Latest news with #Jigarthanda
India.com
7 days ago
- India.com
Top Summer Destinations In Tamil Nadu That Promise Peace And Beauty
As the intense heat of the summer months begins to fire up across this huge country, Tamil Nadu, a southern state with a rich cultural heritage, breathtaking locations and lively events as well as various festivities allures. Tamil Nadu has everything from ancient temples to scenic hill stations for those who want an unforgettable summer vacation. Let's explore some of the best places to see in Tamil Nadu during the summer season. 1. Chennai: The Gateway to Tamil Nadu One of South India's cultural capitals, Chennai is a city where traditional values merge with contemporary influence. Experience the charming Marina Beach, one of the world's largest urban beaches when you see picturesque sunrise or sunset at such an oceanic beach. The Kapaleeshwarar Temple and San Thome Basilica are other landmarks you can go to discover more about Chennai's past. Government Museum is another place that is good for beating the summertime extreme heat since it contains different art works such as paintings and sculptures. 2. Kodaikanal: The Princess of Hill Stations In between western ghats rolling hills lies Kodaikanal – a perfect escape spot from hot weather conditions of summer time. You may take a peaceful boat ride on Kodai Lake among its glistening waters or go trekking along green Pine Forests. From Coaker's Walk you will observe the panoramic scenery or learn something about Silver Cascade waterfall falling down rocky cliffs; Also, remember that momo sellers on road side always have fresh tea for customers like you here. 3. Ooty: The Queen of Hill Stations Ooty is world famous due to picturesque landscape dotted with high mountains and favorable climate conditions (situated at 7240 ft above sea level). Take your loved ones for a quiet walk around Government Botanical Gardens where they will be able to enjoy looking at diverse collections including rare orchid plants and imported roses. As the Nilgiri Mountain train passes through lush valleys and misty mountains there is something for lovers of nature who can enjoy this old fashioned transport. For those who are thrill seekers, trekking to Doddabetta Peak allows you to have breathtaking views of the surrounding Nilgiri hills. 4. Madurai: The Athens of the East Madurai is one of a kind. This place has ancient temples that amaze tourists, busy markets which sell various wares and a vibrant cultural scene. One of Dravidian-style architectural masterpieces, Meenakshi Amman Temple stands out with its towering gopurams depicting various Hindu deities. To buy souvenirs like handicrafts, textiles or even spices, take a trip to Meenakshi Bazaar where every corner hides something new. In order to taste all the culinary delights Madurai has on offer visit Jigarthanda – milk based summer cooler made with almond gum and nannari syrup as well as piping hot idli and dosa. 5. Rameswaram: The Land of Pilgrimage On Pamban Island lies Rameswaram or Ramnad district: one of Hindu pilgrimage sites that are considered sacred. It is home to the amazing Ramanathaswamy Temple dedicated exclusively towards Lord Shiva; many people also bath themselves in holy waters at Agni Theertham. You should marvel at the architectural workmanship which went into creating Pamban Bridge, India's first ever sea bridge connecting mainland from this island city called Rameshwaram itself! If you want some peace near beach then go Dhanushkodi Beach where both oceans (Bay Of Bengal And Indian Ocean) meet resulting into wonderful sunsets backgrounded by remains submerged town. 6. Yercaud: The Jewel of the Eastern Ghats Hidden in the Shervaroy Hills, Yercaud is a virgin territory that is admired for its green forests, glittering lakes and cool climate. Flog through green slopes of Kiliyur waterfalls and swim at the pool formed by the falls beneath it, surrounded by thick vegetation and melodious sounds from birds. Discover Lady's Seat and Gents Seat which are nature spots with breathtaking views of mist filled valleys below. Take time off to be around Yercaud Lake where you can boat ride, fish or even go horse riding as you enjoy serene surroundings. In conclusion, Tamil Nadu has a variety of summer getaway locations each having their own blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage and engaging activities for tourists. Whether you find solace in spirituality among ancient temples or adventure in verdurous hillocks, Tamil Nadu will not disappoint. Thus make your bags ready for an explorative excursion into the timeless enchantments of Tamil Nadu this summer!
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Dil Raju calls working with Shankar on Ram Charan's Game Changer a ‘wrong step': ‘It was my mistake….'
