Sivakarthikeyan Tamil Movie News

'SK 23': A. R. Murugadoss reveals the big 'Ramana' connection in Sivakarthikeyan film, pens an emotional statement about returning to iconic location

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Blockbuster Tamil film director A. R. Murugadoss' next big film, the tentatively titled SK 23, starring leading actor Sivakarthikeyan began rolling in February and is currently one of the most exciting projects in development. There is tremendous excitement surrounding the upcoming film also being called SKxARM as it will feature songs and a background score composed by 'Rockstar' Anirudh Ravichander. With filming on SK 23 in full swing, A. R. Murugadoss on Saturday evening, March 23, dropped a surprise update about shooting a sequence at the Thirumayilai MRTS station in Chennai where he returned after 23 years when he last filmed the box office money-spinner Ramana (2002) starring 'Captain' Vijayakanth.

Sharing a screengrab of a scene featuring the late Vijayakanth on his mobile phone, A. R. Murugadoss penned an emotional statement on Instagram writing, "Returning to the iconic location of my film 'RAMANA' after 23 years for the shooting of SKxARM with SK! Feels surreal to be back where it all began, 🎥 #MissyouCaptain #Ramana #SKxARM" (sic) Production on SK 23 began amidst much excitement after a formal pooja ceremony for the film's launch was held in Chennai, which also saw popular Kannada actress Rukmini Vasanth being announced as the female lead, with music director Anirudh also making an appearance. 

SK 23 is a big venture for A. R. Murugadoss, who will be looking to come out firing on all cylinders in his big filmmaking comeback after Darbar (2020) with 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, and deliver yet another blockbuster along the lines of his previous Tamil films Dheena (2001), Ramana, Ghajini (2005), Thuppakki (2012), Kaththi (2014), and Sarkar (2018). Sivakarthikeyan, who will next be seen in the highly-anticipated biographical action war film Amaran releasing this year, will also be aiming for SKxARM to be a winner and top his previous hits. 

Bhavna Balakrishnan opens up about the one problem she had with Sivakarthikeyan on Jodi No.1 , says "I used to tell myself that I shouldn't lose my voice..."

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Popular television anchor Bhavna Balakrishnan has carved a niche for herself over the years hosting several TV shows, while also exploring new avenues as a cricket commentator, playback singer and a dancer. Having hosted shows like Super Singer Junior, Airtel Super Singer, and Jodi No.1 on Vijay Television, Bhavna has also been serving as a commentator and garnered a name as one of the most popular sports journalists in India after Mayanti Langer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Recently, Bhavna sat down for a candid conversation with Galatta to talk about her experiences as an anchor and also opened up on her stint on Vijay TV's Jodi No. 1, including the time when she shared the stage with leading Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan, who was her co-anchor on the hit dance competition reality television show. 

Speaking about her time on the reality show, Bhavna explained, "I could not see Sivakarthikeyan as a co-anchor even in Jodi No.1 because he was an entertainer and I was an anchor. So, our roles were very clear. I would produce the content and carry the show forward. He would take care of the entertainment aspects. My job along with Ramya Krishnan would be to get him into the act. These were our roles. And, when the roles are assigned, you will never overlap. And, if there's an emotional moment, Sivakarthikeyan would give me a signal telling me to take care of it. If there's a fun moment, I will step back because whoever can handle it at that point of time, will handle it. It was like that. The only problem I had with Siva was that I would lose my voice because of laughing non-stop. I used to tell myself that I shouldn't lose my voice when we used to anchor. That was during our time together in that one season." 

Watch Bhavna Balakrishnan's interview in the video below: 

'SK 21': Sivakarthikeyan undergoes a massive physical transformation for a soldier's body, title teaser release date out

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Leading Tamil star Sivakarthikeyan's next big film of 2024, the tentatively titled SK 21, is shaping up to be a massive project and will showcase him in a completely new avatar. The actor is on cloud nine these days after the blockbuster success of his big-budget science-fiction film Ayalaan, with plans for a sequel also said to be on track. With production on SK 21 progressing at a steady pace, the makers of the upcoming film have now released a special glimpse showing Sivakarthikeyan hitting the gym to nail the look for his character as he will be playing the role of an Army soldier. 

