DeathMahesh Kathi gained prominence over the last few years for his sharp reviews on Telugu cinema. Tnm StaffMahesh Kathi/FacebookFilm critic and actor Mahesh Kathi passed away on Saturday, July 10. The film critic had met with an accident on June 25 while travelling on the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway in Kodavalur Mandal in Nellore district. The news was confirmed to Tnm by a family friend. According to them, Mahesh passed away at around 4 pm. Further, Tnm also confirmed with the Apollo Greams Road hospital in Chennai where Mahesh had been admitted to. The family have left for Chennai to collect the mortal remains. Mahesh Kathi gained prominence over the last few years for his sharp reviews on Telugu cinema. His reviews on movies were known for being controversial and he frequently found himself in online spats with fans of Tollywood actors, especially Pawan Kalyan. He also appeared as a contestant on season...
- 7/10/2021
- by Geetika
- The News Minute
CinemaDespite the poor performances of these biopics, filmmakers are still hopeful that their audience will be receptive.Srivathsan NadadhurHelming a biopic of a political figure or a political film based on true events is no mean task. Unlike films based on real life sports, cinema, theatre and music idols, these projects pose a unique challenge, given much of the politician's life remains in the public domain. The scope for a surprise/unexplored element, as a result, is very less. And more often than not, recent films based on political figures have turned out to be excuses to whitewash their image and speak little of their follies. The reason and the timing behind these films too have been very questionable, coming as they do ahead of the legislative assembly and Lok Sabha elections. And we've had films aplenty in 2019 as proof. Be it The Accidental Prime Minister (based on Sanjay Baru's...
- 3/9/2019
- by Sowmya
- The News Minute
EntertainmentIn a Facebook post, Babu Gogineni recalls his failed attempt to meet Kamal Haasan in Chennai earlier in 1999.Tnm StaffRationalist and Humanist Babu Gogineni, who was eliminated from television reality show Bigg Boss 2 on Sunday, took to Facebook to recount his experience being part of the show and especially his interaction with the host, Kamal Haasan. He said that Kamal Haasan announced on stage that the two had rational minds. As part of the promotion of Vishwaroopam 2, Kamal had come to Telugu Bigg Boss house. During his interaction with the contestants, the actor-host claimed that he and Babu Gogineni had a rationalist mind. Gogineni also recalled his memory of a failed attempt to meet him in Chennai earlier in 1999. “In 1999, I tried to meet him in Chennai when I went there for some other purpose. No one would tell me where exactly he lived, so I did not succeed in locating his house.
- 8/14/2018
- by Balakrishna
- The News Minute
TollywoodBhaskara Rao's son has sent legal notices to the director and actor Balakrishna for allegedly portraying his father in bad light.Tnm StaffMuralidhar, son of former Andhra Pradesh Cm N. Bhaskara Rao, has slapped a legal notice against Telugu actor Balakrishna, who is making a biopic on his father and former Cm of Andhra, Ntr. Muralidhar has alleged that the film portrays Bhaskara Rao in a bad light. He has also sent a legal notice to Tollywood director Jagarlamudi Radhakrishna alias Krish, who is directing the biopic. According to sources, the Ntr biopic is N. Balakrishna’s ambitious project on his father Nt Rama Rao, who was a thespian and politician par excellence. Ntr had a huge fan following and he went on to win the state elections, serving as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for three consecutive terms. According to the complainant, the biopic includes episodes from Bhaskara Rao’s life which allegedly show how he had "backstabbed" Ntr with help from the Centre and formed the government in 1984 while Ntr was away in the Us for a heart surgery. The move had, at the time, drawn flak from politicians who launched a ‘Save democracy movement’, leading to massive anti-Centre protests against the dismissal of the Tdp government. But Ntr, in a span of a month, reinstated his seat as the Cm of Andhra. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Muralidhar said he had no qualms against the making of the biopic but added that what his father did in 1984 cannot be termed as "backstabbing". “We are only against presenting our father Bhaskara Rao in a poor light in the movie. It's not appropriate for anybody to portray a great leader in a negative shade for the sake of eulogising another leader,” he was quoted as saying. Sources close to the family reportedly said that the 1984 episode was not unconstitutional and that rather Rao became the Chief Minister as per the decision taken by then Governor in accordance with Constitutional provisions. “The legal notices were sent as a caution. If they still proceed with Rao’s episode, we will file a defamation suit," they told Tnie. Speaking to Tnm, Telugu film critic Mahesh Kathi said, “ Till date no one in the public domain knows the entire script of the biopic. Hence, it's only a speculation on how Bhaskar Rao’s character is designed and depicted in the film. Court cases cannot be registered on speculations.” "Even if the allegations are true, the complainants have no right to decide the contents of a film. They can object only after the film is out which too may not stand good," he added.
