Tamil filmmakers V.R. Kalidas and Augustine have teamed up to bring out a reel version of the fatal shooting of 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu by Andhra police earlier this month, as they were accused of smuggling red sanders.

Popular crime novelist Rajesh Kumar has been roped in to pen the dialogues and screenplay of the film, which has been titled "Thookkumara Pookal".

In a statement, the directors said: "In order to bring out the truth behind the ghastly murders of innocent Tamilians, we've decided to make the film on this sensitive issue."

While the cast and crew is yet to be revealed, the team plans to start shooting from Friday in Coimbatore.

Film: "Gabbar Is Back"; Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sunil Grover, Shruti Haasan, Suman Talwar and Jaideep Ahlawat; Director: Krish; Rating: ****

'Let's give the drivel' its due. Films about heroes who harangue and punish the corrupt go back to the time when Guru Dutt turned his back on a hopeless humanity in "Pyaasa". Since then, corruption has grown epidemic. And so have films on the theme.

What sets "Gabbar is Back" apart in the genre is its unabashedly massy tone. Here is a film about a man who decides to take charge of a social order on the brink of anarchy when all the formal faculties fail. He doesn't believe in reprimanding the corrupt. He believes in punishing them with death.

So, we have bribe-happy district collectors and other law enforcers hanging limp on trees and hoardings.

Ouch!

Yup, this Gabbar means business. And to the character's good fortune, he is played by the very watchable Akshay Kumar. For my money and time, Akshay is by far the most complete star-actor package among contemporary A-lister heroes in Bollywood. The way in which he delivers his lines on the rampancy of corruption, his demeanour and his wry detached disdain for the corrupt, are all brought to the surface with a forceful equilibrium constantly at play.

This is a star-actor at the pinnacle of his power. Akshay exudes the kind of understated confidence while delivering lines about a corrupt-free nation, that requires a lot of sang-froid, inner conviction and most important of all, an audience that would believe in the hero's convictions.

With due respect, none of the other A-lister superstars of Bollywood have the power to sway the masses with idealistic rhetoric. It's in his eyes. Akshay makes you sit up and listen without raising his voice. To his good fortune, in "Gabbar...", he gets lines about a Swachh Bharat that are compelling rather than corny. The lines flow with furious passion without getting swamped in a bombast. That's a near-miraculous achievement in a film which is designed as a high-octane melodrama with every sequence punctuated by elaborate background acoustics (Sandeep Chowta).

Rajat Arora's dialogues are Akshay Kumar's biggest support system here. Director Krish, known down south for fashioning flamboyant fables, here exercises unexpected restraint when one least expects it. This is where this film about a self-appointed anti-corruption vigilante scores. It taps Akshay Kumar's spiritual energy and harnesses it at key points of the narrative to underscore rather than over-punctuate the theme of corruption.

By the time Akshay's Man Of The Masses gets to the climax on top of a car to deliver a rousing speech on youth power, the narrative is perfectly attuned to its leading man's monkish equilibrium and how it can be projected outwards to convey the angst of a wounded ravaged civilisation. Even when the arch-villain, an unscrupulous builder played with operatic gusto by Suman Talwar is busy hamming it up to the hilt, Akshay maintains his attitude of detached contempt.

Baatein kam, 'calm' zyadaa!

Thank God for Akshay Kumar. The screenplay would otherwise have been more of scream-play. The characters and the twists and turns in the lot constantly scream for attention. The exception besides Akshay is Sunil Grover. Known as the drag queen Gutthi on Kapil Sharma's comedy show, Sunil playing a low-rank police constable in a police station filled with officers who are more bothered with the chutney for their plates of samosa than the collapse of the law and order and situation, epitomises India's smothered voice of the conscience.

It's such sudden spurts of sensitivity that redeem what would otherwise have been just another loud, boorish and garish film about corruption in high-rise places. Builders are the baddies here, you see.

Jaideep Ahlawat, usually so riveting on screen, here seems uncomfortable in his suited avatar as a CBI officer. His belated entry should have done to the narrative what Nawazuddin Siddiqui did to "Kahaani".

No such luck. The villains are all clumsy cardboard cut-outs conveying the corrupt element with as much subtlety as an uncovered sewage.

The women are sketchily portrayed. Shruti Haasan bustles in and out playing a lawyer who is busy delivering homilies and babies on the streets rather than fighting cases. Chitrangda pops up to do an awful item song, best left edited out. And Kareena Kapoor Khan, looking like a zillion bucks (so what's new), sings a romantic song with Akshay and perishes in a clumsily staged building collapse.