The SK 21 glimpse has also revealed that the film's title announcement teaser will be out on February 16 at 5 p.m.; a day before Sivakarthikeyan's birthday as a special treat for fans. A lot has been said about the actor's look in the film and this latest teaser showcases him looking slimmed down, but with a lot of muscle to his body, while also bringing his strength to the fore. SK 21 incidentally marks the second occasion Sivakarthikeyan will be seen playing the role of an Army man after the blockbuster Doctor (2021), and fans will be looking forward to see him deliver big on the action front. 

There are tremendous expectations surrounding SK 21 as Sivakarthikeyan has been on a roll with two back-to-back box office hits, Maaveeran (2023) and Ayalaan, and he will be looking to go a step above with a bigger success up next. There is also considerable excitement for the film as it will see the actor paired with Sai Pallavi, who last delivered a powerful performance in Gargi (2022). National Award-winning Tamil music director G. V. Prakash Kumar is composing the songs and the background score for SK 21, and fans will be looking for him to high note in his first-ever collaboration with Sivakarthikeyan. 

'Kottukkaali': Sivakarthikeyan announces Soori and Anna Ben-starrer's Berlin International Film Festival premiere date

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Leading Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan's next production venture, Kottukkaali, starring Soori and Malayalam actress Anna Ben under filmmaker PS Vinothraj's direction will have its world premiere at the prestigious 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16. The much awaited announcement has come out on Saturday along with a new poster featuring Soori along with the premiere and the subsequent screening dates at The Berlinale, which is considered to be one of the three major film festivals in the world, alongside the Venice and Cannes. Expressing his happiness at the grand honor, Sivakarthikeyan wrote on Instagram, "Our film #Kottukkaali, starring the phenomenal @soorimuthuchamy & @benanna_love - directed by @psvinothraj, premieres at the prestigious @berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) on Feb 16th. Witness a captivating tale unfold on the global stage." (sic) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sivakarthikeyan Productions (@skprodoffl)

Kottukkaali has incidentally attained the distinction of being the first Tamil film to be premiering at Berlin International Film Festival in the 'World Cinema' section. Sharing his excitement over the news back last December, Sivakarthikeyan informed in a heartfelt note, "I extend my heartfelt congratulations to director P.S.Vinothraj, actors Soori, Anna Ben, and the entire technical and production team for their dedication and success. This remarkable achievement brings happiness and applause to all involved." Speaking further about Kottukkaali, he stated, "Crafted on a global scale, this Tamil film stands as the first of its kind selected for a "World Premiere" at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, a source of deep pride for us. Your unwavering support has provided the inspiration to present it on the global stage with enthusiasm and pride, and for that, I am immensely grateful to all my fans, well-wishers and supporters." 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sivakarthikeyan Doss (@sivakarthikeyan)

There is quite a lot of excitement surrounding Kottukkaali and fans look forward to yet another powerful drama from filmmaker PS Vinothraj,  whose previous film Koozhangal (2021) won the Tiger Award at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam in Netherlands. The upcoming film will also be Soori's third venture to be getting an international premiere after Viduthalai Part 1 (2023) and the yet-to-be-released Viduthalai Part 2 directed by Vetri Maaran (presented as one film), and Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai alongside Nivin Pauly and Anjali under Ram's direction, which were screened at the recently-concluded 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam. Kottukkaali also marks youth sensation Anna Ben, who is making her acting debut in Tamil cinema, after impressing audiences in Malayalam.