- 6/29/2018
- by Monalisa
- The News Minute
TollywoodBigamy is often romanticised in popular culture, seldom viewing it from the woman's perspective.Priyanka RichiMahanati, the bilingual biopic on yesteryear actor Savitri, showcases a pivotal scene in which she (Keerthy Suresh) is reprimanded by her uncle after he discovers that she has married Gemini Ganesan (Dulquer Salmaan), and runs away from home. Savitri runs towards Gemini’s home, in the middle of a heavy downpour, and knocks on his door. Surprisingly, she is called inside by Alamelu, Gemini's first wife, who dutifully makes sure Savitri is comfortable at their home. Gemini and Savitri make their relationship public. Alamelu and her kids disappear from the scene. Gemini Ganesan’s involvement with the many women in his life is thus subtly pushed to the background, making him the evergreen ‘Kadhal Mannan’. In the end, we're given to understand that he still cared about Savitri, thus painting him in sympathetic light. While Mahanati is based on real life people, there have been several Telugu films which have romanticised and validated polygamy. A staple theme in the 1980s, the hero’s tryst with multiple women has been a symbol of his ‘machoism’. A hero juggling two wives and the confusion that ensues has often been the content for comical plots in films. But rarely has the trauma and pain a woman undergoes in such situations been addressed. Evolution of polygamy in cinema Telugu film critic Mahesh Kathi says that polygamy in cinema evolved out of the "family drama" genre, in which the hero getting into situations of conflicts in marriage was justified. This was also often made appealing to women audiences by citing instances from mythology. “We are fundamentally a patriarchal society with a male dominated film industry, where a hero is aspirational and heroine is an object of desire. As the majority of the audience is also male, having multiple heroines fighting for a hero appeals to their libido too,” Mahesh says. Polygamy has been made acceptable in cinema by taking refuge in mythology, in which most of the Hindu gods are known to have multiple wives, Mahesh adds. In the 1997 devotional flick Annamayya by K Raghavendra Rao, God is shown as personally conducting the wedding of Annamayya (Nagarjuna) with his cousins – Timakka and Akkalamma. Realising that their husband was born for humanity and the Lord’s service, his wives in the latter part of the movie give up their lives, freeing Annamayya of any earthly attachment. Vamshi Vemireddy, Assistant Professor of English at the Humanities and Social Sciences department, Iit Tirupati, says, “Telugu cinema has increasingly witnessed this trend with the emergence of the third generation stars such as Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh and Balakrishna, though it has its roots way back in Shobhan Babu’s time.” From yesteryear’s Shobhan Babu to Nagarjuna, bigamy has been justified in spite of the law. Nari Nari Naduma Murari (1990), Allari Mogudu (1992), Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu (1996), Aavida Maa Aavide (1998), among others, are quite well-known for spreading this trend in Telugu cinema. A look at the posters of these films reveal the explicitly celebratory tone around bigamy. Myths of ‘macho’ or ‘masculine’ men who can handle two women (either through marriage or casual relationships) have been perpetuated in society since ages. “This particular folk myth ingrained in patriarchal mindsets which treats female figures as a trophy to be won or owned, may have propelled this phenomenon to creep into the silver screen,” Vamshi opines. So what has helped this trend survive in Telugu cinema? Continuous reinforcement of the trend in popular media, including TV serials, work towards normalising bigamy. Whatever the law may say, social acceptance is driven through media, says Mahesh. If one is to look at biopics, the genre has often tended to romanticise the multiple affairs of the hero in question. “For example, Tamizhselvan’s character, modeled on Karunanidhi, in Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar (1997) is sketched in such a way that his affair with another woman becomes insignificant in the larger political scenario. To avoid controversies, biopics appease audiences so that they only empathise with the characters in the movie,” Mahesh says. The trend