Billa 2 - Secret Mission Starts again

Amidst reports that Billa 2’s director Chakri Toleti is reworking on the script to ensure that the film turns out to be better than Ajith’s recent release Mankatha, the director has said that the second schedule has commenced.

Earlier, there were reports that Chakri had decided to go on a short break before the second schedule and rework on Billa 2’s script. The shooting was happening in Hyderabad but now the team has moved on to an exotic location that is being kept a secret for now.

Kollywood's Bad Men

It looks like Kollywood heroes have got bored of playing Mr Nice Guy. The most recent (and of course, the most obvious) example is Ajith's bad guy act in Mankatha. Today, almost all commercial heroes seem to want their characters to have a streak of villainy to make their characters stand out from the rest. Though they do not play all-out evil, a hint of badassness makes their character not just cool but also strangely, human.

By now, everyone is aware of how Ajith became a part of Mankatha. The actor, who wanted to do a character with negative shades (a la Vaali) had asked Venkat Prabhu if he had any such script and shocked the director by saying that he wanted to play Vinayak Mahadevan, the mad-about-money cop in Mankatha. Explained Ajith in a recent interview, "It was all about money; people could relate to this (character) as money is so important today." Not surprisingly, the actor's next Billa 2 (a prequel to his superhit Billa), is all about how David Billa became a mostfeared international don.

Even Superstar Rajinikanth had the biggest money spinner of his career only by playing a ruthless robot in Endhiran. And his contemporary, Kamal Haasan, is now reportedly playing a terrorist in his forthcoming Viswaroopam. And the KTown's young guns are following in their footsteps. In Osthe, Simbu might be playing a cop, but the character is also a crooked one. While Karthi is playing a cunning politician who makes it to the top by hook and crook in Saguni, Vijay plays a globe-trotting assassin in Gautam Menon's Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru.

Says Dharani, who is directing Simbu in Osthe, "In my film, Simbu is not a corrupt cop but a rebel. He is a Robinhood, who robs from the bad guys. Heroes have been playing characters with such negative shades for a long time. MGR's Malaikkallan is a classic example. This is a trend that comes and goes once in a few years."

BADMAN FOREVER !

Ajith - Mankatha/ Billa 2

Rajini - Endhiran

Kamal - Viswaroopam/ Dasavatharam

Simbu - Osthe

Suriya - Aadhavan

Vikram - Raavanan/ Saamy

Vijay - Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru/ Azhagiya Tamizh Magan

Karthi - Saguni/ Paruthiveeran

Jiiva - Singam Puli

No action sequences, please: Vaibhav

If you thought multi-starrer movies make upcoming actors invisible, you’re wrong. The recently released Mankatha is a proof, while lead actor Ajith stole the show, actor Vaibhav Reddy too managed to hold the attention of the audience.

“I am just overjoyed by the response and a lot of people are complimenting me for my performance. It’s the first time I am receiving so many calls... thanks to Ajith sir and Venkat anna,” begins the excited actor.

Vaibhav is elated that he got to share screen space with Ajith. “It’s an honour work alongside him. Though he’s one of the biggest actors in Kollywood, he’s very humble. He was friendly with everyone on the sets. He even helped me through a few tough scenes. It was a great learning experience,” informs Vaibhav.

To work with the hero for over 50 days made him feel closer to the star.

“There is a bike chase scene in the movie which required me to sit along with Ajith. To perform action sequences is quite scary and I was reluctant to it. Though he is racer himself, the experience to have shot that scene gets me jittery even now. He was riding at160km per hour and I was really petrified,” he laughs.

The actor is now looking at doing more meaningful roles and doesn’t mind being part of another multi-starrer.

“I don’t think actors should get worried about doing multi-starrers anymore. If you have a prominent role, people will definitely take notice of you. Considering the fact that I am upcoming and young, I shouldn’t be stuck to a particular role or subject,” he explains.