Luckily, the film survives to tell a tale that's as relevant today as it was when Kamal Haasan, all dressed up in wizened prosthetics blew the lid off governmental corruption in "Hindustani".

"Gabbar Is Back" knocks the bottom off the action genre with a breathless ode to Swachh Bharat. The film may appear louder-than-life to the dainty-hearted. But the tone is unapologetic massy. You can't change the disintegrating social order by being subtle.

Miraculously, Akshay Kumar does exactly that.

Don't ask how. Just go for his bearded, brooding leadership qualities. Swachh Bharat needs such a hero.

Actor Jimmy Shergill, who balances his time between Hindi and Punjabi movies, is keen to make more issue-based movies in his Punjabi language.

Jimmy told IANS: "My aim was that Punjabi cinema should come in the big league. I have an emotional connect with Punjabi film as I am from Punjab. It is my duty to give some good films to the Punjabi audience."

"I want to make issue-based films and I want to leave typical song and dance routines behind. I want stories which are more rooted."

In the past, Jimmy has produced Punjabi films like "Dharti", "Taur Mittran Di", "Saadi Love Story" and "Rangeelay".

The actor is also excited about his next Punjabi venture titled "Shareek".

"It's on family rivalry. It's an emotional film for me... the most emotionally draining and challenging story. I am looking forward to this film," said the actor, who will soon be seen in Hindi entertainer "Tanu Weds Manu Returns".

According to an industry source, Kamal Haasan-starrer Tamil drama "Uttama Villain" has been briefly trimmed a day before its theatrical release.

"The original running time was 172 minutes. The makers have trimmed it by a few minutes as they felt the movie is too lengthy," a source told IANS.

The source added that the trimmed version is likely to be played only in Tamil Nadu, while the rest of the world may watch the original version.

Directed by Ramesh Aravind, the film is the story of a superstar, played by Haasan himself.

Kamal will also be seen as an 8th century theatre artist in the film, which features an ensemble cast of Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Parvathi Nair, Urvashi, K. Balachander, K. Vishwanath, Nasser and M.S. Bhaskar.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has set out on a new mission to strengthen his father and late poet Harivanshrai Bachchan's legacy by creating a website dedicated to the literary giant with the right and comprehensive facts.

The 72-year-old took to micro-blogging site Twitter to request his fans and followers to share any detail about his father.

"I am collecting any information, details, snippets, pictures of my Father Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the literary giant. If you have any inputs of his interactions, letters, conversations, meetings, poetic symposiums that he attended, any stories...anything connected to my Father, please send to this Email ID: thebachchanfamily@gmail.com ," Big B wrote on Thursday.

Harivansh Rai, who died in 2003, is credited with works like "Madhushala" and "Agneepath".

The "Paa" actor, who is often seen reciting Harivanshrai's poetry, noted the idea is to declutter the online world from all the wrong information about his father.

"Account has been created for Babuji's data collation. I wish to put up a comprehensive website, giving correct information, because many sites carry his name but incorrect information!! Thank you," he further shared.

Meanwhile, Amitabh is gearing up for "Piku", directed by Shoojit Sircar, which also stars Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan. The film will release on May 8.

Indian actor Raju Shrestha, who is currently in Iran for the Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF), says he is “honoured” to represent his country at an international event.

“I am extremely honoured to represent India at such a prominent event likes Fajr International Film Festival. This cross-cultural event makes one meet some of the finest artist, producers, and directors of the world cinema, which is an achievement in itself,” Raju, who has appeared in films like “Chitchor”, “Kitaab” and “Bawarchi”, said in a statement.

“I am really looking forward to watch some great movies, learn from them and enjoy the whole art of cinema,” he added.

The 33rd edition of FIFF, which started on April 25, brings together about 73 countries across the globe to a common platform of cinema. Over 300 films have be submitted to the festival.

Raju went to the festival after he received a special invitation from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Iran.

The international section of FIFF will open at Tehran's Mellat Cinema Complex on Thursday. The festival will end on May 2.

With his tall, fair and handsome looks, he could have been a quintessential Bollywood hero, but he chose to be an onscreen baddie. Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, who ventured into Bollywood in "Johnny Gaddaar", feels that the trend of negative characters has picked up in Hindi cinema immensely.

"There are a lot of layers for an actor to do, and today if you have seen, the trend of actors doing negative roles, is picking up," Neil told IANS in an interview here.