was also a ploy to ensure that no heroine gets sufficient screen time, and in turn, reducing her chances of getting anywhere close to the pay scale or stardom of the hero, says Tejaswini Madabhushi, a member of Hyderabad for Feminism. “As in many of Shobhan Babu’s movies, men are often shown as unwitting victims who suffer to keep two or more wives happy, while the women are shrewd and lacking in kindness and understanding. For example in movies like Mirchi (2013), the man’s behaviour is explained through a complicated backstory while a woman’s feelings of heartbreak are not explored because it is so casual for men to date or marry multiple women, especially when it is for the ‘right cause’,” Tejaswini says. The underlying algorithm Raghuramaraju, Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in Iit Tirupati, says that the legal restrictions on polygamy have led to ‘polygynyless patriarchy’, often depicted in popular films where men have relations with two women, but sequentially rather than simultaneously. “To trace the origins, from the 1980s, Telugu movies have had heroes who maintain a relationship with one woman in the first half of the movie and with another in the second half, following dramatic sequences. Soundarya in the film Super Police (1994) dies in a bomb blast planted by the villain and this is shown in flashback. Nagma is the other heroine. Here the hero has two women one after another without committing polygamy. These depictions subconsciously recall the earlier tradition of polygamy while, strictly speaking, following current customs,” the professor notes. A similar trend can be seen in Yes, Nenantenene (1994) and Criminal (1994) where the second heroine plays the role of a catalyst, facilitating the coming together of the other woman and the hero, yet not involved. Raghuramaraju in his book Modernity in Indian Social Theory explains that though apparently there is no polygamy from the point of view of the hero, from the point of view of the viewers, their voyeurism ultimately gives them the same feeling of polygamy being committed. “While polygamy has been rejected, patriarchy remains problematic and unfortunately, it’s still an enduring feature in our movies that requires further resistance,” Raghuramaraju opines. What about contemporary cinema? According to critics, even in contemporary cinema, we see sporadic instances of this trend especially in ‘mass’ films that supposedly cater to the working class and lower middle classes. “I don’t think bigamy as a subject is discussed seriously since cinema as an industry still revolves around star figures. However, there are plenty of new-age films that are breaking this old formula of ‘masala' films,” notes Vamshi. According to Vamshi, films such as Oohalu Gusagusalade (2014), Pelli Choopulu (2016), Jyo Achyutananda (2016) and Ami Thumi (2017) in recent times have gone beyond this formula of fetishising or romanticising bigamy or commodifying the female figure on the screen. In Tharun Bhascker’s Pelli Choopulu, the female lead (Ritu Verma) fights patriarchal constraints, choosing to become an entrepreneur rather than depend on her father or a husband. She also breaks stereotypes by giving a tight slap to her ex-boyfriend, not for abandoning her but for not having the decency to break up properly. "Jyo Achyutananda is also a clean emotional ride between the characters Jyostna, Achyuth and Anand. Achyuth and Anand are brothers and Jyostna is a tenant at their house. Jyostna's character is well beyond the stereotypical Telugu heroine who only sings and dances. Various facets of love, life and human relationships are portrayed through her character," Vamshi Reddy notes. But Raghuramaraju says, “It may not be an exaggeration to say that from the late '80s, one of the recurrent aspects of Telugu popular films is featuring two heroines. From Aayanaki Iddaru (Ramya Krishna and Sivaranjani: 1995), Shubhalagnam (Roja, Aamani: 1994),Suryavamsam (Meena, Prema: 1998) to Narasimhanayudu (Simran, Preeti Jhangiani: 2001) all feature multiple heroines, making it a recurrent theme. Even contemporary cinema has failed to address this patriarchal metaphor.” “There are no decisive voices so far towards the change as such. However, the number of films with such content has considerably reduced. Hopefully this is an indication of change,” Mahesh Kathi notes.