So will he work with director and buddy Venkat Prabhu again? “We’ve been childhood friends and working with him is like working with family. He gave me a big break with Saroja in Tamil, so I’d be glad to work with him again. However, I am also open to working with different directors and exciting scripts. But no action and fight sequences please,” chuckles Vaibhav.

Mankatha UK Box Office Collection Rs. 1.24 crore‎

Mankatha broke all box office records which was released on August 31st on the occasion of Eid (Wednesday), with Vinayaka Chaturthi falling the next day. The whole 5 day week end crowd made the film to get into huge heights.

The film not just had a good opening in Tamilnadu, India, but also got good collection at the UK box office. Mankatha garners Rs. 1.24 crore at UK Box Office: Ajith Kumar’s golden jubilee film Mankatha has continued to rock at the UK Box Office (BO). The movie, which was released on August 31, has managed to garner Rs 1.24 crore (£11,587) at the BO despite facing a huge competition from other language films.

Despite some competition from English and Bollywood movies, it is said that Mankatha was at 15th place at the UK Box Office in its first weekend. The only other Indian movie that was featured in the list was Salman Khan’s Bodyguard which was also released on the same day.

Mankatha is doing good business not only in the UK Box Office but in other countries like Singapore, Malayasia, US, etc. Ultimate star Ajith also have a good fan in Singapore and Malaysia resulting to a good response.

Mankatha is a complete action thriller and narrates the match fixing sagas in international cricket matches. The film with a huge star cast of Ajith, Trisha, Arjun, Vaibhav, Premgi, Anjali, Andrea, Lakshmi Rai, Mahut, Jayaprakash was directed by Venkat Prabhu and has music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Mankatha is the 50th film of Ajith Kumar. It is reportedly nearing Rs 40 crore marks at the overall Box Office collections.

A gutsy game!

Playing a hero is the ultimate for an actor. But here is an Ultimate Star, who dares to differ. Even while ruling the roost as a leading man, Ajith makes a defiant detour and strides on the path of villainy like a colossus, in Mankatha (U/A). Again, it is complete self-confidence that makes him showcase his salt and pepper hairstyle throughout — no other hero would attempt it, unless of course he's playing an old man. And even then, the film is bound to have a segment that shows him in all the joie de vivre of youth. 

In Vaali too, if you watched an Ajith as a scary, mute pervert, you also had a foil in the form of a suave, straightforward hero. But in Mankatha his role brazenly oozes negativity and he doesn't bother to justify it. It is this singularly distinct trait that makes Vinayak Mahadev (Ajith), as the main character, unique. No remorse for chicanery, not even regret — that's Vinayak for you. Maniacally money-minded, this villain dictates the terms, and be it the law abider or law breaker he'd better fall into line. This new Ajith appeals! 

With admirable nonchalance, director Venkat Prabhu and hero Ajith have broken the myth about the image of a protagonist in our films. Also deviating from the norm, for probably the first time in our cinema, retributive justice has been given the go by! May you thieve and prosper, says Mankatha! Venkat Prabhu allows you to make a decision about the rights and wrongs in life. He doesn't sit in judgment. Neither does he preach.

M is a story of five conspirators who lay their hands on a lot of money.

When it comes to dividing the booty, problems arise. Not a new premise, by any means. But with each trying to outwit the other in the greed game, Venkat Prabhu builds a pyramid of intelligent moves, as each clambers to rise above the other at every turn. And when matters plateau out in a suspenseful climax, you realise that there aren't just five loot hunters, but more! Yet strangely, the raciness you would expect in such an action-filled line isn't sustained. Murderers in Mankatha are so many that you lose count. And it irks to see Ajith puffing away on his spliff without respite.

Yet M's novel features are many.

Besides Ajith's stylish looks and effective portrayal of the character of an erring, arrogant policeman is the ever-agile action king, Arjun. Giving leverage to a senior hero in a story that has the main actor dominating the show in every frame is a challenge. But Venkat Prabhu takes it up with confidence and delivers with aplomb. Never mind the plausibility factor, the fact is Arjun makes his presence felt, particularly in the twist at the end. Somewhere down the line, M brings to mind Sylvester Stallone's Shade, the 2003 card game thriller. 

