Veteran actress Saroja Devi dies at 87
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NDTV
40 minutes ago
- NDTV
Negligence Case Against Film Director After Stuntman Killed In Car Crash
Chennai: A day after the tragic death of renowned stuntman SM Raju during a car-toppling stunt sequence on a Tamil film set, a negligence case has been filed against director Pa Ranjith and three others. The development follows the post-mortem report, which revealed that Raju had suffered severe internal injuries, including bleeding inside the head, despite no visible external wounds at the time of the incident. A senior police officer confirmed to NDTV that a case has been registered against director Pa Ranjith, assistant director Raj Kamal, vehicle owner Prakash, and shoot manager Vinodh."The post-mortem clearly points to internal trauma and bleeding in the head. Based on preliminary investigation, we've filed a case of negligence," the Nagapattinam police officer told NDTV. Raju was performing a high-risk stunt in the Nagapattinam district for a film directed by Mr Ranjith. Videos accessed by NDTV show Raju's vehicle accelerating on a ramp and flipping in mid-air, while another vehicle speeds past on the ground, a sequence meant to create a dramatic near-miss, but one that proved fatal. Though Raju initially showed no external injuries, he collapsed shortly after and was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital. His death has sent shockwaves through the film industry, once again raising questions over the safety of stunt performers. In an emotional interview with NDTV, actor K Vishal, who is also the general secretary of the South Indian Artistes Association, said Raju was like family to him. "I've known Raju for 20 years. This is a deep personal loss. He has two young kids. It's my duty to stand by his family now," Mr Vishal said. Mr Vishal revealed that stunt choreographer Dhilip Subbarayan had explicitly advised Raju not to do the stunt, but Raju insisted on performing it himself, highlighting the dedication and risk stunt artists take on. "Stunt artists often don't reveal their injuries. They fear not being called back to work the next day," he added. "I have 116 stitches from stunts across my career. That's the reality we live with," he added. He defended the industry's commitment to safety, saying all standard protocols were followed. "Ambulance, doctor, nurse, and physio are present on set. The stunt car was modified with rock-solid pipes to avoid the collapse of the shell. Mandatory use of helmets, padded suits, and seat belts is required. " "We never compromise on safety. But till a stunt is completed, my heart is in my mouth," he said. While Vishal insisted that Raju's death was a tragic anomaly, the police case could mark a turning point in how stunt sequences are planned and executed in Indian cinema. Investigators are now probing whether proper risk assessments and approvals were followed - and if any corners were cut. The spotlight is now squarely on accountability, as the Tamil film fraternity mourns one of its most experienced and beloved stunt professionals.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Remembering Saroja Devi: Legendary Actress Who Captivated Indian Cinema
Saroja Devi in the 1965 Tamil film Kalangarai Vilakkam Vamanan Reflecting in later times on his directorial debut 'Kalyana Parisu' (1959), in which Saroja Devi played the younger sister who sacrifices her love for her elder sibling, director Sridhar would remark that one of the greatest challenges in remaking the film was finding a young actress who could match that performance. What a tribute to Saroja Devi — that even in the early years of her long career, she delivered a portrayal so memorable that an auteur such as Sridhar would recall it with such admiration! You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai This underlines the fact that Saroja Devi had acting talent, which, added to an expressive and photogenic face and good temperament to match, made for an eventful career as a lead actor in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. No wonder the Kannadigas, of whom she was one, hailed her 'Abhinaya Saraswathi', the goddess of acting. The Tamils, in keeping with their large-hearted appreciation of artistes from other states, called her 'Kannadathu Paingili', the lovely parrot from the Kannada region, perhaps referring to her child-like articulation of Tamil dialogues. Saroja Devi revealed in an interview that Sivaji Ganesan would comment adversely on her Tamil accent, though the duo went on to deliver hits together. Songs such as 'Thangathile Oru Kurai Irunthalum' from 'Bagappirivinai' (1959) and 'Aalayamaniyin osaiyai' from 'Paalum Pazhamum' (1961) , picturised on Saroja Devi and Sivaji to excellent effect, however, represent the pinnacle of the best Tamil diction and the benchmark of the best of Tamil film song. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Little-Known RMD Strategy Approved by the IRS Undo Saroja Devi's Chennai visits unleashed a series of providential incidents which finally found her playing the heroine in MGR's ambitiously mounted make-or-break film 'Nadodi Mannan' (1958). MGR had initially cast Bhanumathi as the heroine, but creative differences led to her walking out mid-shoot. To salvage the film, MGR phased out her character and introduced Saroja Devi in the second half, a spectacular debut for a newcomer. The film became a milestone, establishing MGR as not just a star but also a successful producer-director. While Bhanumathi had questioned his directorial skills, Saroja Devi praised him. In later years, especially after MGR's passing, she would describe him as 'En anbu deivam' (My loving god). The MGR-Saroja Devi pairing seemed to