'Ayalaan': Sivakarthikeyan and R. Ravikumar celebrate their sci-fi film's huge success, 'Don' director Cibi Chakravarthy's appearance gets fans excited

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Leading Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan's latest film Ayalaan has turned out to be a phenomenal box office and is still going strong in theatres after coming out as a grand Pongal release on January 12. The film grossed 75+ crores in worldwide box office collections as per the makers' last statement, with the team on Sunday evening, February 4, celebrating its success. The Ayalaan success party saw Sivakarthikeyan being joined by the film's director R. Ravikumar, art director T. Muthuraj and several other team members, with filmmaker Cibi Chakravarthy also making an appearance, leaving fans quite surprised. 

Posting pictures from their get-together, R. Ravikumar extended his heartfelt gratitude to Sivakarthikeyan and his team writing, "Ayalaan is made possible because of them! Thanks to the whole team😊🙏🏼" (sic) The film's success has been a big sweet victory for the team considering the production and VFX works had taken a long time to complete, with the release undergoing a few delays. Ayalaan is all set to premiere on streaming soon despite continuing to witness a good audience turnout in theatres even after three weeks since its release. 

In that light, filmmaker Cibi Chakravarthy, whose popularity shot overnight with the blockbuster success of Don (2022), also posted pictures of his meeting with Sivakarthikeyan at the Ayalaan success party. Joined by actor Darshan of Kanaa (2018) fame and RJ Vijay, the hit director captioned his post on Instagram, "#aboutlastnight✨❤️" (sic). Cibi's latest photo with Sivakarthikeyan has sparked off buzz about whether the duo could reunite for a new project considering Don went on to become a phenomenal box office hit entering the 100 crore club. Fans too will be looking forward to such a team up once again considering both SK and Cibi enjoy a good rapport, and it is now a waiting game to see whether they will join hands for a new venture in the future. 

'Ayalaan 2': Sivakarthikeyan and R. Ravikumar explain why they want to do a sequel, reveal the reason for choosing 'Ayalaan' as the title

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Sivakarthikeyan's Ayalaan featuring music composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman is releasing in Telugu on January 26 after recently crossing the 75+ crore mark in worldwide gross at the box office in Tamil. The leading Tamil actor and the big-budget science-fiction entertainer's director R. Ravikumar interacted with Telugu media persons on Wednesday, January 24, talking about the upcoming film and their plans for a sequel, Ayalaan 2, while also giving an explanation for the choice of the word 'Ayalaan' as the title. 

Speaking about Ayalaan 2, Sivakarthikeyan said, "We have to do a sequel for this film because we have done so much of research and development. We have put in so much of time. We created the alien. We made it emote, express, and do action. So, we have to do this as a sequel, but we planned it initially itself. There should be sequel films. And, next time we want to do it in more than a bigger scale. We want to give a much more bigger theatrical experience. Maybe in 3D, we might try it. 3D and IMAX we will definitely try it because this success has given us some motivation and given us a route to achieve it. So, we should definitely bank on it, I think." 

Talking further about Ayalaan 2, Sivakarthikeyan stated, "We have an idea, but the script work [is yet to begin]." R. Ravikumar chimed in saying, "[We will] need time for scripting work and the planning. But, he has his commitments and after that, we'll definitely [start]." Sivakarthikeyan added, "He's doing a film next and after he finishes it, we'll start work on Ayalaan 2." He then explained the reason for choosing the word Ayalaan for the film's title and said, "It's a Tamil word. We wanted to have one word for it and we tried for 'Alien', but it's registered in other languages. In Tamil also, it's a new word. So, it was not in regular practice. And, now on social media, we need one hashtag. We can't have multiple hashtags. We made it like Baahubali. We made Ayalaan as a name. It also sounds like alien. We couldn't keep 'alien' and so we made it as Ayalaan."