More than heroine Trisha, or even Andrea and Anjali, it is the vamp played by Lakshmi Rai, who has been awarded prominence. Rai provides the oomph, but you can't help feeling that her figure-hugging costumes and drenched-in-the-pool outfits would make a better impact if the lady watches her waistline. A bevy of beauties but none makes a mark! 

And you can't blame the audience which boos when Andrea, in the hands of the killer, howls in fear. The actor could have worked harder on the scene. It is a substantial role that has come Vaibhav's way — he is trying to better himself with every Venkat Prabhu film, but surely he can do more. Premgi's antics are to an extent enjoyable. 

The use of DI and dissolves, and the slick cuts to the past spell class. In fact, the handling of scenes of recall after the hero's hangover is very different. The editing duo of Praveen and Srikanth deserves special mention, and so does Shakti Saravanan's contribution from behind the lens. Yuvan's music, including the title track, theme music and the ‘Nee Naan' number, are awesome, but when songs impede the pace of the narration they become too much of a good thing. How come Vaali's verses get more youthful as he ages? Just listen to the words of ‘Machi Open the Bottle …' or ‘Vaada Bin Laada' and you'll know what I mean!

After a listless trip to Goa, Prabhu has laid out a filling spread this time. An engaging game of cat and mouse that springs several surprises!

Mankatha

Genre: Action

Director: Venkat Prabhu

Cast: Ajith, Arjun, Trisha, Premgi, Vaibhav, Lakshmi Rai, Anjali, Andrea

Storyline: Cricket, bookies, betting, double-cross and the aftermath

Bottomline: Ajith's grand 50!

Source: The Hindi

Mankatha as Gambler in Telugu

Betting money, wily cops, underworld, greedy sidekicks, principal characters without a sense of scruples.  Add a dose of booze, a hero who oozes menace and avarice at almost every turn, not to forget a terrific twist at the end, the plot becomes irresistible.  Only Telugu nativity is missing.  Never mind, if you can make with the handsome Ajith who comes with a smart performance and the slick cinematography that draws from Vishal Bharadwaj's vision, you will certainly find Gambler entertaining.

Gambler, the dubbed version of Mankatha, is purely a male-dominated story in which money and murder are the focal points.  All the characters, including the hero, are suborned to the greed of moolah.  In this cat and mouse game, anybody could meet his nemesis next.  Everybody lives on the edge, almost and always.  So much so, the next one to die could even be Vinayak Mahadev (Ajith), who calls himself 'The Kingmaker.'

Vinayak is a suspended cop who befriends Sanjana (Trisha), the daughter of Sambasiva Reddy (Jayaprakash).  Reddy makes money through shady deals and has got big plans to loot Rs. 500 cr. of betting money which is to be pooled at a theatre owned by him, so that he can share the booty with a gang of crooks in the mafia.

If there is big fortune around, can connivery and crime be far behind?  As expected, some players have their firm sight on the moolah.  Least does Reddy realise that it is, however, Sumanth (Vaibhav), who he has nurtured for years, who is conniving to stab from the back and run away with the money with his friends Mahanth, Ganesh (Ashwin) and Prem (Premji Amaran).

The curtain for race and chase game begins when Vinayak enters the fray with his own evil designs.  Before it is interval bang, the gang of five (Sumanth, Mahanth, Ganesh and Prem have been joined by Vinayak, who offers them the benefit of working as a team) successfully pillages the haul.  In the game that follows, Vinayak occupies the centre stage while rest of them taper off as insignificant stuff, but not before threatening to undermine the Project Money of the black sheep, Vinayak.

The second half is an all-out Ajith bonanza.  His character mutates from a cigar-smoking evil planner to a ruthless and psychic robber after the money, displaying devil-may-care attitude and even meanness.  It is not rare for a Tamil hero to play a character with negative shades, but Ajith goes a step ahead by spouting baneful lines.

