Allu Arjun To Prabhas: AI Imagines South Stars As Mahabharata Characters

Known for his heroic roles and physical prowess, Prabhas could embody the role of Arjuna perfectly.
Just as Bhishma was a respected and powerful figure in the Mahabharata, Rajinikanth's stature and charisma in the South Indian film industry make him a fitting choice for the role.
Kamal Haasan's versatile acting skills and intellectual prowess could make him an intriguing choice for the role of Dronacharya.
Vikram, a versatile actor known for his ability to portray complex characters, could take on the role of Duryodhana, the ambitious and conflicted prince of the Kauravas.
Yash's roles often portray characters with strong moral values, which align with Yudhishthira's reputation for righteousness. Both characters are leaders in their own right.
Karna's complex character could be brought to life by Allu Arjun's nuanced acting abilities.
Suriya's intense and versatile acting style would be a great fit for the character of Abhimanyu.
Junior NTR's powerful presence and strong screen persona would suit the role of Bhima, known for his immense physical strength and unwavering dedication to justice.
Draupadi's strength, beauty, and determination could be portrayed by Nayanthara, who is known for her powerful performances and strong presence on screen. Read Next Story

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India Today

3 hours ago

• India Today

Pawan Kalyan: Bollywood chose commerce over culture, lost Indian roots

Telugu superstar and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan recently spoke about Bollywood films and their shift from focusing on Indian culture to prioritising commerce. In a recent interview, the actor-politician expressed discomfort with the term 'Indian Cinema', stating that he preferred referring to it as 'Bharatiya Chitraparishrama' an interview with Organiser Weekly, Pawan Kalyan pointed out that while Hindi films have evolved, many of them have strayed from their roots. 'Over time, it has changed due to filmmakers coming from different generations - especially Hindi cinema being influenced by globalisation. Since then, there have been movies where culturally oriented characters were treated with an edge of buffoonery. Someone with a Tilak Dhari would be presented in a way that was slightly on the mockery side,' he 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' actor added that, compared to Bollywood, South Indian films have been more dedicated to representing Indian culture. Citing Aamir Khan's 'Dangal' as an example, he said, 'Nowadays, South Indian films are representing Indian culture more. It has been done in Hindi cinema for a certain period. For example, if you see 'Dangal', Aamir Khan's 'Dangal' represents Indian culture. It was rooted with Haryanvi characters, which is closely connected with our Bharateeyata. That kind of cinema has become rare these days.' He went on to highlight the growing trend of films being made primarily for monetary reasons. 'The concept is all about money - which audience will be appeased if you make a film. I think in that aspect they lost connection with the native audience. In the South, urbanisation is less in our cities. The majority of the marketing is for the rural audience. Seventy to eighty percent of the audience is from the rural market. Therefore, knowingly or unknowingly, or strategically, there has to be a rural connect,' he the work front, Pawan Kalyan has an exciting slate lined up for release. The actor will be seen next in 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu', hitting screens on July 24. He also has 'They Call Him OG' lined up for a September 25 release this year. He is currently shooting for 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh'.Must Watch

Pink Villa

3 hours ago

• Pink Villa

8 new South Indian films releasing in theaters this week: Kannappa, Love Marriage and more

South Indian cinema has been making quite a buzz in theaters for some time. In the recent week, we saw films like Kuberaa, DNA, Vyasanasametham Bandhumithradhikal, and more running at big screens. As we step into the next week, here's a list of South Indian films that are making their way to theaters soon. South Indian films releasing in theaters this week 1. Kannappa (Telugu) Cast: Vishnu Kannappa, Prabhas, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Brahmaji Director: Mukesh Kumar Singh Release Date: June 27, 2025 Kannappa, starring Vishnu Manchu in the lead role, is slated to hit the big screens this week. The much-awaited movie will have actors like Prabhas, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, and more in cameo appearances. The upcoming film is based on the legend of Kannappa in Hinduism, a devotee of the god Shiva, focusing on how a non-believer became the biggest worshipper. 2. Maargan (Tamil) Cast: Vijay Antony, Ajay Dhishan, P. Samuthirakani, Mahanadi Shankar, Prithika, Brigida Saga, Vinod Sagar Director: Leo John Paul Release Date: June 27, 2025 Maargan is an upcoming Tamil-language movie starring Vijay Antony in the lead role. The murder-mystery crime thriller focuses on the tale of a chilling investigation where a high-ranking, seasoned police officer is faced with a labyrinthine case. As each clue he finds leads to an even darker secret, he comes face to face with an enigmatic antagonist. 3. Janaki v/s State of Kerala (Malayalam) Cast: Suresh Gopi, Anupama Parameswaran, Madhav Suresh Gopi, Shruthi Ramachandran, Divya Pillai Director: Pravin Narayanan Release Date: June 27, 2025 (Tentative) Janaki v/s State of Kerala (JSK) is an upcoming Malayalam movie with Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi in the lead. The courtroom drama follows the tale of a woman seeking justice after a traumatic event. While the movie was initially touted to hit big screens on June 27, the film is facing a backlash from CBFC, with its release yet to be confirmed. 4. Athani (Kannada) Cast: Samarth M, Madhu BC, Shobhraj, Bhavya, Bala Rajwadi Director: Samarth M Release Date: June 27, 2025 Athani is a Kannada-language movie that is set in a village of the same name. While mysterious murders take place, a woman is determined to find the truth and becomes a reporter. However, in a dark turn of events, she is also killed. Years later, the woman is reborn and finds herself once again in the village, leading her to reconnect with the villagers and find the truth. 5. Love Marriage (Tamil) Cast: Vikram Prabhu, Sushmitha Bhat, Meenakshi Dinesh, Sathyaraj, Ramesh Thilak, Gajaraj S Director: Shanmuga Priyan Release Date: June 27, 2025 Love Marriage is an upcoming romantic family drama focusing on the story of Ram, a 33-year-old bachelor from Madurai. As his age rises, a social stigma arises and he is pressured to marry soon. The rest of the movie focuses on how the man finds himself on a journey of misadventures, making it a tale of self-discovery and a path to happiness. 6. Good Day (Tamil) Cast: Prithiviraj Ramalingam, Kaali Venkat, Myna Nandhini, Bose Venkat, Bagavathi Perumal Director: Aravindhan Release Date: June 27, 2025 Good Day features the story of a young man who is ridiculed by his manager. In the growing spite against his employer, the man decides to seek revenge by revealing the manager's cruel ways to his wife. What follows is the humorous tale of a night by the man trying to fulfill his mission and the aftermath that takes place. 7. Thank You Dear (Telugu) Cast: Dhanush Raghumudri, Hebah Patel, Rekha Nirosha, Ravi Prakash Director: Thota Srikanth Reddy Release Date: June 27, 2025 Thank You Dear is an upcoming Telugu-language movie focusing on the story of Satyam, an aspiring director, and Priya, a real estate agent. As they develop a relationship together, an accident involving their neighbor's infant leads them to take up new responsibilities. 8. Koodal (Malayalam) Cast: Bibin George, Mareena Michael Kurisingal, Vineeth Thattil, Vijilesh Karayad, Niya Varghese, Riya Isha Director: Shaanu Kakkoor Release Date: June 27, 2025 Koodal is a Malayalam-language mystery thriller that is a tale that follows two girls who arrive at a Strangers Camp, only to come across the killer of their former classmate. What happens at the camp and the unexpected events that follow form the rest of the story.

Time of India

4 hours ago

• Time of India

Kochi's film renaissance

Kochi: There was pin-drop silence inside the state-of-the-art dubbing suite, even as heavy rains pounded on the tin roofs in the neighbourhood. Actor Fahadh Faasil peered into the 150-inch projection screen, emoting the dialogue, fully immersed in the character from the yet-to-be-released Tamil movie 'Mareeshan'. Dubbing engineer Subin Joseph worked meticulously to match the actor's resonant voice with the fast-moving images, to get a frame-byframe precision. After a short break on the verandah, Fahadh returned to the Audi 1 suite situated on the third floor of Lal Media Arts film studio to continue dubbing. Although a major portion of the road movie was shot in Chennai, Fahadh chose Kochi for its post-production work: A testament to the city's rise in prominence in the South Indian film production ecosystem. Lal Media in fact has two more dubbing studios on its third floor that have been booked for two major upcoming film projects. Next to it, the post-production work of another major movie was on at DLS Studio — one of the largest and most advanced Dolby atmos studios in Kerala — and a team led by sound designer P C Vishnu was in the final stages of mixing a movie starring Saiju Kurup. With nearly 20 digital studios, sound and editing suites and production floors equipped with cutting-edge technology coming up in Kochi in the last five years, the state's business capital has metamorphosed into a post-production and virtual film production hub in South India. Gone are the days when Malayalam cine artists and singers used to travel to Chennai, for post-production work and even made Chennai their second home due to easy access to big studios there. Today, blockbusters like the Rs 200-crore hit 'Thudarum' were entirely produced and post-produced in Kochi, from concept to completion. The AI-generated young look of Mammootty of the 80s for Rekhachithram was created at a Kochi-based AI studio. It earned nationwide acclaim and became a box office success. Similarly, the stunning Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) of '2018', based on Kerala floods, was developed by Kochi's visual effects team and the movie proved that a world-class post-production can be done on a modest budget, redefining what's possible for regional cinema. 'Premalu' which grossed Rs 100 crore had completed its post-production including Digital Intermediate (DI) and VFX in Kochi. Producers of several upcoming bigbudget films, including 'Kadamattathu Kathanar' and 'Aadu 3', are planning to carry out large-scale VFX work in Kochi. The city has firmly established itself as one of the country's leading post-production hubs — home to cutting- edge DI studios and one of the largest studio floors in India by Gokulam Group, spanning a massive 45,000 sq ft at Pookkattupady on the city outskirts. Today, a leading film studio in Kochi handles the post-production works — including editing, dubbing, sound mixing, VFX and DI — for over a hundred films each year. "It was a revolutionary step," recalls senior sound designer Vinod P Sivaram, an FTII Pune alumnus who played a key role in this transformation by helping set up Lal Media. "Our studio began in a modest rented building and the first recording done there was of the songs of the movie Kannaki," he says. Shibu G Susheelan, senior production executive and general secretary of Fefka's production executive wing, said currently, post-production work for at least 10 films is under way in the city, with studios operating in three six-hour shifts due to packed schedules. "The relatively low production costs for computer graphics (CG) and DI work in Kochi, coupled with the improved quality of output, are prompting many producers to choose Kochi over post-production teams from other states," he says. Even Tamil and Telugu films are increasingly turning to Kochi. "In Malayalam, almost all major production houses — such as Anto Joseph Film Company, Aashirvad Cinemas, Gokulam Movies, Friday Film House, Kavya Films etc — are now based in Kochi and rely on local studios for post-production. Gokulam's studio floor to come up in Pookkattupady will be a milestone in virtual film production," Susheelan says. Alan, who is managing the Lal Media says the studio has all modern post-production facilities in Kochi including two Dolby Atmos mixing studios, through an investment of Dolby Atmos mixing facility costing around Rs 2 crore. "DLS Studio has already done Dolby Atmos mixing for 35-40 films, including several non-Malayalam projects, in the past one year alone. During the same period, Lal Media handled 45 to 50 dubbing assignments, reflecting Kochi's growing strength in post-production services. If we opt for Chennai, logistics and accommodation costs can be more than four times higher than what we spend in Kochi," he says. Jithendran, a senior dubbing engineer pointed out that almost all advanced studio microphone systems, such as the well-regarded U-87 and AKG are available in Kochi now and even the senior film stars are very satisfied with the post-production services available here. Although the roots of Malayalam cinema trace back to Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram, where J C Daniel — the father of Malayalam cinema — made the first film with a locally assembled crew and studio, the industry soon migrated to Madras (now Chennai). By the 1930s, Malayalam cinema was entirely based there. For over five decades, Madras remained the nerve centre of Mollywood, where stars lived, technicians thrived and production houses flourished — many of them dominated by Tamil-speaking professionals, particularly in the technical departments. It wasn't until the 1960s that Kerala began to build its own cinematic infrastructure with the emergence of two major studios — Udaya and Merryland. The establishment of Chitranjali Studio in 1980 further strengthened local production capabilities. Even then, post-production and technical work remained tied to Kodambakkam in Tamil Nadu for many decades. The real shift began in the early 2000s, when Kochi started attracting young new-gen filmmakers with its modern facilities. Until the turn of the millennium, almost all post-production work for Malayalam films was done in Chennai. That pattern began to shift when filmmaker Lal, of the Siddique-Lal duo, launched Lal Media in Kochi. In 2001, 'Kalyanaraman' became the first Malayalam film to complete nearly 90% of its post-production work in Kochi. The movie went on to become a massive hit. The momentum continued with Thilakkam, followed by other notable movies like 'Vellithira' and 'Mizhi Randilum', all of which completed their post-production at the same studio. In 2004, the studio moved to a permanent facility and during Vishu 2006, six out of seven Malayalam releases had completed their post-production there. Building on this momentum, several prominent film personalities also established their own ventures. Actor Dileep, in collaboration with Lal and Suresh Gopi, founded DLS Studios — a full-fledged post-production facility that quickly became one of the busiest in the city. Similarly, Mohanlal launched Vismayas Max Studios in Kochi in 2006, expanding from his original base in Thiruvananthapuram. "Now known as Aries Vismayas Max,the studio has grown into one of the region's most technically advanced facilities, serving both Malayalam and other South Indian language productions," Vinod says. 'Colour Planet' -- a joint venture of Fahadh, Dileesh Pothan and Shyam Pushakaran -- started an advanced post-production DI studio in the city, specialising in colour correction and grading. 'Sapthaa Records' which established the first Atmos studio in Kochi, in 2020 became a favourite among South Indian filmmakers. The studio has provided services for nearly 200 films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, including notable titles like Kanthara. Kerala now does not depend on Hyderabad for good sound designing technology. "Currently we have two Dolby Atmos mixing facilities in Kochi and many more are to come. Specialised sound mixing facilities for OTT release are available in Kochi's studios. Many more Malayalam movies are coming with Dolby Atmos, as the number of Dolby Atmos theatres are increasing in the state," sound designer Dan Jose says. Over the past five years, most music studios associated with the Malayalam film industry have also relocated from Chennai to Kochi and popular musicians like Bijipal, Deepak Dev and Alphons have their own studios in the city. "Many talented musicians from Kerala are now able to stay and work within the state, instead of seeking opportunities elsewhere. With studios in Kochi, costs are lower and the overall environment is comfortable and thriving. Currently, only foreign-style string and brass recordings are done in Chennai. But even that may soon shift to Kochi, making the city self-sufficient in the orchestral segment as well," Deepak Dev says.