viewers an ideal one, though there was a 20-year age gap between the two. Eastman colour films such as 'Padagotti' (1964), 'Enga Veettu Pillai' (1965) and 'Anbe Vaa' (1966), despite all their formula frills, clicked in many ways. In the first half of the 1960s, when MGR and Saroja Devi were gallivanting to scores of hit songs, the latter was as busy with MGR's film world rival, Sivaji Ganesan, with whom she paired in 15 films up to the early 1970s. Saroja Devi revealed that it was possible only because MGR adjusted his dates to enable her to make the most of all the other opportunities she got. With Sivaji, Saroja Devi matched the great thespian's acting skills with her own. Films such as 'Aalayamani', which presents a love triangle darkly told, and 'Pudhiya Paravai', in which Saroja Devi is a detective who feigns love only to expose the hero's murderous past, are memorable. When the hero Gopal asks her finally whether all the love she showed him was only playacting, she says 'Aamaam Gopal'; but goes on to add that while her intention at first was to deceive him, she had fallen in love with him. This climactic dialogue was spoofed by comedians Vivek and Baskar in 'Guru En Aalu' in 2009. But their spoofing only adds to the original's appeal! Saroja Devi's life and career had been guided by her astute mother Rudramma, with friendly patrons such as MGR also steering her course. She married Sri Harsha in 1967, and he encouraged her to continue acting. Around this time, directors such as K Balachander ('Thaamarai Nenjam', 1968) and K S Gopalakrishnan ('Panama Pasama', 1968) cast her opposite Gemini Ganesan , with whom she had first worked in 1959. She shared an easy rapport with Gemini, both on and off screen, and he stood by her in moments of grief, rushing to console her when her husband died in 1986. As one of the few stars who played a major part in the MGR era and was still alive, she was invited to events that gave fans the opportunity to revisit the past. She was also part of the circuit of the actresses of yesteryear who met up to share memories. With her passing at the age of 87, many of those who hearken to the remembrances of things past are bound to think that another glowing star of a glamorous past has disappeared from ever. Life and times The 1950s marked a shift in Indian cinema, with industries moving beyond theatre to discover fresh faces. Among them was 17-year-old B Saroja Devi (born Jan 7, 1938, the third daughter of Bhairappa, a police officer, and Rudramma) Her first release was 'Mahakavi Kalidasa' (1955) opposite Kannada-Tamil star Honnappa Bhagavatar Within a few years of her debut, Saroja Devi starred opposite MGR and Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil; Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Shammi Kapoor in Hindi; and N T Rama Rao in Telugu, in addition to her Kannada films Between 1957 and 1967, she starred in 26 films with MGR, 22 with Sivaji Ganesan and 17 with Gemini Ganesan By the late 1970s, she acted as the female lead in more than 150 films across four languages After the passing of her husband in 1986, Saroja Devi reduced her film appearances. The death of her adopted daughter, Bhuvaneshwari, was another personal blow. Her cameo in Puneeth Rajkumar's 2019 film 'Natasaarvabhowma' was her last screen appearance Her awards: Padma Shri (1969), Padma Bhushan (1992) (The writer is a journalist and author)
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Pink Villa
‘Hand-wrote 900 pages, Netflix ghosted me' reveals Anurag Kashyap, calls it his biggest heartbreak
Anurag Kashyap never shies away from highlighting problems in the film industry. The filmmaker has been very vocal about all important issues throughout his career. In a recent interview, the Gangs of Wasseypur director talked about how he was dying to do a Maximum City adaptation, but it got stuck. Anurag Kashyap revealed that he hand-wrote a 900-page script of the Maximum City adaptation for over one and a half years. However, he hasn't received any response from the Netflix team to date. Kashyap expressed, 'I had invested over one and a half years in Maximum City. I handwrite my scripts. I handwrote 900 pages. So when you put so much effort into a project, and for others it's just a matter of… like you can't evaluate that in money. Somebody just to save their jobs puts it aside and ghosts you… It breaks you.' Known for several popular Hindi movies, Anurag Kashyap revealed how Netflix ghosted him. 'It was supposed to be a Netflix project, and they ghosted me. They didn't even dare to walk up to me and tell me that 'we are having a problem. Can we solve it?' or even 'We are not doing it.' They didn't have the courage. I don't know if they can bring it back. There's a whole policy. I don't understand it," he added. Anurag Kashyap claims Ted Sarandos didn't know India Anurag underlined that this behavior of Netflix India team angrers him the most. He said that it was his years of emotional investment but they didn't consider to say no. The filmmaker further stated that it's the reason why he fell sick. While referring to his social media post for Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Kashyap claimed that he doesn't even understand India. 'I wrote about Ted Sarandos; he does not understand India. What the India office tells them, they believe that bulls**t. They are doing exactly what bad television was doing to India. And they are charging money for it. They don't understand why they are losing value in the country," the actor concluded. On the work front, Anurag Kashyap recently served as the executive producer of Stolen. He has multiple films in the pipeline, including Kennedy, Nisanchi, and a film with Bobby Deol. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