Yet the film is also Venkat Prabhu's to a good extent.  His taking is slick, though the screenplay could have been better.  Cinematography (Sakthi Saravanan) is top notch and action is nifty.

As for the performances, Ajith tops the chart with his pefectionism while his four chohorts fit the bill.  Vaibhav looks good as a raw youth and the director has done well by fleshing out his role in the first half-an-hour by making him romance his wife.  Trisha and Lakshmi Rai have only peripheral roles to play in this male-oriented film.

Yuvan Shankar Raja doesn't come up with hummable scores, but the background music is A-1.

All in all, Gambler is watchable for Ajith, visuals and action sequences.  It may lack the sensibility of a typical Tamil movie, but its raison d' etre lies in playing to the gallery.

Released on: 9th Sep, 2011

Aamir Khan and Mankatha

That Mankatha has won the appreciation of the crowds is now beyond dispute. Of course, there are varied degrees to which people have liked the movie; hardcore Ajith fans are absolutely over the moon with excitement, general entertainment lovers too are happy with the fare served, but the best part is that even the hard-nosed, logic craving ‘Hollywoodophiles’ are finding Mankatha acceptable. The last category of audiences are the ones who always ask questions of Tamil movies (mostly concerning logic and reason) which are conveniently forgotten while watching

Hollywood flicks (even if it shows one man suspending 50 odd missiles in mid-air by virtue of his magnetic powers). But, that is a separate debate.

But, Mankatha has once again opened up the debate of multi-starrers. Truth to be said, there is nothing more worthy of celebration in cinema than a well made multi-starrer (with two or more big stars). It is like having two scoops of different flavor ice creams on your plate; it’s great. Yet, Tami cinema has always been in denial mode about the power of a multi-starrer. There have been few attempts, here and there, but it has never really got consistent. Of course, everyone understands date issues and budget concerns. But, going by interviews given by some of the leading directors of our times, things suggests that dates and budgets are not the main reasons behind the dearth of multi-starrers.

One can recall an interview given by Samudirakani (director of Naadodigal) where he said that he had approached a couple of leading heroes with the script. He got frustrated and decided to make it with relatively smaller names because the heroes whom he approached had wanted all the space to themselves; they simply weren’t willing to share the high points of the script with the other characters, they merely had to be sidekicks. But, otherwise, they were impressed with the script! That is the reason many multistarrers failed to take off in Kollywood.

Only rare directors like Bala and Mani Ratnam have been able to cajole stars into taking up multi-starrers without feeling the insecurity of being outshone by their counterparts. In a way, Mankatha shows that an actor willing to share screen space does not look inferior. Ajith, (even though it was his fiftieth film and he has built a career mostly on mass oriented heroic performances) took the brave option of giving enough space to all characters on screen, even letting a character played by Premji outsmart him (even though it was only for a while) and allowing the character played by Vaibhav to slap him; unthinkable in Tamil cinema’s orthodox ways; and most importantly, allowing Arjun to play the most well concealed character of the film. The results are there to be seen; no one is saying that Ajith undersold his star value; they are only full of praise for him.

Someone who has mastered the art of sharing screen space is Aamir Khan; most stars can learn from him. Look at the number of blockbusters this man has delivered through multi-starrers. In act, over the last decade he has done more multi-starrers than solo films. Take for example, a Dil Chahta Hai (which sprung a whole new breed of coming of age films in Indian cinema, the latest of which is Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara); he shared the screen and allowed a considerable amount of scope to be given to Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna (who at that time were considerably smaller stars than him). Then there was Rang De Basanti where he allowed a rookie like Siddharth to do the most powerful scene of the movie while he stood in the background. And, Three Idiots (yes, it did give a lion’s share of all the good things to Aamir) is also a good example. There is no other top star in Indian cinema who has understood the art of screen sharing quite like Aamir Khan and used it to perfection time and time again. Let’s hope more stars take a leaf out of his book.

