Nayanthara, after marriage and two kids, is still the “Queen” of female leads in Kollywood. Not just her drop dead gorgeous looks, hit Telugu film directors and producers like Dil Raju and Vamshi Paidipally bet big on her charisma and acting …Nayanthara films have rarely failed and her fans love her regal presence, dignity and talent. Any wonder that this director-producer duo (with five consecutive  Telugu hits ) have signed her to play the heroine to Salman Khan? Sixty-year old Salman needs a hit, badly as it’s a long time since Bhai danced to his jubilant fans drum beats. Especially Eid releases …this year he didn’t have much to celebrate. Also his already signed work-in-progress, Battle for Galwan is facing some roadblocks and delays. It has undergone a name change to Maatrubhumi directed by Apoorva Lakhia. Sallu needs that one incendiary hit to keep him going. A South team made Jawan with Nayanthara and Shah Rukh Khan unforgettable. Chiranjeevi, not exactly mothballed but not having frequent films had her as his lead in the recent ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, an out and out entertainer. Two decades as a heroine, Nayan is not about to settle for a “blink and she is gone” role. The story with Salman is planned to be a solid plot to showcase two great talents. Pre-production work is almost done and shooting is to commence. The producers are all geared up for 2027 Eid release. Salman Khan is sure to celebrate this Eid with warm Mubarakaan from his huge legion of fans.

A recent Tamil film with unknown cast and a pedestrian title, Middle Class did fair business at cinemas and is now getting attention on OTT. Middle Class is about a middle-class family, their middle class aspirations and a predictable middle class life that takes an unexpected turn for the not so middle class twist …Munishkant and Vijayalakshmi, pitch their ordinary life roles dramatically, to tug at the heart strings. The film has a touching existential life lesson too…sharing and caring brings the most happiness. Soon to be released Toxic …A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups is definitely a Noire film, stylish, sexy and shadowy. A line up of femme fatales … .Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria , Huma Qureshi and Rukmini Vasanth orbiting Kannada super star Yash (of KGF fame ) ply their trade and tricks in Toxic. Directed by Geetu Mohandas bold, beautiful and boss director who has bagged significant film awards (Liar’s Dice, Akale) brings a tale of deception, betrayal and drug lord crime in the Goa of 80’s period gangster setting. Tamil cinema fans were treated to a Nayanthara still in her skin — flick ensemble …she plays Ganga in Toxic…memory dredges up another titillating title Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Toxic was filmed simultaneously in Kannada and English, dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. These are just two extreme book ends of the variety films offer …whether the viewers lap up the offering or not, the cinema machine is ready to churn the pot of gold.

GenZ may not be familiar with this metamorphosis in the film world of South India. But old timers and mid-gens do remember the scorn and dismissive attitude of the North for Southern heroines …fat, frumpy, matronly and of course “dark”. But, Vyjayanthimala, Padmini, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi changed all that…turned this perception into sheer adoration.…Bollywood geniuses threw open not just their talent but their classic beauty and striking sexuality. Today, this change into sleek, sexy and sophisticated much in demand femme fatale stars has churned up more. Fifteen south Indian actresses lead the roster in terms of the number of brands and products they endorse, pan India. The reach of these cinema influencers only highlights their talent and striking looks to launch any product, from red hot jewellery to shimmering sarees and tech gadgets, even start-ups — any product that needs the absorbing presence of a woman of sustenance. The list is headed by Rashmika Mandana , the national crush, with Nayanthara and Kajal Aggarwal not far behind. Nayanthara’s Tanishq ad is a lesson in sleek jewellery that embellish Nayan …or is it Nayanthara’s exquisite presence launching a line of temptations? Hema Malini gave new meaning to Shudh Pani in her Kent Ad. Walk on Cathedral road, the Fifth Avenue of Chennai and Tamannaah Bhatia easily makes traffic stop with her jewellery ads. The brand success of Idhayam Nallennai is a testimony to graceful Jyothika whose calm and classy looks launch products as diverse and coveted as Diamond Jewellery to mundane ones like kitchen products. Trisha Krishnan has launched many jewellery brands. But behind these influencers who are so compelling, there must be an ethos, a work ethic, a professionalism. These stars have awesome linguistic skills to relate to customers …their regional and pan India filmi identity have launched them as ideal influencers for brands.

