha and Sudeep in lead roles.

courtesy : 123telugu.com

Bollywood media goes gaga over Rajamouli’s Makkhi

2012-10-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

S S Rajamouli’s blockbuster film Eega, which has been dubbed in Hindi as Makkhi, has got an unanimous thumbs up from the journalists and trade analysts in Mumbai. The film was screened at PVR in Mumbai earlier today. S S Rajamouli, Nani, Keeravani, Suresh Babu, Sai Korrapati, Pete Draper and Anuj Gurwara were present for the press screening which was followed by an interaction with the media. We hear that the entire cinema hall erupted with thunderous applause right from the time the ‘fly’, the main protagonist of the film, appeared on screen. The press couldn’t stop raving about Rajamouli and he was flooded with congratulatory messages soon after the screening.

Taran Adarsh, a leading film critic in Mumbai, praised Eega (Makkhi) and said that it was one of the finest films of the year. Rajeev Masand, film critic at CNN-IBN, said that he absolutely loved the film and that he hasn’t had so much fun in a long time. Another leading critic, Anupama Chopra tweeted, “Makkhi is the most fun I’ve had in a theater in months. What an insanely, inventive film. Never thought I would root for a fly!” The film is slated for release on October 12 along with Rani Mukherjee, Prithviraj starrer Aiyya and RGV’s Bhoot Returns. Given the kind of response the film has got from early screening for the press, it’s almost guranteed that the film will open with rave reviews and positive word of mouth.

courtesy : 123telugu.com

Kajol joins Ajay Devgan for Hindi ‘Eega’

2012-10-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

Dusky beauty Kajol has joined her hubby Ajay Devgan in being a small but vital part of ‘Makki’, the Hindi version of our Telugu blockbuster ‘Eega’. The movie is being readied for a Hindi release and Ajay Devgan has given the voice over in the opening moments of the film, as a father who narrates the story of ‘Makki’ to his daughter. Kajol has chipped in to provide the voice for the mother’s character.

A very happy S.S.Rajamouli thanked the star couple on Twitter and expressed his gratitude. “Thanks a lot @ajaydevgn for the voice over. And cherry on top is Kajol did the VO for the mother. makkhi will have a gr8 start. am i happy?”, he tweeted.

After taking the Telugu Film Industry by storm with its performance, ‘Eega’ a.k.a. ‘Makki’ is gearing up for release on October 12th in Hindi and the makers of the film are expecting a similar blockbuster peformance

source : 123telugu.com

Ajay Devgn to dub for Hindi Eega

2012-09-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

Ajay Devgn was impressed when he watched Makkhi, the Hindi version of Eega. He was approached by SS Rajamouli to convince him to dub for the father's character, who begins the narration during the title credits.

Scheduled to release on Oct 12, the film sees Sudeep as Sudeep, Nani as Jani and Samantha as Bindhu.

As we know, Suresh Babu had grand plans to release Makkhi in 3D format. He later gave up the plan probably because he was convinced that the cost was not worth it. Admittedly, he said that they decided to drop the plan in view of the high costs it entailed. Rajamouli's first idea was to wait till December, but since it is only in 2D format, they advanced it.

source : indiaglitz.com

Eega is our only Ray of Hope

2012-09-18T03:31:00.005-07:00

SS Rajamouli’s blockbuster film Eega is the only Telugu film that has been shortlisted by the Film Federation of India to nominate India’s official entry to the Oscars. Can it break the 26-year-old jinx?

SS Rajamouli’s Eega, one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year, is going to compete against 17 other films in the race to be India’s official entry to the Oscars. It’s the only Telugu film in contention this year, and the first Telugu film to find a place in the final list in several years.

Despite being one of top three film industries in the country, Telugu films are rarely in the spotlight when it comes to awards at the national or international stage. K Vishwanath’s Swathi Muthyam, which released back in 1986, is the only Telugu film to have been nominated as India’s entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category, although it couldn’t make it to the final five nominees. Can Eega break this 26-year-old jinx?