Mankatha works only because of Ajith

The first thing that needs to be said about the enormously anticipated movie of the year, Cloud Nine and Sun Pictures' Mankatha, directed by Venkat Prabhu, is that this is probably the film Ajith has enjoyed making the most. This being his 50th film, as the title scorches the screen, you expect fire-works. Fireworks there are aplenty: guns blaze, men are liberally killed and gangsters run all over the place. In the midst of it all sits Thala Ajith, a lazy grin on his face, leaning stylishly against a car or in a dilapidated warehouse, and such is his screen presence that you almost forget the gaping inconsistencies in the screenplay. Almost.

For Mankatha, as you discover around half an hour into the film, depends entirely on its swashbuckling hero/villain, who appears in every frame, and makes sure your attention stays on him, and only him.

The beginning is worthy of any mass hero: a terrified Faizal (Aravind Akash) is tied down in a desert by the police, who are going to kill him any second, when a four-wheeler practically flies through the air, lands on the ground, scattering sand, and Vinayak Mahadevan (Ajith) emerges, salt-and-pepper hairdo, lazy contempt in his eyes and a stylish swagger, all perfectly in place. Bullets and guns are in plenty, but somehow no one uses them. Instead, they fall like dominos as Vinayak smashes through them.

Cut to the setting of the story: Mumbai [ Images ], bookies, betting in crores with the IPL as the background (except that cricket is not a part of the story), a local bigwig, Arumugam Chettiar (Jayaprakash), the owner of a ragged-looking theatre who is part of the bookies-racket, and many, many thugs. Vinayak's henchman Sumanth (Vaibhav) greedily eyes the cash that's heaped under his master's aegis. Together with his friend Mahath (Mahath), owner of a bar, Vinayak decides on a daring but rather bland heist. Roped in are cop Ganesh (Ashwin) and Prem (Premgi Amaren), a curly-haired, bumbling IT expert who seems to hack into any system within seconds.




In the midst of all this, having romanced the pretty Sanjana [ Images ] (Trisha [ Images ]), Vinayak gate-crashes the party, practically elbowing himself into the proceedings. He doesn't really bring in fantastic plot-twists, wonderful techniques or novel ideas to do away with 500 crores of money -- but who cares when he flips cigarettes like a pro, drinks like a fish and fights like Terminator?

And so goes the story -- Vinayak pits himself against the Special Force tasked to rout out the villains, and against its head, ACP Prithviraj (Arjun). And a series of extremely predictable, sequences follow, infused with dashes of humour that work only sporadically.

Ajith, the star that he is, has carried practically the whole film on his capable shoulders -- and he's simply had a blast as the guy whose character sports negative shades. He utters four-letter cuss words with the ease of long practice, sleeps with random women, drinks like there's no tomorrow and lusts after money with a passion that sweeps us all away. And you wonder why no one ever gave him a role like this after Vaali. The man's screen-presence works wonders -- and here, he's also had a blast dancing.

By contrast, naturally, the rest of the cast is at least ten paces behind him, and it's not all their fault; their roles have been written that way. Arjun, Trisha, Lakshmi Rai, Andrea Jeremiah, Vaibhav, Jayaprakash, though they perform well, are all relegated to the sidelines. Premgi Amaren isn't really that funny, except once or twice. And that's a pity. Mahath and Ashwin don't really have much to do. And why on earth did Anjali accept a role like this?

Sakthi Saravanan's camera-work isn't scintillating, but it manages to keep you interested. Praveen K L and N B Srikanth's editing could not have been more effective. Yuvan Shankar Raja's Vilaiyadu Mankatha is mesmerising; he also plays around with some of his father's tunes for the background score, appropriately placed. The rest of the songs, while passing muster, suffer because of their silly placement. A story that revolves around a heist needs to be racy, keeping you on the edge of the seat, biting your nails. And this is where it falters.

