Highest paid! Aishwarya gets 40mn for 'Robot'

Mumbai: With Aishwarya Rai carrying home a pay packet of Rs.40 million for her proposed stint as Rajnikant's leading lady in Shankar's "Robot", she has now become the highest-paid actress in Indian cinema."Yes, it's close to Rs.40 million. And she's very amused when she reads that she is the highest-paid actress in Bollywood. With three hits in a row, 'Guru', 'Dhoom 2' and 'Jodhaa Akbar', Ash's equity as a Rai and a Bachchan have gone through the roof," said a source close to Aishwarya."It is no surprise that Aishwarya is getting Rs.40 million. It's still chicken feed compared with what Rajnikant carries home. He takes home Rs.150 million plus fifty percent of his film's profits. But still he cannot make a film commercially viable outside the Tamil belt on his own. "The dubbed Hindi version of 'Chandramukhi' came and went. And Rajni's biggest hit 'Shivaji - The Boss' is in no hurry to be released in Hindi. With Ash in 'Robot' it looks like an attractive non-regional film," said another source close to the project.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service

Show of solidarity in Tamil Nadu over Hogenakkal water project

Members of the film industry, lawyers, politicians and legislators on Friday(4th April 2008) made common cause in support of the Hogenakkal drinking water project and voiced their protest against the opposition building up in Karnataka to the project.While actors and others in the film industry organised a day-long fast, advocates stayed off courts and the Tamil Nadu Assembly made a special mention of the show of solidarity in support of the State’s stand on the issue.

Tempers ran high with various groups coming together to raise objection to the opposition to the project in Karnataka.

In Chepauk, film stars spoke of how Karnataka needed to be taught a lesson. The undisputed crowd-puller of the day, superstar Rajnikanth, strongly condemned Karnataka and its leaders for creating the crisis in order to gain political mileage ahead of elections. The issue had to be nipped in the bud and not allowed to grow like the Cauvery issue. Other actors, including Sarath Kumar and Sathyaraj, matched Rajinikanth in lambasting “disruptive elements” in Karnataka.

But, lending a note of sobriety, actors Kamal Haasan and Vijayakant, while acknowledging the requirements of Tamil Nadu, cautioned against burning bridges with the neighbouring State and provoking violence in response to the violence in Karnataka. Almost the entire film industry, including television actors, joined them.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly recorded its appreciation for the film industry members for organising the strike and fast to protest against attacks on cinema halls screening Tamil films in Bangalore and against Karnataka’s opposition to the project. Cinema halls had suspended two shows and all the studios were closed during the day in Chennai.

Actor Raghuvaran dies at the age of 49 (December 11, 1958 - March 19, 2008)

character actor Raghuvaran died on Wednesday after a weeklong fight to survive a cardiac arrest, the family said. He was 49.

Although separated from him, his former wife and actor Rohini was inconsolable. They have a nine-year-old son, Nanda.

Honoured by the Tamil Nadu government with its Premier `Kalaimamani` award, the actor had carved a niche for himself by his method acting.

In a career spanning 26 years, Raghuvaran played hero, villain and character roles in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi movies rubbing shoulders with stars such as Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Sathyaraj, Mammooty and Mohanlal.

The distinctly different use of a cultured, baritone voice in a peculiarly slow, deliberate dialogue-delivery set Raghuvaran apart from the rest.

Noticed by critics immediately after his 1982 debut film `Ezhavathu Manithan` (Seventh Man), Raghuvaran played hero briefly and developed into a well-established character actor.

`Raghu came up through struggle and dedication and was unique in everything he did,` said South Indian Film Artistes Association President, actor and politician Sarath Kumar.

Besides leading lights of the south Indian film industry like ace director Maniratnam and leading actor Vijay, Local Administration Minister M K Stalin paid floral tributes to the dead actor.