- 6/27/2018
- by Monalisa
- The News Minute
Controversy In a video, Ram Gopal Varma admitted that he had given Sri Reddy the idea of abusing Pawan Kalyan to gain attention for her cause.Tnm StaffThe controversy unleashed by actor Sri Reddy has taken another turn. The actor had recently abused superstar and politician Pawan Kalyan. And now, she has apologised to him on Twitter. Pawan Kalyan had said that Sri Reddy should go to the police with her allegations rather than approach the media. After facing much backlash for her abusive comment and offensive gesture against Pawan Kalyan, Sri Reddy has issued an apology. The actor wrote, “I apologize wholeheartedly to Pawan Kalyan’s mother. I didn’t do it deliberately, but what I did was definitely wrong, hence asking for an apology.” పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ అమ్మ గారికి నేను మనస్పూర్తిగా క్షమాపణ కోరుతున్నాను నేను కావాలని చేయలేదు కానీ నేను చేసింది ముమ్మాటికి తప్పే అందుకే క్షమించమని కోరుకుంటున్నాను — Sri Reddy (@MsSriReddy) April 18, 2018 In yet another twist to the tale, it has now emerged that it was director Ram Gopal Varma who instigated Sri Reddy to abuse Pawan Kalyan. Reportedly, the director offered Rs 5 crore for abusing Pawan Kalyan. After the revelation, Ram Gopal Varma admitted that it was he who had asked Sri Reddy to hurl abuses at Pawan Kalyan. He released a video on Facebook, admitting to the accusation and asking for an apology. “It was my idea to abuse Pawan Kalyan,” the director said, and went to justify it by linking it to dialogues from the Telugu hit Arjun Reddy. He claimed that the abuse words had been accepted when spoken by the male protagonist in the film but not when Sri Reddy said the same. “It was my suggestion, hence I am to be blamed. It wasn’t Sri Reddy’s idea. If somebody has to apologise, it is me. Because… although I didn’t abuse Pawan Kalyan, I influenced Sri Reddy to do so,” the director said. He also added that if the actor wanted more attention for her cause, it would be better if she makes some controversial statements targeting a big star. He gave an explanation by giving the example of Mahesh Kathi, Telugu film critic, who received a lot of attention because of his criticism on Pawan Kalyan and his fans, previously. “Nobody knew who Kathi Mahesh was, just because he made controversial statements against Pawan Kalyan, he got a lot of focus and attention,” he said. The director also gave clarification on the Rs 5 crore offer. Shockingly, he said that the Rs 5 crore offer was to stop Sri Reddy from filing cases against producer Suresh Babu’s son Abhiram, as it would taint the image of Suresh Babu’s family. “Though I know that Suresh Babu wouldn’t agree to this. I thought that someone from his family would give the money and stop Sri Reddy from further harming their family’s reputation," he claimed. The director, however, clarified that Sri Reddy did not agree to the offer. He said that though he offered such a big amount, Sri Reddy didn’t budge and that he was so moved by her determination that he wanted to help her. The "help" he offered was the idea to abuse a big star like Pawan Kalyan.