Director Venkat Prabhu has made a name for himself on his ability to wring humour from his tried and tested cast. The problem is, with Ajith, the star, present, he's vacillated from giving him enough screen-space, yet retaining the hilarity. And it doesn't really work. An hour into the film and you wonder if the huge build-up so far is just a lot of hot air. The dialogues aren't funny, the sequences are very predictable, the gun-fights are silly at times, the heroines vanish if you blink, and it's only in the last ten minutes that the lost momentum re-surfaces.

If you're a veteran of heist movies, and especially our own mass-masala movies, you should be able to guess the climax within the first ten minutes of the film. It is, in fact, the behind-the-scenes montage that's by far the best in the movie.

If Mankatha works even just a bit, it's because of Ajith, whose charisma shines through. Watch it only for him. The rest really don't matter.

Source: Rediff.com

Mankatha Hit in Telugu

After setting records at the Kollywood box office, the Venkat Prabhu-directed Ajith-starrer Mankatha is doing roaring business in Andhra Pradesh as well.

The film, which was dubbed into Telugu and released as Gambler has been a hit with the audiences there.

The film is the latest in a series of Tamil films to have tasted success at the AP box office. Earlier this year, dubbed Tamil flicks big and small like Jiiva's Ko (Rangam in Telugu), Naan Mahaan Mynaa (Naa Peru Shiva) and Mynaa (Prema Khiladi) became success stories at the box office and now, K-Town filmmakers have grown so confident of their film's chances in Telugu that they are shooting Telugu versions of their films as well.

Thanks: TOI

Mankatha Release date Confirmed

The 50th film of Ajith,  Multi starer movie , Yuvan’s Rocking Music,  excellent  trailer, oh! Long wait rite ……

 Hey You  all Buffs of Thala…… Here is a happy news for you. Venkat Prabhu is in plans of releasing the film on September 1st, 2011 as it happens to be the big weekend of Vinayaka Chathurthi- Ramzan. Initially the film was scheduled for its release on Ajith’s birthday May1st, 2011 but it didn’t happen due to some official reasons.By the time the shoot got wrapped up there was a change in the regime and the producers got into trouble. A few days ago we heard that Cloud Nine is in discussion with UTV but nothing has been finalized on this regard.. They are in plans to cash on the festival season. It can be noted here that the Kerala distributor Diva Pictures has announced that the film will release on September 1 or 8 as big Onam attraction.

'Mankatha' & 'Velayudham' secure dates in Kerala

While there is still speculation regarding the release dates for the most expected films in Tamil this year, Ajith's - 'Mankatha' and Vijay's - 'Velayudham', distributors in Kerala seem to have bagged the dates for the films' release. With the state in a festive mood for Ramzan and Onam the distributors in Kerala seem to be on a high and are expecting packed theatres for both the films, of the top heroes of this generation, Ajith and Vijay from Tamil Nadu.



A distributor in Calicut has revealed that Ajith's 'Mankatha' might hit theatres on August 19, just days after the Independence Day weekend. Vijay's 'Velayudham' has been spaced just a couple of weeks after Ajith's film and 'Velayudham,' according to a leading distributor of Tamil films in Kerala, is slated for release on August 31, just a week ahead of Onam.

Well with the dates which have been revealed by the distributors in Kerala and not much disclosed about the release in Tamil Nadu, it remains to be seen if the films will see a worldwide release on the above mentioned dates or of there might be a slight change.

While we do not have the exact number of theatres which will release 'Mankatha,' 'Velayudham' is touted to release in nearly hundred theatres across Kerala. Both Ajith and Vijay have an immense fan following in Kerala, and if these statistics should convey anything then these heroes from Tamil Nadu will sure give their Malayalam counterparts a run for their money it seems...

Ajith was not the first choice for 'Mankatha'

''Ajith was never on my agenda when I wrote the first draft of the script. I kept my usual gang of boys in mind while writing my characters. Initially I considered Vivek Oberoi for the central character, but that didn’t work out.''

''It was my good friend, actor Vaibhav, who suggested that the script needed a big hero to pull it off. Around the same time I got a call from Ajith sir, who congratulated me on my new movie and asked if I had finalised the lead protagonist. I said, ‘Not yet’.''