After stepping into the cine world in 2007, the actor has been seen mostly in negative roles like "7 Khoon Maaf", "David" and "Player". In Tamil cinema, his 2014 movie "Kaththi" also featured him in a negative character.

Talking about his bent towards negative roles, Neil said: "I started my career with it. 'Johnny Gaddaar' was a negative role. If you see the west, all the superstars have done negative characters."

The actor, who has even turned producer by collaborating with Madan Pahliwal of Miraj Group, says he'd like his banner to steer clear from the adult comedy genre.

"I'm not trying to be derogatory to adult comedies, but it is just that it doesn't match some sensibilities. Some people like it as it is a popular genre and it does really well in India also, but Madan and I have decided that the brand stays with its sensibilities," Neil told IANS.

Neil has zeroed down four scripts to produce, and one out of it is a "dark thriller", which is also written by the actor, who's the grandson of legendary singer Mukesh and son of singer Nitin Mukesh.

He also wants to produce a family drama.

Until then, the 33-year-old actor is looking forward to his acting project -- Sooraj R. Barjatya's "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", which has Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor in the lead role.

Neil will play Salman's rebellious younger step brother in the movie.

"My character is called Ajay Singh and he is a rebel with a cause. He has a reason why he is so rebellious in nature," said the actor, who also uses his singing talent in his films.

After singing the title track of his film "Aa Dekhen Zara", he says "you'll see me singing very soon".

Shruti Haasan has found a perfect way to overcome Mumbai's infamos traffic issue - it's a Metro ride and the actress is gaga over it.

"Took the metro this morning in Mumbai and I must say I'm impressed," Shruti tweeted on Thursday.

On the professional front, the daughter of actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan is gearing up for her film "Gabbar Is Back", in which she shares screen space with Akshay Kumar.

Directed by Krish and co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the remake of the 2002 Tamil film "Ramanaa" also features Kareena Kapoor Khan in a special role. The film is slated to release on Friday.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is on a self-discovery voyage, thanks to the virtual platform Twitter.

"Sometimes reading the views about myself & my doings on Twitter makes me realise, how little I know about myself," SRK tweeted.

Meanwhile, the actor is juggling between cheering for his cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders at the ongoing Indian Premier League and shooting for two Bollywood films - Maneesh Sharma's "Fan" and Rohit Shetty's "Dilwale".

Actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh has teased his fans and followers with a photograph of the look from an upcoming movie.

The “Ek Villain” actor took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share a link of an image.

“All set for another cameo - any guesses? ,” he tweeted on Thursday.

However, the close-up image doesn’t reveal much about his look or the film.

The actor garnered appreciation from all quarters for his Marathi production “Lai Bhaari”. In Bollywood, he is busy with “Bangistan”, being directed by Karan Anshuman.

Indian actor Raju Shrestha, who is currently in Iran for the Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF), says he is “honoured” to represent his country at an international event.

“I am extremely honoured to represent India at such a prominent event likes Fajr International Film Festival. This cross-cultural event makes one meet some of the finest artist, producers, and directors of the world cinema, which is an achievement in itself,” Raju, who has appeared in films like “Chitchor”, “Kitaab” and “Bawarchi”, said in a statement.

“I am really looking forward to watch some great movies, learn from them and enjoy the whole art of cinema,” he added.

The 33rd edition of FIFF, which started on April 25, brings together about 73 countries across the globe to a common platform of cinema. Over 300 films have be submitted to the festival.

Raju went to the festival after he received a special invitation from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Iran.

The international section of FIFF will open at Tehran's Mellat Cinema Complex on Thursday. The festival will end on May 2.

Actress Jacqueline Fernandez has been roped in as the face of Titan's sunglass brand GLARES. She says shades have always been her must-have accessory.

“I'm excited and proud to be the brand ambassador of GLARES by Titan. Sunglasses have always been amongst my most favourite accessories,” Jacqueline, who was signed on as the brand ambassador on Thursday, said in a statement.

The “Kick” actress will sport the brand's new Spring/Summer ‘15 collection, which consists of classic and contemporary shapes. Jacqueline feels that the collection reflects her personal style and that the sunglasses are "very fashionable".

“We are glad to have tied up with Jacqueline as our brand ambassador as she embodies what the brand stands for - sophisticated style and high fashion,” said S. Ravi Kant, CEO, Eyewear Division, Titan Company Ltd.

The collection, priced between Rs.1500-Rs.3500, is inspired by some international trends like colour blocking and are made with high-grade materials like handmade acetate and carbon fibre.

For women, the range has classic and contemporary shapes like cat eyes with metal embellishments and crystals.