- 4/19/2018
- by Monalisa
- The News Minute
Sexual harassment With allegations flying thick with every passing day, the movement has descended into a free for all slug fest. Sowmya RajendranActor Sri Reddy has not made any friends in the Telugu film industry with her explosive allegations. What started off as a protest against sexual harassment in the film industry, a legitimate cause, has turned into a free for all with allegations flying thick and fast with every passing day. While Sri Reddy’s statements to the media did not move the Telugu industry much, her strip protest caught international attention and forced Tollywood to take note. Their first response was to slut shame the actor and boycott her. However, with the media attention and the National Human Rights Commission stepping in, the Telugu industry agreed to set up a grievance redressal mechanism and also withdraw the ban on the actor. She was further given a membership in the Movie Artistes Association (Maa). But the resentment that her allegations has created continues to be on the boil and the actor is increasingly being isolated. With actor and politician Pawan Kalyan stating that Sri Reddy should have gone to the police and not the media with her allegations, the voices speaking against the junior actor have only grown louder. Actors like Jeevitha and Maadhavi Latha have launched an attack on Sri Reddy for allegedly making personal comments on them. Maadhavi Latha has joined a few Pawan Kalyan fans to hold a silent protest, condemning Sri Reddy’s response to Pawan Kalyan’s remarks. The media circus It does not help that Telugu channels are turning the issue into a slug fest by having participants fling serious allegations at each other on live debates. A TV9 debate had a junior artiste Sunitha accuse film critic Mahesh Kathi of sexually assaulting her. Mahesh Kathi promptly said that he’d file a defamation case against her – a response similar to Shekar Kammula’s when Sri Reddy indirectly accused him in a Facebook post of harassing her. Mahesh further alleged that Sunitha was a tool in the hands of the powerful Konidela family (to which Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan belong) and that this was their way of getting back at him for supporting Sri Reddy. On Mahaa News, activist Sandhya and actor Jeevitha had a spat after the former suggested that the “casting couch” was rampant in the industry. Jeevitha has reportedly filed a police complaint against Sandhya for making “personal remarks” and “baseless allegations”. She has also slammed Sri Reddy for allegedly making false accusations about her. While the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation are sensational and provide much fodder to viewers and social media followers, there is no serious follow-up on them. The “evidence” so far has been a few leaked WhatsApp conversations and pictures – none of which have been verified as yet. A petition submitted by women activists to the Telangana government had demanded that there should be an investigation into the issue. But as of now, there is no sign of any such development. No police complaint has been filed by Sri Reddy as of now. Sri Reddy’s dramatic allegations made on TV shows are borderline theatrical and if she wants to be taken seriously, there needs to be a better strategy in place. Is this Tollywood’s Weinstein moment? The Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement in Hollywood have had an impact in the Indian film industries too. More women actors have started speaking up about the kind of sexism, misogyny and harassment that they face in the film industry. However, so far none of them has taken any names. The Women in Cinema Collective, formed in the Malayalam industry in the aftermath of the abduction and sexual assault of a prominent woman actor, has thrown its weight behind the survivor but it hasn’t led to an outing of names or a collective levelling of allegations. The reason for this, as actor Parvathy told Tnm in an interview, is that it’s near impossible for an individual to take on the industry because nobody else will stand up with her. The Wcc is still fighting fire for daring to form such a collective in the first place. Even though Sri Reddy’s protest saw other junior artistes come together and speak up against sexual harassment on Sunday, they don’t carry the power that more established stars have. Their accounts are easily dismissed as “publicity stunts” or attempts to win movie offers by becoming famous overnight. The top women stars of the industry are either silent or have denied that they’ve experienced any kind of sexual harassment. In a press meet called to condemn the comments of a TV anchor who asked if the film industry didn’t have “whores” and “brokers”, actor Rakul Preet categorically said that the Telugu film industry was very good and that nobody had ever misbehaved with her. Others at the event like Manchu Lakshmi also defended the industry. Top stars like Nayanthara and Anushka Shetty have stayed out of the debate. While the junior artists squabble, the ones whose voices will really matter have chosen not to weigh in. In Hollywood, several A-listers, including names like Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek, came out in a concerted effort to speak up against sexual harassment. They used the privilege that their names carry to lend voice to a form of exploitation that had become the norm in the film industry. The case against Weinstein was made strong by multiple testimonies, painstaking efforts to document his history as a sexual predator and harasser, including police complaints. In Tollywood, Sri Reddy’s efforts, however problematic they may seem, have resulted in some promises. But without the legitimacy that the testimonies of established stars will bring, the movement, if one can call it that, is likely to be derailed. That is all the slug fest currently seems to be accomplishing.
- 4/18/2018
- by Monalisa
- The News Minute
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