With hardly few days to go for the release of Gautham Vasudev Menon's Joshua Imai Pol Kaakha, the makers released the action-packed trailer for the film. Starring actors Varun and Raahei in lead roles, the film is scheduled to hit theatres on March 1.

The one-minute-long trailer showcases Varun and Raahei's characters being in love and Varun taking up the task of protecting her at any cost while safely moving her from one location to another. He fights, kills and performs daredevil stunts, going to all extent to save her from any harm. We also see Krishna playing the role of a villain who disrupts his mission. Raahei gets kidnapped by a few goons and Varun must keep his word and bring her back at any cost.

Read: Varun: Joshua won't be your usual action flick

Helmed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, Joshua Imai Pol Kaakha started filming in 2019 and was expected to see a theatrical release in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the production of the film was halted.

Actors Yogi Babu, Mansoor Ali Khan, Vichithra and Dhivyadharshini will also be seen in pivotal roles in the film which will see Varun playing the role of a hitman who takes the responsibility of safeguarding a high-profile client played by Raahei.

Talking about the film ahead of its release, in a press interaction, the director hinted at the chances of the film falling into the universe of Vikram-starrer Dhruva Natchathiram, which is yet to hit the theatres.

Stressing on the Dhivyadharshini's (DD) character from Joshua, GVM  opened up about the film being part of the Dhruva Natchathiram universe, "DD worked with me in Dhruva Natchathiram, and I told her, the character in Joshua is almost as same as what she has done in  Dhruva Natchathiram, or it might be an extension". Then he goes on to add, "  There is a connection you will get to know when you watch Dhruva Natchathiram."

Read: Joshua Imai Pol Kaakha to be a part of Dhruva Natchathiram universe

This action-thriller is produced by Ishari K Ganesh for Vels Film International. The cinematography for the film is done by SR Kathir. 
 

Earlier, we had reported that S J Suryah and Selvaraghavan joined the cast of Dhanush's third directorial, Raayan. It has now been learned that actor-politician Prakash Raj is the latest addition to the cast. The makers announced the same on their social media handles, releasing a poster featuring the actor.

Besides directing, Dhanush also stars in the film. Raayan features Kalidas Jayaram and Sundeep Kishan in significant roles; reportedly, the film also features Dushara Vijayan and Aparna Balamurali.

What a pleasure @prakashraaj sir pic.twitter.com/7ZzoVeEntk

— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) February 23, 2024

Produced by Sun Pictures, Raayan has music by AR Rahman, cinematography by Om Prakash, editing by Prasanna GK, and action choreography by Peter Hein. The shooting of D50 was wrapped in December last year and is currently in the post-production stage.

The makers of Sathamindri Mutham Tha, starring Srikanth in the lead role, released the film's trailer on Friday. Written and directed by Rajdev, the film is scheduled to release on March 1.

The trailer showcases  Hareesh Peradi as a police officer and Srikanth as a criminal, promising a thrilling game of cat and mouse. Sathamindri Mutham Tha also stars Priyanka Timmesh, Niharika, and Viaan in supporting roles. 

Here's the trailer

The film is backed by Celebright Productions. Jubin, who has previously composed music for Mohan G's Draupathi and Rudra Thandavam, has composed music for the upcoming film. The technical crew of Sathamindri Mutham Tha also includes cinematographer Yuvaraj M and editor Madhan G. 

Meanwhile, Srikanth was last seen in the Telugu film Pindam, co-starring Kushee Ravi and Easwari Rao. The actor has the Tamil film Operation Laila and the Malayalam film Aanandhapuram Diaries in various stages of production. 

The makers of J Baby, starring Urvasi and Dinesh in the lead roles, released a new song titled Idha Thane Ethir Paathen from the film on Thursday. Composed by Tony Britto, with lyrics penned by Vivek, the song has been sung by Shweta Mohan. 

Written and directed by Suresh Mari, J Baby also stars Maran, Kavitha Bharathy, Jaya Murthy, Shegar Narayanan, Ezhumalai, Dhaksha, P.Melody Dorcas, Ismath Banu A, Sabbita Roi, and  Mayaashree Arun. 

In an earlier conversation with CE, Suresh said, "J Baby is a family drama with a good dose of comedy and sentiment. It's a story about a mother and her two sons." 

Produced by Pa.Ranjith, Abhayanand Singh, Piiyush Singh, Sourabh Gupta, Aditi Anand, and Ashwini Chaudhari, the film's technical crew comprises cinematographer Jayanth Sethu Mathavan and editor Shanmugam Velusamy.  

The makers of Bejoy Nambiar's upcoming Tamil-Hindi directorial, titled Por in Tamil and Dange in Hindi, released a new song. Por stars  Kalidas Jayaram and Arjun Das in lead roles, while the Hindi version stars Harshvardhan Rane and Ehan Bhatt in the lead.

Composed by  Dhruv Visvanath, the song is titled Nanpagal Neram in Tamil. It has lyrics penned by Vignesh Srikanth, while Kapil Kapilan has sung the song. The Hindi version of the song is titled Yeh Pal Hain Apne. Sung by the composer himself, the song has lyrics penned by Vishwadeep Zeest.

Apart from directing, Bejoy also pens the film's script. The Hindi version has Nikita Dutta and TJ Bhanu in supporting roles. TJ Bhanu will also appear in the Tamil version alongside Sanchana Natarajan. While TJ Bhanu plays the love interest of Arjun Das, Sanchana plays Kalidas Jayaram's romantic partner.

Set against a vibrant college festival backdrop, the movie explores the intricate dynamics between two friends whose paths diverge and ignite fierce competition. The film was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi.

Bejoy Nambiar has also produced the movie along with Prabhu Antony and Madhu Alexander. The film's technical crew includes editor Priyank Prem Kumar and cinematographers Jimshi Khalid and Presley Oscar D'souza. 