'Ayalaan': Suriya heaps praise on Sivakarthikeyan film's VFX team, says "Amazing output won all our hearts"

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

National Award-winning Tamil actor Suriya heaped praise on the VFX team behind Sivakarthikeyan's latest film, Ayalaan, directed by R. Ravikumar featuring music composed by A. R. Rahman. Congratulating the team for their top-notch work, the Jai Bhim star informed that the output witnessed on the big screen has won hearts and shows their spirit to come out on top. Suriya, who sent a flower bouquet to Ayalaan's VFX team, wrote in an appreciation letter, "Loved the work done by all at Phantom! Shows your passion to excel! Amazing output won all our hearts!" (sic)

Posting photos of the special gift sent to the Ayalaan's visual effects team, the VFX supervisor of the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer, Bejoy Arputharaj, penned a detailed statement on X thanking Suriya for his thoughtful gesture and extended his hearty wishes for the release of his next big film, Kanguva. Bejoy wrote, "The @phantomfx_india team is truly elated to share the overwhelming appreciation we received from the esteemed actor @Suriya_offl for our VFX work in the movie "Ayalaan." Suriya sirs personal call expressing his admiration was not only a delightful surprise but also a testament to his keen eye for exceptional craftsmanship." 

Bejoy, who spoke with Suriya over the phone, also thanked the Soorarai Pottru actor for his gesture by saying, "Following the call, we were honored to receive a heartfelt appreciation letter and a stunning flower bouquet from him reflecting his humility. His gesture goes beyond the ordinary, and we are genuinely touched by his warmth action." The Ayalaan VFX supervisor further stated, "We extend our sincere thanks to Suriya sir for recognizing our efforts and making us feel appreciated in such a thoughtful manner. Such gestures foster a positive and collaborative spirit within the film fraternity, showcasing the power of mutual appreciation."

Bejoy concluded his statement by saying that Suriya's latest gesture emphasizes on the support for each other in the film and visual effects industry, while wishing him for a grand success on his Kanguva. He wrote, "In celebrating his commendable gesture, we are reminded of the beauty of acknowledging and supporting one another in the industry. It is these acts of kindness that create a sense of unity and elevate the entire cinematic experience. It's the subtleties of acknowledgment that make a lasting impact, and we are fortunate to have received such encouragement from a respected colleague like actor Surya. We wish him all success with his upcoming feature @KanguvaTheMovie" (sic)

'Ayalaan': Sivakarthikeyan film's VFX supervisor explains the alien's design process, says "This is the final product after more than..." (EXCLUSIVE)

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Sivakarthikeyan's latest film, Ayalaan, is turning out to be a huge success and crossed the 50 crore mark in worldwide gross at the box office on the fourth day. Directed by R. Ravikumar and featuring music composed by Academy Award winner, the big-budget science-fiction film involves heavy computer graphics (CG), with VFX supervisor Bejoy Arputharaj, CEO, Phantom-FX, in an exclusive interview with Galatta explaining the design process behind the alien character around whom the story revolves. 

Speaking about the extensive work behind the alien character's VFX in Ayalaan, Bejoy stated, "There are nearly 4,600 visual effects shots in the film. From the small aspects that were removed to the big creations that made their way into the film, there are 4,600 shots altogether. Among them, nearly 2000+ shots are set on the alien character alone. This is a big task. In fact, among the Indian films, this is going to be one-of-its-kind actually. Nobody has done it. Nobody has done such a CG character that appears throughout the film. So, maybe this is the first attempt we have done." 

Opening up on the design process of the alien character voiced by actor Siddharth in Ayalaan, Bejoy Arputharaj explained, "The aliens usually shown in most films look terrifying. It's tough to connect with them. The alien in our film is a friendly character. And, it has many emotional moments and portions with a lot of dialogues. If we present him as another creature, it cannot transfer those emotions. So, our focus was on designing him as a humanoid along the lines of the grey alien concept and make it look cute instead of frightening. We worked a lot on adding the cuteness factor and this version is the final product after more than 30 different versions of the character." 