In the intensely competitive ecosystem of Kollywood, traversing 22 years and reaching Lady Super Star status is no mean feat …in the same demanding profession where beauty, fitness and a modicum of acting talent combine to make a star. Forty-year old Nayanthara has achieved this milestone, still holding steady as one of the highest paid heroines (Rs 7 crore per film) pan India. Before she turned into the legend Nayan, she was Diane Mariam Kurian, dad Kurian Kudiyattu from the armed forces and mother Omana Kurian who bestowed her beauty and grace. Maybe she carried her military disciplined upbringing to her profession. But Nayan, went through some stormy and controversial romantic hookups too…her dalliance with a married Prabhu Deva, her brief affairs with Simbu and Arya provided much chomping fodder to the media, hungry for titillating bits and bytes. From her first film, Manasinakkare in Malayalam in 2003, to playing Sarat Kumar’s lead in Aiyya in 2005 …pairing with Rajinikanth in Chandramukhi which put her in orbit …soon Vijay, Ajitt, Suriya, Vikram, Simbu, Dhanush and Arya were her co-stars. Nayan’s name guaranteed a good box office run. She carried a mythological, Mookuthi Amman on her shoulders and turned a craze among women; the director is now ready with Mookuthi Amman 2. Vignesh Shivan, her husband came into her life with his directed film Naanum Rowdy Thaan, a relationship that merged into marriage in 2002, a much-hyped wedding… Netflix filmed and marketed it. Her twin boys, Uyir and Ulagh keep her busy, even as she still works in films with the same zeal in heroine-oriented roles. Nayan’s cosmetics start-up is sought after by fashionistas.

Shruti Haasan is drop dead gorgeous…a classic beauty, inherited from both Kamal and Sarika. The powerful range of her voice often rock’s a stage with her talent and superb stage presence. But something has held back her climb to the top as an actor who could have given Nayanthara and Trisha a run for their money. Talent, looks and DNA of provenance, 39-year old Shruti has done over 45 films in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi from her debut in 2009. Her latest movie is Coolie with Rajinikanth. Even as Coolie’s promos are out like mushrooms in the monsoon, Shruti too has found her media voice …“acting with Rajini Sir is a blessing I have longed for. She is banking on Coolie big time. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj, who directed Kamal’s blockbuster Vikram (a film that pulled Kamal from his lean time) teamed up with Shruti for an album….Inimel (from now onwards), a pairing that was not too lauded . But it was Shruti’s stepping stone for Coolie; Lokesh asked her directly if she would join the Rajini film. Who wouldn’t like to act with the legend? Recently she basked in Kamal’s political success as she toured Parliament when he took his oath as a Rajya Sabha MP. The buzz is also strong..her performance in Coolie is one for the arc lights… Shruti Haasan …you deserve to be at that summit. 

December 4th is a red letter day for the Hyderabadi glitterati. Nag Chaitanya and Shobhita Dhulipala are to solemnise their marriage at a lavish ceremony to be held at the Annapoorna Studios, the Akkineni family’s heritage studio named after the late Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s wife. Sentiment, scale, spend and super social event to mark this second wedding of 38-year old Nag Chaitanya, divorced from Samantha Ruth Prabhu in 2021. The talk is that 32-year old Shobitha has been gifted specially woven Kanjivaram saree and choli in gold lace and stunning jewellery befitting the Akkineni family. The ceremony is to run over 8 hours. The big buzz is that this gala event’s filming and exhibition rights have been sold to Netflix for Rs 50 crore! Rings a bell? Nayanthara and Vignesh Sivan’s wedding event and its OTT telecast. Even as the camera greedily laps up the stunning costumes and staggering jewellery on display, the long line of filmi invitees waiting to pose in their boast worthy bling are on view. And OTT streamers have their own original edited content. And the families earn back the money spent on the weddings. Business Schools have yet to teach this ROI. The only troubling thought …after all this, why are divorces taking place so often? Even as Nag Chaitanya and Shobitha Dhulipala soon to be streamed wedding events are making news, Dhanush and Aishwarya Rajinikanth are given the family court’s verdict. Divorced.

The Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan wedding in 2022 was much talked about, kindled oodles of curiosity and news. Okay, Nayan is known as the Lady Superstar of Kollywood and this couple were newsmakers for a long time …speculations and guesswork rife over whether it was yet another Nayan dalliance in her longline of ditched paramours Prabhudeva, Simbu in that list. Finally the wedding was celebrated with pomp and style, Netflix signed a deal for OTT rights at an astronomical figure, no one could corroborate. Then, all concerned moved on … .Nayan is now mother to two cute boys. The wedding footage and other highlights of Nayan’s films were curated to make a biopic, Nayanthara, Beyond The Fairy Tale, and it went OTT live with many expectations that it would hit the high jinx for Nayan…actually it has not garnered much praise. But the Fairy Tale turned into a Horror Story when she was slapped with a notice to pay Rs 10 crore for a 3-second clip from her movie Naanum Rowdy Thaan, a hit movie from Dhanush’s home production. Nayan was livid. Adding insult to injury, Dhanush further insisted that the clip be deleted immediately. Currently Dhanush is directing Idli Kadai produced by Akash Bhaskar. His recent wedding attended by Sivakarthikeyan, Anirudh, Dhanush and Nayanthara, husband in tow turned viral worthy … .the angry vibes both conveyed made news. The protagonists were sitting poles apart and faces turned away. Karma, it is said, has a way of punching holes in egos.

Sequels seem to be the current flavour of Tamil films. Even as Indian 2 is chugging along to mixed reactions, Ishari Ganesh and his production House Vel’s, announced the sequel to their 2020  fantasy mythology/ comedy ( new genres are creatively spun ) Mookkuthi Amman. Lady Superstar Nayanthara plays the Goddess. How did a fantasy theme steeped in Divine overtones inspire a sequel? The ways of films and the preferences of audiences are as elusive as The Scarlet Pimpernel. The first film Mookkuthi Amman could not get a cinema release due to Covid-19 pandemic. But the makers were not daunted …they managed a direct OTT release on Disney Hotstar, almost convinced it was due to the divine blessings of Goddess Amman. A beautiful Nayanthara got iconic welcome as the Nose Pin Goddess. RJ Balaji, the main character is also the director of the film. Mookkuthi Amman watches over the good people with her timely interventions and is lionised as the family “go to” deity.  When story boards are as dry as a desert, film makers seek sequels — at least the essentials for the film are charted. Only a new story twist is needed. Nayanathara is an appropriate Mookkuthi Amman.

Forty-six year old Vijay Sethupathi, who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, is an actor who never fails his fans. This director’s delight, bankable hero has none of that “chikna charm” of a stereotype film hero — brawn, Greek God profile, towering personality and a deejay’s baritone. But he comes alive on screen as a wholesome, dependable artist who carries off the entire film with his performance. Those who have seen his debut movie Thenmerku Paruvakaatru in 2010 remember his goatherd character to this day. Sethupathi has crossed many milestones and is confident that his 50th movie, Maharaja will get acclaimed just like his earlier hits Vikram Vedha, Sundarapandian, Pizza, 96 to name a few. His calm and controlled nature rarely kicks up cinematic storms…though recently he refused to co-star with Krithi Shetty for DSP. Reason: “In an earlier movie Krithi acted as my daughter. I made her feel really secure…even told her to think I am your real father. So I am not going to act with her as my female lead,” he said. In the film 96, which was a hit, he was paired with Trisha and critics did talk about a winsome youthful Trisha teaming up with an overweight Sethupathi as a classmate. His Vikram Vedha with Madhavan and Naanum Rowdy Dhaan with the lady superstar Nayanthara zoomed up the charts. Sethupathi has none of that ham handed heaviness in his portrayals. Fifty films old Vijay Sethupathi is as genuine as American Apple pie or South Indian Filter Coffee …no glamour but guarantee.