''He expressed his desire to perform a role similar to the character Heath Ledger had played in The Dark Knight. I was taken aback, since my lead hero’s role was akin to what he’d described.''

''When I told him that here also there was a negative role, his first reaction was, ‘What is it? If I like it, why don’t I do it?’ That’s how Thala came on board and now the project has gone to a mammoth scale,” was the big revelation Venkat Prabhu made at the press gathering of Mankatha that took place in the city.

Sticking to his policy that ‘a film should run on its own good content which will be its biggest promotion’, Ajith was conspicuous by his absence.

The other lead artistes like Arjun, Trisha, Lakshmi Rai, Anjali and Andrea took a leaf out of his book and stayed away too.

Prabhu was all praise for Vasuki, his costume designer and cousin for suggesting the George Clooney ‘salt and pepper’ look for Ajith.

The movie revolves around four bad guys with Ajith as Vinayak Mahadevan being the fifth and the worst.

When asked if there was any political pressure over its release Prabhu said, “People say so. I have no clue. If at all there is something, I guess, my producers Cloudnine Movies will handle it professionally”.

Gangai Amaran, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Niranjan Bharathi, Ashwin, Mahat, Vaibhav and Jayaprakash were among those present.

Record breaking sales of Mankatha Songs

Thala Ajith fans across Tamilnadu are so thrilled with the music launch of the much awaited blockbuster 'Mankatha' that they have collectively decided to kill piracy! Sony Music along with Could Nine premiered the songs of the movie from 10 am onwards on August 10 on Chennai's leading radio station. The premiere had over 7 lakh listeners tuned in across Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, a never before phenomenon.

Additionally, Sony Music had a record breaking pre booking of 60% for the movie. Being superstar Ajith's 50th movie, the exponentially number of pre bookings that took place was something that was totally unexpected by Sony Music. Commenting on the successful launch of the audio, Ashok Parwani, Associate Director Sony Music India South said, "We are overwhelmed with the response that we have received and we would like to thank all the fans for their encouragement and support. We hope we give all our customers great music to look forward to through the year"

Sony Music also leveraged its digital delivery infrastructure to ensure that all music lovers can access the Mankatha songs legitimately. Sony Music is also leveraging its partnership with mobile operators to ensure that songs are available to the music lovers and fans as callberback ringtones and through other streaming avenues on the mobile platform.

The music rights acquisition of Mankatha is part of Sony Music's overall strategy to become a dominant player in the Tamil music industry. Sony Music launched its first Tamil catalogue in 2008 and within the last three years has amassed a leadership position. As part of its growth plans, it will focus on high-revenue big-banner acquisitions in the market.

Mankatha Songs Free Download

Venkat Prabhu was shocked when it was brought to his notice that the Mankatha songs are available on a web site for free download. Though the director swung into action immediately and traced the guys who had the songs on their web site, scores of Ajith fans had downloaded the songs by then. Venkat Prabhu said that it took him four hours to trace those running the web site but by that time significant damage has been done



Venkat Prabhu has said that it is disappointing that the songs have been downloaded by several of Ajith fans instead of trying to curb it.

Surprising songs elements of Mankatha

Ajith starrer upcoming movie Mankatha, directed by Venkat Prabhu, has raised expectations to the sky.  Now every one is waiting for music launch which is likely to happen in May. As reported earlier Trisha, Arjun, Anjali, Lakshmi Rai, Premgi Amaran, Ashwin and Vaibav are portraying the lead roles of the movie.
On the other hand, its heard that music director Yuvan Shankar Raja has composed 9 tracks for this movie Mankatha.