The men’s range comprises macho aviator styles, wayfarer and sporty wraps, making it a must-have accessory for the summer.

The brand will be launching a multi-media campaign with Jacqueline soon.

DailyObjects, an online portal selling designer smartphone cases, has collaborated with Ranbir Kapoor-starrer "Bombay Velvet".

As a part of the association, DailyObjects has released an exclusive range of designer cases inspired by the film, which is directed by Anurag Kashyap.

Jointly produced by Phantom Films and Fox Star India, the movie also stars Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar.

"We are delighted to be associated with 'Bombay Velvet'. The cases available on our website have been created by our team of international designers to reflect the 1960s Bombay portrayed by Anurag Kashyap and echo the aesthetic of the film," Pankaj Garg, co-founder and CEO of DailyObjects, said in a statement.

The film is slated for May 15 release.

The release of Kamal Haasan -starrer "Uttama Villain" on Friday remains uncertain as theatres in Tamil Nadu have cancelled the first few shows.

The delay in the release is due to some financial problems between the makers of the movie and financiers.

The early morning and matinee shows across the state stand cancelled.

"Talks are going on between the producers and financiers. The film is likely to release in the evening," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Apparently, the film's producers Thirrupathi Brothers owe Eros International, who are distributing the film worldwide, nearly Rs.5 crore.

The film's shows have also been cancelled in Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana.

Directed by Ramesh Aravind, the film features Kamal Haasan as an 8th century artist and modern-day superstar.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Thursday called on Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar here and invited him to visit his state, an official statement said.

"Saira Banu, the wife of the iconic star, was also present on the occasion," the statement said, adding state Finance Minister Haseeb A. Drabu was accompanying Sayeed, who is on a visit to Mumbai to woo Bollywood to Kashmir.

"During his meeting with Dilip Kumar, Sayeed enquired about his health and wished him a long life. He also invited Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu to visit Kashmir Valley this summer," it added.

Sayeed described Dilip Kumar as one of the greatest actors of the Indian film industry and recalled some of his memorable works in a career spread over six decades.

Sayeed earlier on Thursday met Shahrukh Khan who expressed desire to shoot his upcoming films in Kashmir.

Into his golden jubilee of turning a filmmaker, master craftsman Adoor Gopalakrishnan is getting ready for his next one.

A man of few words and one who rarely reveals anything with regard to his projects, 73-year-old Adoor, as he is popularly known, in his characteristic style with a half smile, nodded his head when asked about his next project.

In a very brief chat with IANS, Adoor just said "Yes" when asked about his next film.

When probed further if it happen this year, he replied: "I am not sure."

Wishing to extract more from the award winning filmmaker, when asked if his new project has come on to his drawing board, Adoor nodded his head and softly said: "Let us see."

Incidentally, Adoor has never been in a hurry to make films as in a career that began way back in 1965 with a 20-minute short fiction film titled "A Great Day". He has scripted and directed 11 feature films and about 30 short films and documentaries.

The last film that Adoor directed was in 2008 which was "Oru Pennum Randaanum" ("A Climate for Crime"), a 115-minute long feature film.

Adoor did his graduation from the Gandhigram Rural University in 1960 and left the government job of a statistical investigator to study cinema at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune in 1962.

After graduating from there in 1965, Adoor has had a glittering journey in the film world that saw him winning the National Film Awards 16 times besides numerous international awards and also the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2004.

In 1984, Adoor won a Padma Shri and followed it up with the Padma Vibhushan in 2006.

Actor Ram Kapoor, who enjoyed working with Sunny Leone in "Kuch Kuch Locha Hai", and he will be working with her again in an action thriller.

Ram told IANS: "It was an absolute pleasure and we had a blast working together. She is fun to work with and is very professional and hardworking. I will be working on one more project with Sunny soon which will not be a comedy."

The actor says he will start shooting for the film by the end of 2015.

It's a black action thriller which will be helmed by "Kuch Kuch Locha Hai" director Devang Dholakia, said Ram.

Actor Mohit Dutta, who is making his debut with romantic "Ishqedarriyaan", says his character in the film is as important as that of Mahaakshay Chakraborty's character.

Mohit told IANS: "The viewers are aware that Mimoh (Mahaakshay) is playing the lead role in 'Ishqedarriyaan', but my character Arjun is as important and as strong as Mimoh's character as I'm the parallel lead of the film. My character plays a key role in taking the story forward."

In the movie, Mohit plays Arjun, a passionate singer.