Twenty-two years after her debut in 2002 in Tamil movie Maunam Pesiyade, Trisha Krishnan has proved that her staying power is awesome. A fine blend of looks, talent and guts, Trisha, Mani Rathnam’s muse in the much-talked about Ponniyin Selvan has moved into the number one slot so far held by Nayanthara. Her character Kundavai was as much talked about as Aishwarya Rai’s Ponni in the magnum opus, skyrocketing her popularity. Today, Trisha has over 12 movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. She stars with Salman Khan in the The Bull. The list of her to be released movies would turn any top heroine envious. Thug Life, VidaMuyarchi, GOAT, Saduranga Vettai all with top actors like Vijay, Ajit, Kamal and now Salman. Naturally, it has pitchforked her remuneration to 12 crore per film. Nayanthara and Samantha were getting around Rs 8-10 crore. Once seen as Rana Dagubatti’s significant other, she broke up with him, and walked into two much talked about engagements; then she walked out of it at the last minute from both, raising her hellion reputation to more highs.  She has led her personal life very much the way she desired, not afraid of reputation smears. Media has chronicled her midnight beach escapades with chosen friends, in spirited states. But when it comes to work, she adheres punctiliously to form and meets her director’s expectations, a trait that the volatile world of films really values. Without doubt Trisha is riding high.

Star children and their “entitled“ film status debate has been done to death but still rages on even after the disaster that The Archies and the omnibus “heirlooms” turned out to be. Abhishek Bachchan is a special star heir, and entered the film firmament with a heft very few have — Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan for parents. It couldn’t get better than this. But in 23 years, 50 films under his belt the 47-year old star has had more flops than box office rockets except the Dhoom franchises, Bunty aur Babli, Bol Bachchan and Housefull. The recent critically acclaimed sports drama Ghoomer directed by R Balki did not do well. The latest buzz is that Abhishek is in talks with South production powerhouse AGS Movies to be signed up for Thani Oruvan2 — the 2015 hit which is still remembered not so much for hero Jayam Ravi but more for the mark left by Arvind Swami, the suave and intense villain. Arvind Swami is dead at close of the film. So when AGS announced Thani Oruvan 2, people wondered who would fill the villain’s menace, suave and intense. Nayanthara remains unchanged for the new story directed by Mohan Raja (Ravi’s brother). Can Abhishek take on the role played by Arvind Swami? Even born heirs get challenged to fill the shoes of the mighty. The dare only gets more daring.

Kollywood’s Lady Superstar Nayanthara is in the news for many facets …blessed with riveting beauty, she is now talked about for her smart business sense too, even as she launched her beauty brand 9SKIN with elan and style in Malaysia. Fresh off the pan India success of her movie Jawan with SRK, and the just launched psycho thriller Iraivan with Jeyam Ravi. Not many film stars have ventured into an enterprise that brings beauty, skin care and marketing mix in an innovative brand portfolio. If you thought Nayan is cannily cashing in on her filmi status, you are wrong. She is thinking beyond her film star shelf life. Ayurveda and ancient Indian plant based skin care basics like turmeric, essential plant oils, sandalwood are coveted. The saga of Fair & Lovely has cautioned the consumers and entrepreneurs about the dangers of chemical-based skin products. Now, global beauty brands, L’Oréal and Estee Lauder are keen to invest in such home grown enterprises. According to Euromonitor International, the Indian beauty market which was valued at $12 bn in 2018 is projected to jump to $17 bn by 2025. Clearly, Nayanthara knows that her own glass skin is the best blurb for her products.

Rumour mills are doing the rounds that superstar Shah Rukh Khan may do a repeat of Pathaan.  That is, keeping media at bay during the release of his forthcoming film Jawan directed by Atlee. The action film which releases in June has just been wrapped up and the heroine of the film Nayanthara was in Mumbai for dubbing and surprisingly did not oblige the waiting paparazzi with poses as is generally the practice. All stars including those from south are always cooperative with paps. It may be recalled that King Khan has distanced himself from the media for quite some time for two reasons. First, there was no film release, and second, he is quite disturbed by the fact that media literally hounded his son Aryan Khan when he was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in a drug case. The way media mishandled the case upset him. Although the actor has stopped covering his face with an umbrella but he refuses to pose for the media. This was evident at Congress leader Baba Siddiqui’s Iftaar party where he refused to stop even for a minute. The moot point is how long can SRK shun the media?  

