High price for comedy

Comedians in Telugu films might be triggering uproarious laughter among audiences but they are leaving their producers in tears through their off-screen antics. Tollywood sources said that producers are at their wits’ end with comedy actors such as Bramhanandam, Ali, Sunil, Venumadhav, and Raghubabu charging nothing less than Rs 1 lakh a day. They are said to be the reason behind the producers’ council’s demand for stars to cut their wages. “It is not the heroes who are a bane but these comedians and character artistes,” said a source. It may sound incredible but Bramhanandam reportedly charges Rs 3 lakh per day now and turns up for the shoot only for four hours.

This comedian is a ‘villain’ as far as producers are concerned, since he also demands that food from star hotels be served to him on the sets. He is also notorious for not turning up for shoots on time, charging extra for promotions and not dubbing for the movie until the complete payment is made. “His rates are exorbitant,” says Natti Kumar, a producer who plans to convince others too to ban the comedian unless he stops charging per day. “He works between 11 am and 5 pm, sleeps for two hours in between and gives us nightmares with his culinary demands. We have decided not to hire Bramhandam hereafter,” he adds. Interestingly Bramhanandam claims that he hiked his pay to reduce the rush of producers who want to cast him in their films. “I recently increased my remuneration as too many people want to do films with me.”

It is not Brahmanandam alone who charges per day. Thirteen-year-old comedian Bharat charges nothing less than Rs 50,000 per day. Actors Raghubabu, Kota Srinivasa Rao, and Hema supposedly charge Rs 1 lakh per day. “These comedians are also highly undisciplined,” says Mohan Vadlapatla, member of the Producers’ Council Committee that is drafting cost cutting measures in Tollywood. “The only way out is to refuse the existing comedians a role and encourage new talent,” he says. The council is likely to bring in a regulation banning charging on a daily basis and enforcing 12 hours work per day.

However, comedians refute the allegations and say that it is the ‘demand’ of the artiste that decides remuneration. “Remuneration of these actors is a small factor,” says AVS, comedian and general secretary of Movie Artistes’ Association. “It is lack of planning in the script that is increasing the production cost. It is unfair to blame actors.”

Comedian Raghubabu who reportedly takes Rs 1 lakh also denies that he fleeces producers. “My dad was an actor and we produced about 70 movies,” he says. “I have made films too. We totally understand the troubles of the producer and don’t trouble them.”

Ballaya, Chiru, Venki, Nag set to play T20

Movie Artistes’ Association (MAA) which had successfully organised cricket matches earlier with Tollywood stars on several occasions,is once again getting ready to hold a match on June 13 at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. Four top heroes of the Telugu film industry Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh and Chiranjeevi would compete with each other for the ‘T-20 Tollywood Trophy’, with their teams.

MAA president Muralimohan says, "We are going to organise this cricket match to construct an own building for MAA and to help old and poor film artistes. Besides cricket matches, there will be programmes to entertain the audiences on June 13 between 9 am and 11 pm. Almost all the prominent artistes would take part in this match. The event would be coordinated by the Rhythm.

We will also take up an ‘anti-piracy’ run at the stadium on the occasion."

Balakrishna says, "We are happy to take part in the cricket match. This time, the matches would not be very casual but will be held with a perfect sportive spirit. Teams would be selected on May 15 and the dress launch would be made on May 30."

Maa Stars Tollywood T20 Teams Logos

Balayya Lions

Chiranjeevi Cheetahs

Nagarjuna KIngs

Venky Warriors

NTR voiceover for RRKK

NTR has given voiceover Dil Raju’s 12 May release featuring Ram, Priya Mohan and Bindu Madhavi. This film is directed by Srivas (Lakshyam fame). Arjun (Gentleman fame) plays a vital role. This is Keeravani’s 200th film. Dil Raju is also producing a movie titled Brindavanam with NTR as hero.

Windows 7 Jumps Ahead of Vista

Janco Assocoiates, a management consulting firm, has released data regarding Browser and Operating System Market Share. While the tale regarding the browsers looks familiar, when it comes to the Operating Systems, there is a major revelation.

Windows 7, in just seven months since its release, holds 14.8 percent of the OS market. This takes the number of people using Windows 7 more than the number of people using Vista, the older OS from Microsoft.

Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis quips, "There are now more users of Windows 7 than Vista. That is a major factor in their improved record earnings. The last OS that was accepted as quickly in the market was XP. Vista's market share has peaked and is in the process of being decommissioned in most enterprises." Janulaitis added, "The last six months have been a mixed bag for Microsoft. While they have good news on the OS front, their browser market share has fallen to the level that it was in 1998."

As for the browser market, Microsoft continues to lose its grip. Internet Explorer lost 3.7 percent of its market share. Firefox is stable with its share at a steady 17.8 percent. As for Google (Chrome and Google Desktop), accounts for a decent 5.4 percent of the share. The top five browser market share rankings are: Microsoft's IE 67.73 percent; Firefox 17.88 percent; Google (Desktop & Chrome) 5.40 percent; Mozilla 1.36 percent; and Safari 0.98 percent.