Watch Bejoy Arputharaj explain the alien design process in Ayalaan in the video below:

'Ayalaan' making video: Sivakarthikeyan explains the reason that got him excited to make the sci-fi film - WATCH

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Leading Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan's latest film Ayalaan is winning hearts among audiences everywhere and crossed the 50 crore mark in worldwide gross at the box office on its fourth day. The big-budget science-fiction film directed by R. Ravikumar and featuring music composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman is also being showered with praise for its VFX and grand scale, with the makers on Wednesday, January 17, releasing a video explaining the process of how a simple idea for the story was got developed into a full-fledged story, followed by the process of the pre-production and shooting of the film. 

In the video, we see director R. Ravikumar reveal that he first got the idea for Ayalaan in 2015 after the release of his first film, Indru Netru Naalai, explaining that it would focus on the relationship between an alien and a human being. He further goes on the state that he narrated the idea to Sivakarthikeyan saying that he would develop it further only if the actor liked it or would drop if it didn't interest him. We then see Sivakarthikeyan speak about how the theatrical experience of Indru Netru Naalai wa the main reason for his interest to make Ayalaan adding that Ravikumar's idea got him excited to be a part of a film of such scope. 

The Ayalaan making video also features A. R. Rahman, who highlighted director R. Ravikumar's conviction in his vision, while shedding light on the VFX in India over the last decade. Cinematographer Nirav Shah too shares that the film has been made on a big scale and hoped for people to watch it many years later for its VFX references in the future. Ayalaan 's VFX supervisor Bejoy Arputharaj further expressed his excitement at how much he wanted to bring to reality R. Ravikumar's vision and take it to the next level using computer graphics and visual effects while shedding light on the pre-visualization (pre-viz) process.

Art director T. Muthuraj is also seen talking about the alien character's designing process and how Ayalaan the team came up with the external characteristics of the character, with editor Ruben explaining how the pre-viz played an instrumental role in the overall editing process of the film. Director Ravikumar then goes on to talk about actor Siddharth coming on board Ayalaan to voice the alien character, who put in a lot of hard work over a 5-day period towards the end of the post-production stages. 

Watch the making of Ayalaan in the video below: 

'Ayalaan': Sivakarthikeyan film's VFX supervisor reacts to comparison with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, says "There's nothing wrong with inspiration"

By | Galatta |
2024-03-23T19:02:00 +05:30 sk 23 update ar murugadoss returns to thirumayilai mrts station after captain vijayakanth ramana movie - Movie Cinema News

Leading Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan's latest film, Ayalaan, directed by R. Ravikumar and featuring music composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman is the talk of the town and is being showered with praises across all quarters. Among the many aspects in the big-budget science-fiction Tamil entertainer that have received a nod of appreciation is the visual effects (VFX), with many declaring it to be along the range of Hollywood films. That being said, there have been some who have drawn a comparison of Ayalaan with the cult classic Hollywood blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, which has now been addressed by the VFX supervisor of the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer, Bejoy Arputharaj, CEO, Phantom-FX. 

Speaking to Galatta about the Ayalaan and ET comparison, Bejoy said, "There's always an inspiration for any creation. There's nothing wrong with inspiration. It's only wrong when it is copied. Another thing is that everyone compares us to Hollywood when we're trying something. I feel that's a wrong thing. If someone says that our work doesn't have the same quality as that of a Hollywood film, it will definitely not." 

Bejoy Arputharaj further explained, "The reason is because the money they invest to achieve that level of quality is so much more, the time that they spend is a lot, and they have been doing this for more than 40-50 years. They have that experience on their side. Initially, they too didn't reach where they are today thirty years back. If you watch their films back then, their quality was not up to the mark than it is now, and they have grown since then. We're getting that opportunity late. Without thinking that the quality of our work isn't on the level of Hollywood films, we need to think whether our films are entertaining and we too will achieve the same status."

Watch Bejoy Arputharaj explain the VFX process in Ayalaan in the video below: