In a free-wheeling chat with TNIE, veteran actor opens up about her career on stage and screen, struggles in life and more

Long before she became a familiar face in Malayalam cinema, Pauly Valsan had been stealing the spotlight on stage for decades. Theatre wasn’t just her livelihood; it was her lifeblood, providing an outlet for her creativity while managing the everyday chaos of home and family. Pauly thrived in characters brimming with sass, wisdom and life experience.

“I would always volunteer for the older roles, as they offered more scope for performance,” she says with a grin. Decades later, her film debut came in the Mammootty-starrer Annan Thampi (2008). Today, as she reflects on her journey of over 100 films, state awards for Ee. Ma.Yau and Ottamuri Velicham in 2018 and Saudi Vellakka in 2022, and a range of remarkable roles, it’s clear that this thespian has left an indelible impression in the world of films.

Pauly opens up about her journey, which is as dramatic and delightful as the woman herself.

Vidaamuyarchi has pushed the release dates of both NEEK and Dragon, which were billed as romantic entertainers and campus stories, and were supposed to hit screens on February 14.

Big-ticket films are important for the thriving ecosystem of cinema. While the various stakeholders are primed to make maximum profits, it also means that the release calendar is scheduled around these films. That is why when Ajith Kumar-Magizh Thirumeni’s Vidaamuyarchi missed the Pongal release date, it lead to five Tamil films making it on Pongal instead. We had films like Madha Gaja Raja, Tharunam, Kadhalikka Neramillai, Nesippaya, and Vanangaan hitting the screens. And now, just when Dhanush’s third directorial, Nilavukku Enmel Ennadi Kobam, and Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dragon were planning a Valentine’s Day release, Vidaamuyarchi is back to disrupt the plans.

ALSO READ | Vidaamuyarchi trailer: Ajith promises a gritty action drama devoid of overly masala sensibilities

With Lyca Productions announcing Vidaamuyarchi’s release date as February 6, the makers of NEEK and Dragon also shared their revised release date. Sreyas, the director of Wunderbar Films, which is backing NEEK, shared a statement that read, “Due to recent developments, NEEK is postponed to February 21. Thank you to everyone for your unconditional love and support. Om Nama Shivaya.” The movie, which is directed by Dhanush, stars Pavish, Anikha Surendran, Priya Prakash Varrier, and Mathew Thomas.

Similarly, AGS Entertainment, who are producing Pradeep’s Dragon, directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, announced that the film would hit theatres on February 21. Sharing the announcement, Pradeep wrote, “Thala vandha thalli poyi dhaana aaganum (If the leader is coming, we have to make way, right?). Dragon from Feb 21.”

Interestingly, both NEEK and Dragon, are billed as romantic entertainers and campus stories, which might have been perfect for the Valentine’s Day weekend. However, with both films rescheduling their release date to two weeks after Vidaamuyarchi, it is almost like Tamil cinema is urging the romantics in the audience to celebrate Valentine’s Day a week later.

So, it is going to be a packed February with Vidaamuyarchi kick-starting things, NEEK and Dragon rounding it off. Interestingly, two months later, on April 10, Dhanush’s next directorial, Idli Kadai, will clash at the box office with Ajith-Adhik Ravichandran’s film, Good Bad Ugly.

News Credits: The Indian Express

Rishab Shetty’s Kannada film “Kantara,” in which he directed and acted, received widespread appreciation in multiple languages, including Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam. Following its success, the prequel to the film, titled “Kantara: Chapter 1,” is now in production with a high budget.

The final phase of filming began on the 2nd of this month in the Herur forest region of Hassan district, Karnataka. However, local villagers raised objections, alleging that the crew used explosives during the shoot and caused environmental damage by starting fires in the forest. They expressed concerns over wildlife being forced into human settlements due to the fires, demanding an immediate halt to the shoot to protect the environment.

During a confrontation between the film crew and the villagers, a local youth named Harish was injured and admitted to the hospital. Subsequently, a complaint was filed against the film crew at the Esalur police station.

News Credits: Indiaglitz

The actor talks about her role in Nesippaya, working with Akash Murali, perfecting her Tamil for the film, and more

When one thinks of Nesippaya, the striking image of a Tamil-Portuguese lawyer with distinctive hairstyles and eclectic costumes, riding a Harley Davidson bike, will surely come to mind. Kalki Koechlin, who speaks nearly flawless Tamil as Indrani in the Vishnu Varadhan directorial, says one reason she was drawn to the character was because she rides a bike. “When he approached me about the lawyer role, the typical image of a lawyer—always in suits, very proper—came to mind. But he said, ‘I don’t want that. I want to disrupt the traditional idea of a lawyer.’ He envisioned a strong, independent woman who has built her own path, and that independence was reflected in everything—from how she dresses to the fact that she rides a bike. For me, that angle was a real winner.”

In this conversation, Kalki also speaks about the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani re-release along with Nesippaya, her definition of the word ‘identity,’ how she balances her interests and more.

News Credits: Cinema Express