Directed by V.K. Prakash under the banner of Mithun Chakraborty's Chariot Films, "Ishqedarriyaan" also features Evelyn Sharma, and it is slated to release on May 15.

Mohit considers "Ishqedarriyaan" the "turning point of my life".

"The story is completely intense. And it's about how he falls in love and how sacrifices bring about a twist in the narrative of the story. I'm excited about the film, but at the same time, a bit of nervousness is justified for any debutant," he added.

In over a decade-long journey, Pakistani musician Atif Aslam has made his 'aadeez' -- a term for his global fan following -- sway to his chart-topping songs. The "Aadat" hitmaker will finally stage his debut performance in Guwahati where his fans too can't wait for his gig.

Known for having an ability to hit high notes effortlessly and strumming stringed instruments without being formally trained, the 32-year-old is looking forward to his maiden performance in the northeast this month.

"Indeed, it's my first time in the region. I'm looking forward to performing in Guwahati. I'm very excited about it, but I don't know how they are going to react to the EDM (electronic dance music). I'll probably go for shopping too," Atif told IANS.

After having done concerts in Indian cities like Chennai, Udaipur, Delhi and Ahmedabad, Atif, who believes there are no boundaries when it comes to music, will visit the Assamese city for Royal Stag MTV Bollyland -- a series of multi-city music concerts that see the fusion of Bollywood songs with electronic beats.

His recent concert in Pune got cancelled due to opposition from Shiv Sena, but Assamese musician-actor-filmmaker Zubeen Garg, who enjoys a cult status in the northeastern state, is positive that there won't be any resistance to Atif's show in Guwahati.

"I'm sure he will get a warm welcome. Northeast crowd is very nice...it's upbeat and the timing is very good. Everyone is in a festive mood here (Assam). There is nothing like Pakistani or Hindustani here. No racial thing in Guwahati," said Zubeen.

"The music scene is good here. People listen to Bollywood music, but folk music is very big here," he added.

Fellow Assamese musician Joi Barua, who has also sung for Bollywood movies like "Udaan" and "Dev.D", believes it's "a super occasion".

"An actual 'east meets west' moment for our subcontinent... Two very different cultures. I really wish him the very best," said Joi, who considers Atif's Bollywood debut track "Woh lamhe" from the 2005 film "Zeher" special.

Mridu Pavan Deka, who worked as an animator on National Award-winning film "Sound of Joy", is on cloud nine as he will get an opportunity to watch the "Doorie" singer live.

"I'm eagerly waiting for it. I'm sure there will be a lot of people who will attend the concert. I think a majority of the crowd will be from Guwahati only as Bollywood music is more popular here as compared to other northeastern states, where the presence of western and regional music is stronger," he said.

Atif, who likes being in India, won't entertain music lovers with his bandmates this time. Instead, he will match up to the beats played by DJ Chetas at the upcoming musical event.

Still, his fans in Guwahati, where Pakistani bands like Jal and Strings have rocked before, are looking forward to it.

Kaushik Ram Phookun, 30, said that "he is one singer who kills it when he is live".

"I've been following his music for quite some time now. I love his voice and the way he fuses rock with Sufi. So, I'm very excited especially because he's going to be here in Guwahati," Phookun said.

Asked about Atif's EDM gig, Phookun said: "I wasn't aware of that. But that makes it more interesting."

Biplab Jyotidoley is also geared up for the concert.

"He is a good singer and I like his kind of music. I'm going because of that, and not because he is an artist from across the border. Music has no boundary. Atif is known for performing with his own band, but this concept of performing with a DJ...I would like to witness that," said Jyotidoley.

While there is still time to find out whether his northeastern fans will accept his EDM performance, he surely rocked the 'Aadeez' in Indore with a similar act in April.

Remembering actor Balraj Sahni on his 102th birthday anniversary on Friday, veteran actress-social activist Shabana Azmi appreciated his performance in film “Garm Hawa”.

“1 of India's finest actors Balraj Sahni wud hve been 102 2day. Remember him with utmost respect. His performance in Garm Hawa is pitch perfect," Shabana tweeted on Friday.

Starring Dinanath Zutshi and Farooque Sheikh, "Garm Hawa" is the story of the Mirza family at the time of partition in 1947.

Known for films like "Do Bigha Zamin", "Dharti ke Lal", "Waqt" and "Kabuliwala", the actor passed away on April 13, 1973 following a cardiac arrest.

He is still remembered for his energetic and lively performance on song "Aye meri zohra jabeen" and many filmmakers have tried to bring back the essence by incorporating the song in some of their films.