Ram Charan's much-hyped collaboration with acclaimed director S Shankar failed to strike a chord with audiences and critics alike. Touted as a political action drama with massive scale and expectations, Game Changer struggled at the box office following its release earlier this year. Now, in a candid interview with M9 News, veteran Telugu producer Dil Raju has opened up about the turbulent journey behind the film. Shedding light on the behind-the-scenes challenges, Raju spoke openly about the complexities of working with high-profile talent. 'When making big films with big directors, 100% problems are going to come up, not only for me but for almost everyone,' Raju admitted, emphasising the unpredictable nature of such large-scale productions. One of the more surprising revelations was about Ram Charan-starrer Game Changer's original length. Dil Raju confirmed earlier comments by editor Shameer Mohammed that the film initially ran well over seven hours in its rough cut. 'There was an editor's statement about Game Changer once having a runtime of four and a half hours. That is true, and such interference is bound to happen when working with big directors,' Raju acknowledged. The producer didn't shy away from taking personal responsibility for what went wrong. Reflecting on his decisions during pre-production, he called it a learning experience, and one that he owns up to. 'In my film career, I had never worked with such big directors like Shankar. Game Changer was my first wrong step. I should have clearly mentioned my points in the contract and moved into production, but I didn't. It was my mistake,' he confessed. Also Read | Game Changer editor calls working with director Shankar a 'terrible' experience: 'He would turn up 10 days late' Interestingly, just months after the release of the Ram Charan film, filmmaker-writer Karthik Subbaraj, who was once deeply grateful to director Shankar for allowing him to be part of the ambitious vision behind Game Changer, had claimed that the final story was entirely different from what he originally proposed. Subbaraj, known for writing and directing commercial successes like Pizza, the Jigarthanda franchise, and Petta, was credited with the storyline of Game Changer. However, in the wake of the film's disappointing box office performance, the filmmaker subtly distanced himself from the outcome, stating that the script and story were significantly altered due to the involvement of others. Game Changer featured Ram Charan in a dual role, alongside a star-studded cast including Kiara Advani, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, and Jayaram. The film carried sky-high expectations, particularly as it marked Ram's first major release since his international breakout in SS Rajamouli's RRR. Despite the lukewarm response to Game Changer, Ram Charan's career momentum remains strong. He is currently working on Peddi, a sports-oriented action drama directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The film, co-starring Janhvi Kapoor, Shivaraj Kumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyendu Sharma, is slated for a theatrical release on March 26, 2026. Looking further ahead, Ram is also set to reunite with director Sukumar for a project tentatively titled RC17. The film marks their second collaboration after the blockbuster success of Rangasthalam.
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
From Gajra To Jammu Sari: Huma Qureshi's Madurai Diaries Is Touristy And Tres Chic
Huma Qureshi looked like a total stunner draped in a white and black printed saree from Jammu that featured a bright red lace border that offered juts the right contrast. But what caught our attention was Huma's rather dreamy time in Madurai that featured everything from wearing traditional mogra gajras, having thandai, visiting temples and beyond. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Huma Qureshi (@iamhumaq) The Maharani actress shared a sneak-peek into her touristy time spent in the lanes of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. She shared a photo dump of memories from her time in the city that opened a pandora's box featuring everything from her gorging her local delicacies such as the traditional South Indian thalis, marvelling on the old-world architecture signature of the region, visiting temples, clicking selfies with her crew, capturing the floral gajra street vending culture of the state that make for beautiful floral adornments for the ladies' tresses, quenching her thirst with the famous Jigarthanda from the region, and draping her saree from Jammu while exploring Madurai. If you are wanderlust stricken by witnessing Huma Qureshi by viewing Madurai through Huma Qureshi's eyes. Here are must-have experiences you shouldn't miss out during your next visit to the Southern Indian city. Visiting the Meenakshi Amman Temple is a must do on your Madurai visit. It is known for its towering gopurams with intricate carvings and vibrant vibes. Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal is also a 17-th century palace that opens windows into the Indo-Saracenic architecture that has notably impressive pillars, courtyards and stucco work. Koodal Azhagar Temple is another ancient temple to Lord Vishnu that boasts of intricate sculptures and a serene environment. Don't forget to indulge your tastebuds in Madurai's culinary delights, including the famous local dessert Jigarthanda just like Huma Qureshi did in addition to the bun parotta. Samanar Hills is a hill rock complex with Jain caves and rock-cut sculptures that offers the tourists a glimpse into the region's ancient history. Huma Qureshi's time in Madurai was nothing short of magical and wanderlust stricken.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Karthik Subbaraj wants to make an ‘indie film for film festivals' after Suriya's Retro: ‘Want to see the other side'