Por/Dange is all set to hit theatres on March 1.

Tharshan's latest outing in the theatres, Naadu, is now available to stream on Prime Video. Also starring Mahima Nambiar, the film hit theatres on December 1 and opened to mixed reviews. 

Naadu is helmed by M Saravanan, best known for directing Engeyum Eppothum (2011) and Ivan Vera Mathiri (2013). The film revolves around a village without medical facilities. Mahima Nambiar plays a doctor from a city who is assigned duty in the village for a week. However, Tharshan and other villagers try to persuade Mahima to stay in the village as an in-house doctor. 

READ: Naadu Movie Review: Sheds light on a relevant issue but milks dry the melodrama

Apart from Mahima and Tharshan, the film stars Singam Puli, R.S.Sivaji, Arul Das, Inba Ravikumar, and Vasantha. The film has music by C Sathya (Aranmanai 3), cinematography by KA Sakthivel and editing by Pon Kathiresh PK. The project is bankrolled by Chakra and Raj.

The first look of Uriyadi-fame Vijay Kumar's next, titled Election, was unveiled by Vijay Sethupathi on Thursday. The film is helmed by Thamizh, who has previously helmed Seththumaan. 

Election also stars Preethi Asrani of Ayothi fame, as the female lead. Richa Joshi, Dileepan, Navageethan, George Mariam, and Natchiyal Suganthi form the supporting cast of Election. 

The film's dialogues have been penned by writer Azhagiya Periyavan. The film will feature cinematography by Mahendran Jayaraju, music by Govind Vasantha and editing by C S Premkumar. 

Election is set to revolve around local body elections that take place in the Vellore district. The film is bankrolled by Adithya under the Reel Good Films banner. The filming for Election has been wrapped up, and the film is currently in post-production. 

More announcements regarding the film's trailer and release date will be made by the makers in the coming days. 

Excited to unveil the first look of @Vijay_B_Kumar's next titled #ELECTION! Sending best wishes to the entire team. #ELECTIONFirstLook #RGF02@preethiasrani_ #Thamizh #GovindVasantha #MahendiranJayaraju @ECspremkumar @reel_good_films @proyuvraaj pic.twitter.com/woMXZjMUNm

— VijaySethupathi (@VijaySethuOffl) February 22, 2024

On Friday, RJ Balaji's latest outing at the theatres, Singapore Saloon, premiered on Prime Video. The film hit theatres on January 25 and opened to mixed reviews. 

Singapore Saloon is helmed by Gokul, who has previously helmed films like Kaashmora and Rowthiram. Vels Film International, which has previously backed Balaji's Mookuthi Amman and LKG, backed this film as well. 

READ: Singapore Saloon Movie Review: The laughs land great, the sentiment not so much

Sathyaraj, Lal, Robo Shankar, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Kishen Das round out the supporting cast of Singapore Saloon. The film's technical crew consists of cinematographer M Sukumar, music by Vivek-Mervin and edits by RK Selva.

Gautham Vasudev Menon's upcoming directorial Joshua Imai Pol Kaakha, featuring debutant Varun, is all set to hit the theatres on March 1. Talking about the film ahead of its release, in a press interaction, the director hinted at the chances of the film falling into the universe of Vikram-starrer Dhruva Natchathiram, which is yet to hit the theatres.

Stressing on the Dhivyadharshini's (DD) character from Joshua, GVM  opens up about the film being part of the Dhruva Natchathiram universe, "DD worked with me in Dhruva Natchathiram, and I told her, the character in Joshua is almost as same as what she has done in  Dhruva Natchathiram, or it might be an extension". Then he goes on to add, "  There is a connection you will get to know when you watch Dhruva Natchathiram,"

Gautam calls the film experimental and alludes to John Wick as a mindless action film, "It is essential to thank the producer as he never interfered at any juncture of the filmmaking as he first wanted me to make a romantic film. Instead, Joshua came out as an out-and-out actioner," says Gautam. Further, he adds, "Joshua is the only film I have worked with a newcomer. I was able to make the film exactly the way I wanted to, which doesn't always happen. And if the reception is all well and good, I also wanted to take the story forward. This film could give birth to a series."

Director Vikram Shreedharan feels that the story of Birthmark chooses its rather unique title. "The film is a thriller filled with lots of mysteries. We were very particular that we got this title as it is crucial to the plot." The Shabeer Kallarakkal and Mirna Menon, starrer hitting the screens this Friday,  is shot with limited actors in a contained environment; Vikram confesses that it was intentional. "We ideated the script during the pandemic, and we were fixated on making a 'feasible' film with the resources available. We decided to produce it all by ourselves, without the need for a major production house."

The film has Jailer-fame Mirna playing a pregnant woman, and Sarpatta Parambarai-fame Shabeer portraying her deceptive husband, who seemingly plots evil plans against her, and the whole drama is orchestrated in a birthing village. Sharing his inspiration behind the setting and the characters, Vikram says, " I always wanted to make a film about pregnancy and pregnant women because of the physical vulnerabilities a woman goes through during that phase. While researching more about pregnancy, we got to know a lot of exciting factors that made us build the world for Birthmark and the stakes surrounding it. The place is a character by itself, rather than being a passive addition."

Vikram reveals that the core of the film is inspired by the observations from the lives of army men whose behaviour was totally altered after facing a dreadful war.

Most screenwriters introduce a pregnant woman in the screenplay as a convenient excuse to increase the stakes in a story, but Vikram contends that Birthmark is different. "The pregnancy period here is not a plot device but the plot itself. We haven't used pregnancy as a gimmick. I am confident that the efforts we have taken to design the screenplay around the pregnancy will attract the audience."