Another ‘Naan Kadavul’

Off-beat films have of late become a trend in Tamil cinema. Toeing the line of ‘Ram’, ‘Pithamagan’, ‘Kattradhu Tamizh’ and ‘Naan Kadavul’ is ‘Naan Sivanagiren’, a film directed by K Gnanasekar.

Besides wielding the megaphone, Gnanasekar is also taking care of story, screenplay and dialogues departments. Udhay Karthik, a new face is debuting as the hero with Varsha starring opposite him in female lead.

Sources say the film is about the protagonist taking the job of Lord Shiva to destroy wrongdoers. “Punishing a wrong doer isn't a sin for they can be adored as Gods. The hero assumes himself as Siva,” they say.

Saying the film will be very racy, sources add: “You can see some unexpected things in Naan Sivanagiren.” K Gokul is handling the camera while K S Manoj composes the music for the lyrics penned by Na Muthukumar, K Nishanth and V K Gnanasekar. C K is producing this film under the banner M N Creations.

Shriya wants to shine more

After sizzling in glamourous roles, Shriya Saran now says she would like to establish herself as a talented actress by playing characters that have enough scope to display her acting skills on screen.

“I am careful and choosy now. I am waiting for a meaty role which would give me opportunity to prove myself. Doing glamorous roles alone is of no use,” says the actress, who is currently shooting in Switzerland for a Telugu film.

On her forthcoming movies, she says, “I am currently acting opposite Ravi Teja in ‘Don Seenu’. I am there opposite Arya in Kollywood’s ‘Chikku Bhukku’. I have recently completed Deepa Mehta’s ‘What’s Cooking?’.”

Thanking the support from her family, Shriya says, “But for the encouragement from my family members, I would not have made a mark for myself in movies. I am thankful to God for gifting me such a nice family.”

Nitin under JD’s direction

News that’s a fodder for the trade pundits and movie gossipers! Lover boy Nitin will work under the direction of JD Chakravarthy.

Making his mark as a director with action flicks like ‘Homam’ and ‘Siddham’, JD is back behind the camera to direct Nitin for a movie that is made for ‘Aavaham’ producer Prasanth Burra’s Sardhak Movies.

Nitin after a series of average grossers is desperately in search of a super hit. Other members of the cast are yet to be known but sources say the movie will be made in USA. They say the story needs an American backdrop and hence the shooting will be done there

Sources also say that JD is concentrating on music and hence music will be given priority in the movie. JD’s movies as an actor have always had best of music, for example, ‘Money’, ‘Gulabi’, ‘Anaganaga Oka Roju’ and many others. It’s obvious he wants to include the best of music under his direction. All the best JD!

RGV from Web Page to News Page

What’s Ram Gopal Varma up to these days? Besides being good at home turf, direction, the director is also an avid blogger. Sources say he is now going to start writing a column in a leading Telugu daily!

With a series of hits like the ‘Money’ series, and a couple of other action flicks, RGV slowly transported himself to Bollywod from Tollywood. With his unique style of handling crime in celluloid, RGV got his trademark designed. Being a hit among the movie buffs, RGV started his own blog that received enormous response from his fans. He is also highly active on social networking site Facebook.

News is that, select articles from his blog will appear in a column of a leading Telugu daily. RGV’s views have always invited controversies, to which he says, nothing is unintentional and he speaks what his mind speaks. So now that his words are going to see life in paper, let us hope, controversies are at bay!

BCCI requests Australia for Tests

In its quest to maintain India's No.1 Test ranking the BCCI has sent a proposal to Cricket Australia to convert the seven-match ODI series in October to two Tests and three ODIs. India had climbed to the top spot in 2009, after drubbing Sri Lanka 2-0 at home, and then retained the ranking by fighting back to level the two-Test series against South Africa in February.

"We've got an open mind on it but it's being discussed and that could be the road down which we will go," a CA spokesman told the Australian on Tuesday.

This is not the first time the Indian board has intervened to change the original itinerary of a proposed tour. Earlier this year Cricket South Africa had agreed to a compressed tour of two Tests and three ODIs, replacing the original five-match ODI series. India's change of mind came in the wake of ascending to the No.1 Test ranking for the first time, and they were eager to preserve it.

According to the ICC's Future Tours Programme, India were scheduled to play only a handful of Tests in 2010, an aberration the BCCI is desperate to correct. So far this year, India have played four Tests but are lined up to play three in Sri Lanka in July, and then another three at home against New Zealand at the end of the year.

Asked if the BCCI had indeed formally requested the Australian board, N Srinivasan, the Indian board's secretary did not deny or confirm the news, saying he would be issuing a press release soon on the matter. CA were more forthright and positive about the development.

"One of the thoughts going through our heads is that we've got an Ashes series coming up and all we've got between now and then is two Tests against Pakistan in England during July," the spokesman said. Australia host England in November and are keen to avenge the 2009 Ashes defeat.

"Playing Tests in India in October may not be a bad idea because it gives us another chance to have another reasonably contemporary Test experience under the belt."