Director Karthik Subbaraj recently spoke about his most recent film, Retro, starring Suriya and Pooja Hegde. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter India, he revealed that he has wanted to make an independent film since Jigarthanda Double X (2023), so that might be his next project. (Also Read: 'I stopped looking at reviews as they're no longer authentic': Retro director Karthik Subbaraj) Director Karthik Subbaraj's latest release was Retro starring Suriya. Karthik was asked what's next for him after Retro, and he revealed his dream of making a film that does the rounds at film festivals. He said, 'After Double X itself, I thought I should make an indie film and send it to festivals. And then after a year or something, release it in the theatre. So, I have a script ready for it. But then, Retro happened. Now I'm thinking maybe I should do that.' When asked why he wants to venture into indie filmmaking, Karthik stated that it's because he 'wants to do it'. When prodded if it's because he can deliver what he intends to without any box office pressure, he agreed and said, 'This film (Retro), I'm telling it in a way I want, but it has some responsibilities to fulfil because of the budget, it demands such a budget because it has a big star. That film is a very small-budget film, with a new artist. It doesn't need a star. I just want to make it to see the other side. So, it might be my next.' Karthik Subbaraj's filmography Since his debut with the 2012 Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Pizza, Karthik has delivered mixed-genre films that might receive polarising reviews but leave a mark on the audience. His next film, Jigarthanda, in 2014, only solidified that. Since then, he has made films like Iravi, Petta, and Mahaan. His most recent film, Retro, released in theatres on May 1 and collected ₹ 78 crore worldwide in five days, according to Sacnilk.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘I stopped looking at reviews as they're no longer authentic': Retro director Karthik Subbaraj
He is basking in the accolades he's receiving for his latest film Retro, starring Suriya, and is grateful for all the love being showered by the audience. Director Karthik Subbaraj's Retro is his 12th directorial in a career spanning a decade which has seen some really novel films like Jigarthanda and Jigarthanda Double X. His unique storytelling style, technical prowess and strong anti-hero characters have made this talented director a force to reckon with in Tamil cinema. In this exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the Iraivi director talks about Retro, Suriya, his production company and more. I just wanted to show how the protagonist's life – Paari - sort of takes a complete U-turn in like 15 minutes. Because just when that sequence starts, his life is all good and he's going to get married the next day. He has come out of all his previous problems and is in a happy mind-state thinking that his life is going to be better from that point. Then suddenly, the father character enters the wedding hall and in the next 15 minutes, his life is going to turn upside-down. This was there in the initial draft of the script but then it wasn't a single shot. While rewriting, I thought why not show the 15 minutes in real time and how it is actually changing his life. Let us show that moment without any cuts. And that's how the thought of doing it in a single shot came about. It was challenging. But it was a very good challenge for everyone involved like the technical team, artists, and everyone else. We had a lot of pre-planning and did a lot of paperwork before the shoot, then a lot of technical rehearsals, and then proper rehearsal with the artist, with the junior artists, etc. And then we went for the actual take. So, it was quite a learning process for all of us. It was very satisfying to pull it off because we planned it for four days - one day of complete technical rehearsal; one day with the artists and everyone; third day with costumes and we did a take as well. We got like 80% of it but there were some small flaws in that take. And on the fourth day we achieved what we wanted in the second take. I haven't attempted this before so it was challenging and new for me. Suriya sir's completely into the process of the art and he's very passionate and puts a lot of thought into his acting. It's not like he just comes to the set, asks the director what the scene is, and performs and goes. He's always immersed in the thought process of the character and runs through the performance in his head numerous times before coming and performing on set. He always wants to improve. Even when I say okay, he'll try to go for one more take to enhance his performance. I think he's one of the most sensible, dedicated and passionate actors we have. His 2D Productions and my production company, Stone Bench Films co-produced Retro. I didn't face any restrictions or constraints on the production aspect. Suriya sir comes on set as an actor and I was a director. I think every scene had its own challenges in different intensity. For instance, we shot a lot in the Andaman Islands. Logistics-wise and shooting-wise, it was very tough. We had a lot of action sequences also which had its own challenges too. The whole process of overcoming the challenges along the way and getting the best shots and performances was key and we did that. I had written a script and sort of pitched it to him once. But at that time, it was not in this shape at all – only a small part of this was in that script. But as I started writing, I felt it needed a much younger actor as it was predominantly turning out to be a story with love as the core. I think Surya sir is the best person who could have done this film. He was really excited about it but scale-wise and time-wise it is bigger. It needs a lot of time from him. I'm definitely doing that film with Suriya sir but I'm not sure when we'll start as he has numerous commitments now. Like all my films, it is genre-bending and it's a dream script of mine. I got to know him when I worked with him on Pizza (2012) and our journey has been together since then except for Petta which had music by Anirudh. We started to know each other professionally but now we are very close friends. We both know each other well and what each of us wants creatively in a particular film, what our vision is towards cinema and what his vision is towards music. A lot of things gel well with us in a good way. I'm so happy. Nothing was actually planned. I just always made sure that I worked on a script that first excites me. And when I complete the script, it should excite me more. I'm still able to do what I wanted to do and continue to do it, whether I work with actors or stars - this makes me happy. I'm very happy to be in this state. With my production house, Stone Bench, I want bring out more talent and do really offbeat and inspiring scripts. I want to back a lot of debut directors and actors and content-wise create very unique and quality cinema. That's the simple motive we have. Most of the time I lose my cool. (Laughs) Ask my assistant directors and they'll tell you! I haven't thought about it. (Laughs) I would always want to blend or erase the line that separates mainstream commercial cinema and art cinema. I didn't look at any of the reviews. I mean, I don't see authenticity in most of these reviews. So, I stopped looking at them.