Over the past few years, FFI has been under tremendous amount of criticism for ignoring regional cinema and favouring Hindi cinema. In the past five years, one Malayalam film (Adaminte Makan Abu), one Marathi film (Harishchandrachi Factory) and three Hindi films (Peepli Live, Taare Zameen Par and Eklavya) were sent to the Oscars. Out of the 18 films shortlisted this year by FFI, there are 11 Hindi films, including Paan Singh Tomar, Barfi!, Kahaani, The Dirty Picture, Heroine, Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1 & 2. Can Eega beat all odds to bag this honour of representing the country at the Academy Awards? “We have made a technically superior film and its innovative storytelling makes it stand apart from the rest. Let’s see how it goes,” Suresh Babu, one of the producers of the film, says, adding, “It’s true that there’s overwhelming competition from Hindi cinema. They’ll continue making their Paan Singh Tomars, Barfis and Dirty Pictures, but where will you find a fly taking revenge?” The jury, appointed by FFI, is currently in Hyderabad to watch all the 18 films and an announcement is likely to be made next week about which of these films will be sent to the Oscars. Films like Paan Singh Tomar, Kahaani and Barfi! have been universally acclaimed and analysts say that the odds are in their favour, but Telugu movie aficionados would be rooting for Eega, which has been the most innovative film in years. It’s our only ray of hope.

Race to the Oscars

Eega (Telugu)
7am Arivu (Tamil)
Vazhakku Enn 18/9 (Tamil)
Akasathinte Niram (Malayalam)
Heroine (Hindi)
Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi)
Kahaani (Hindi)
Barfi! (Hindi)
GoW – part 1 & 2 (Hindi)
Arjun – The Warrior Prince (Hindi)
Gattu (Hindi)
Jalpari (Hindi)
The Dirty Picture (Hindi)
Ferrari Ki Sawari (Hindi)
Deool (Marathi)
Veer Hamirji – Somnath Ni Sakhate (Gujarati)
Anhey Ghore Da Daan (Punjabi)

Author : Hemanth Kumar C R

Follow Him On Twitter https://twitter.com/crhemanth

Eega in Oscar Indian entry shortlist

2012-09-17T01:16:00.003-07:00

Ace director S.S.Rajamouli’s graphical magnum opus ‘Eega’ has made it to the Film Federation of India’s Oscar Nomination shortlist. India nominates one film each year for the category of ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ and shortlist is prepared for the federation to choose from. ‘Eega’ is in that list.

The screening of the film in the list will begin from September 18th and will last until the 26th of this month. The screening will be held in Hyderabad. Here is a list of films under consideration. Let us hope ‘Eega’ is selected as the final choice. There is tough competition from Bollywood in the form of ‘Barfi’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.

Eega(Telugu)

VazhaKu En 18/9 (Tamil)

7aam Arivu(Tamil)

Deol(Marathi)

Aakashinte Niram(Malayalam)

Kaahani(Hindi)

Barfi(Hindi)

Heroine(Hindi)

Ferrari Ki Sawaari(Hindi)

Gangs of Wasseypur(Hindi)

Dirty Picture(Hindi)

Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi)

Rajamouli to donate his organs

2012-09-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Director SS Rajamouli has always believed in doing things differently. While most actors who associate themselves with charitable causes are often known to speak more and act less, the ace director has decided to walk the talk by actually pledging his organs. Rajamouli made this announcement when he graced an event at Gandhi medical college, Secunderabad, a few days back.
"Thanks to all medicos and professors. Had a gr8 time at Gandhi medical college. I pledged to donate my organs and anyone who wish to donate their organs or be a volunteer,visit http://www.mohanfoundation.org i learnt organs from one body can give life to 8 people," he tweeted.
Previously, Tollywood Stars Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni, Lakshmi Manchu, Navdeep, Arvind Krishna and Harshvardhan Rane also announced that they shall donate their organs. And it's heartening to see such celebrities lending their support for such noble causes.