Malayalam and Tamil cinemas sexy and outspoken star Malavika Mohanan is hissing like a cat on a hot tin roof. And no one can miss her direct and indirect references to Lady Superstar Nayanthara, now elevated as King Khan’s heroine in Jawan under production. Nayan has proved her versatility in movies like Aram, Naanum Rowdy Thaan, Raja Rani. Malavika was on the warpath last year too, baiting Nayan in veiled ways. There was the reference to Nayan’s scene in a movie where she had full makeup on for a hospital scene in which she played the patient. Mohanan shot her sarcastic arrow, “Guess even in a death scene such stars will flaunt full makeup”. Ouch! Now Mohanan is busy giving gyaan about why female stars should not use titles like Lady Superstar. Reportedly, Nayan is the highest paid heroine in south charging around Rs 10 crore per movie. Malavika herself is a drop dead gorgeous looker, and has been noticed in Petta, Master and Maaran. She is young, sought after and has miles to go before she takes off her makeup. Then why the barbed arrows? Currently shooting for Christy, maybe she is seeking publicity, even getting trolled by Nayan fans. Malavika has made social media handles sizzle. Is she eyeing the Lady Superstar title?

Suddenly, Samantha Ruth Prabhu (35) has faced a number of personal setbacks. The much publicised marriage with Nag Chaitanya ended on the rocks. In Koffee With Karan show, Samantha was candid to say, “If you put us in a room, better hide all sharp objects “. Whew! It couldn’t get any more cathartic! And then came the gut wrenching diagnosis that she had Myositis, an auto immune disease. Even as the stars were shining on her, the evil eye had cast a dark cloud on this beautiful, talented star. Her latest release Yashoda did good business, grossing Rs 30 crore in 10 days. Rumours are rife that she is in Apollo, Hyderabad though people close to her deny it. This Kollywood comet streaked across the filmy firmament, fiery and feisty, the envy of many South Indian film peers. Making her entry in 2010 in Tamil cinema, she quickly rose with hits like Kathi, Mercel, Theri, Mahanadi and the recent one, Kaathuvakkile Oru Kaadal. In this film, she stole the show from right under the nose of South siren, lady super star Nayanthara. Her sizzling solo dance number in Pushpa: The Rise was over the top hot, justifying the astronomical Rs 4 crore rumoured to be her remuneration. Her OTT serial, The Family Man Season 2 brought her global acclaim. Will this femme fatale get back her fame and fortune?

At long last they are married. After a seven-year love story, amid now-on-now-off rumours regarding actress Nayanthara’s wedding with writer-director Vignesh Shivan, it finally happened at a 5-Star resort in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, amid a vetted down guest list of 200 people, digital invitations and QR codes in place. Reportedly, Nayanthara wanted a Tirupati Balaji temple wedding. But the Netflix offer of Rs 25 crore for telecast rights for an orchestrated ceremony was too good to resist. Nayan, the savvy entrepreneur, quickly course corrected towards a resort wedding. The Vicky-Katrina wedding had set benchmarks of monetisation. The guest list read like a K Town compendium — Rajini, Kamal, Karthi, Vijay, Sethupathi, AR Rahman to name a few. Rajini did the ritual honour of giving the ‘thali, maangalyam’ (mangalsutra) to Vignesh, who has waited seven long years to snag one of the most wooed and striking stars from K town. Ace director Gautam Vasudev Menon directed the 2-hour proceedings in his inimitable style ensuring a slick event with an ensemble cast. Nayan’s vermilion clingy saree, the beautifully embossed choli (with Lakshmi motifs), heavy emerald and polky diamond jewellery vied for attention with Nayan’s drop dead gorgeous looks. Shah Rukh Khan with director Atlee sashayed in style to wish his Jawan heroine loads of happiness. Next to follow is the high-octane reception at the Grand Chola.

South’s diva, Nayanthara, the acknowledged female super star is worth all that big moolah paid to her.  She has acted in over 75 films –in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam – and is the only south Indian female actor to have made it to the Forbes India Celebrity 100 2018 list. She is quite professional. She has not allowed her stormy love life to come in the way of hits like Naanum Rowdy Thaan, Aram, Ram Rajyam and Darbar. She has been in and out of love several times. Simbu and Prabhu Deva have gone through those revolving doors. Nayan turned wary and watchful after these breakups even as she held on to that top slot. And then came Director Vignesh Shivan. They have been in a relationship ever since they worked together in Naanum Rowdy Thaan. Nayan, it seems, is smitten by him. But the couple have still not announced wedding plans. Recently she was offered a whopping Rs 10 crore for an OTT movie. But when she heard the script and some over-the-top scenes in the movie, she coolly turned down the drool worthy offer. Has she finally found her anchor in Vignesh Shivan?