"Six songs has already been composed!!! Three songs recorded. There will be a promo song, one club mix and a Mankatha theme music too.  If sources are to be trusted, Mankatha will totally have nine songs.  Out  of which three tracks will be used for promotional purpose

Producer turned actor Jayaprakash in Mankatha

Known to all that Jayaprakash, is the most happening character artiste in Kollywood now a days. He is basically a producer of many hit movies and director turned actor Cheran is the one who introduced him to the silver screen as an artiste through his movie Mayakannadi. He has been appreciated for his brilliant performance as an alcoholic pathologist alongside Cheran for Mysskin directorial movie ‘Yudham Sei’ produced by AGS Entertainement.



Well the latest news about him is that he has been roped in to portray a crucial role in Ajith starrer movie ‘Mankatha’. Jayaprakash will play Trisha’s father character in ‘Mankatha’.

Mankatha songs on May 01

We brings you the news for which you people are waiting from a longtime. We have reported earlier that Thala Ajith's Mankatha is not going to hit the screens on the scheduled date i.e. May 1st, 2011, which also happens to be Thala's birthday. His fans were seriously upset by hearing this news.

It's not the fans but also the team of Mankatha got disturbed by this. So keeping this in mind director Venkat Prabhu decided not to disappoint Thala's fans. If not the film it can be audio right, yes! The audio of Mankatha is going to be released on May 1st, 2011 at Chennai. The team is now busy working on the audio and it's also heard that Yuvan Shankar Raja has given all nine tunes to director Venkat Prabhu recently. The release of Mankatha will be just a few weeks after the audio release.

The reason for postponement is, the film is still left with the shooting of few important scenes and two songs. Venkat Prabhu is working more than 20 hours a day for bringing in Mankatha by June first week. The audio of Mankatha has nine songs which are for sure going to top the charts.

Producer Dhayanidhi Alagiri is very happy about the way the film is shaping up.

Mankatha release postponed to June

Thala Ajith's 50th film 'Mankatha', which was suppose to grace theatres on Ajith's birthday (May 1), has now been postponed.

Directed by Venkat Prabhu, the film also stars Trisha, Lakshmi Rai, Premji Amaren, Arjun and Vaibhav in prominent roles.

The Mankatha team is currently busy with its final schedule in Mumbai which will go on till April 16. However, the talkie portion and two songs are yet to be shot. Apart from all these, we have the exciting IPL and Tamil Nadu elections in May. So considering all these factors, the producers have decided to postpone the release to June.

Meanwhile, there are also reports that the film will be a complete action-thriller that will narrate the match-fixing sagas in international cricket matches.

Source: Galatta

Bin Laden in Mankatha

No serious reference to the al-Qaeda leader. But a song whose starting lines have his name has been recorded recently for ‘Mankatha’, the 50th film of Ajith directed by Venkat Prabhu.

The ‘Va da…Bin Lada…’ number composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja was crooned by Krish and Suchitra and the output was excellent, a source close to the unit tells us.

“It was a romantic number to be shot on Ajith and Trisha. The song will be one of the highlights of the film, for Yuvan has come out with rocking music with the voices of Krish and Suchitra adding to it,” the sources says.

Giving more one more update on the project, the source adds: “Most part of the shoot is over and Venkat Prabhu is gearing up to release the film on May 1, the birthday of Thala.” ‘Mankatha’ is produced by Dhayanidhi Alagiri’s Cloud Nine Movies.

Mankatha shooting is almost over: Last Schedule in Mumbai

With little more than two months left for ‘Mankatha’ to hit the screens, the cast and crew of ‘Thala’ Ajith’s 50th film are extremely busy with the project. “The team led by Venkat Prabhu is working overtime to get things right,” sources say.

“The shooting is almost over but for the last schedule which is planned in Mumbai. It will start in the last week of this month. Important scenes on Ajith and Trisha will be shot there,” they maintain.

Confirming this, Trisha, who will join the ‘Mankatha’ team in Mumbai on February 26, says, “I already had a blast working with Ajith, Venkat and others. Eagerly looking forward for the Mumbai schedule.”

Claiming that he film will be a complete entertainer, the actress adds: “It is going to be a rollicking movie and a treat to the audience.” Buzz is that ‘Mankatha’ is about gambling that takes place during cricket matches.