The sixth edition of the Jagran Film Festival came to an end on Sunday with the screening of National Award-winning filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda’s satirical drama film "Kaun Kitney Paani Mein".

The screening of the film - based on water crisis, caste and the power equation when water, the most important resource, vanishes and how the oppressed become the oppressors - was attended by Madhab Panda along with its lead stars Kunal Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla and Gulshan Grover at the Siri Fort Auditorium here.

Set against the backdrop of Odisha, “Kaun Kitney Paani Mein” travels between two villages fighting over a water reservoir since a couple of decades as it aims at making viewers aware of the impending water crisis and sanitation in rural areas where 70 percent of India’s population resides.

“The film is very close to Madhab’s heart. It’s a story he has been waiting to tell since a long time. It concerns on the idea about how shortage of water is affecting our lives and we are not aware about it. Water is quite equal to gold. The film has both sides - it will make everyone laugh but will also make them cry,” Kunal told IANS at the screening.

Also available on the last day were actress Divya Dutta and director Sriram Raghavan for the screening of action crime drama film "Badlapur", and actor-filmmaker Piyush Mishra for his film "The Playback Singer".

The five-day film fiesta started with the screening of award-winning and internationally-lauded "Masaan" on July 1 and continued to present independent cinema to the critics and movie aficionados, showcasing more than 100 feature and short films this year and 20 in the World Panorama section.

On the last day, homage was paid to late filmmaker K Balachander through his iconic 1981 love story “Ek Duje Ke Liye”.

The 2015 edition of Jagran Film Festival will now traverse through Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Hisar, Ludhiana, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Indore and Bhopal before culminating in Mumbai.

"Film festivals have been done since ages in the big cities. But Jagran has taken it to the grass root level, which is the unique thing that they have done. These types of events provide platforms to filmmakers from where they can showcase their talent to the audience. They have small cities lined up, which many big festivals never thought of to travel,” Saurabh said at the event.

Organised in close collaboration with festival partners such as Whistling Woods International (WWI), Film Federation of India (FFI) and Motion Picture Distributors Association (India) Pvt. Ltd. (MPDA), the 2015 edition is all set to surpass its own benchmarks of presenting over 16 cinema appreciation workshops, 400 screenings in 17 cities in 2014.

About the response received, festival's strategic consultant Manoj Srivastava told IANS that they "witnessed 85 percent occupancy in total".

"Over 18,000 moviegoers came at the screenings. Now we are closing the Delhi chapter and it’s just beginning of the journey. We are all on for 16 cities starting from Lucknow and Kanpur from June 10 to June 12. After that we will travel to Allahabad and Benaras from July 24 to July 26. Like this we have whole series. We hope the response will be the same there too.”

Ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam, whose last outing "O Kadhal Kanmani" was a highly successful venture, is most likely to direct actor Karthi in a yet-untitled Tamil project soon.

"Karthi has expressed his interest to be part of the project, but he's yet to sign on the dotted line. The official announcement is expected to come soon," a source close to Karthi told IANS.

Reportedly, the project would be a bilingual and will be made in Malayalam with Mammootty.

Karthi started his career in cinema as an assistant to Ratnam on his 2004 Tamil-Hindi thriller "Aayutha Ezhuthu". Although he was offered to act in this project, he chose to work in the direction department.

This project will have music by Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman.

Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, the man behind one of India's biggest motion picture "Baahubali", will collaborate with superstar Mahesh Babu for a Telugu project, which was announced a few years ago.

"Mahesh and Rajamouli were supposed to team up a few years ago, but the project got delayed. As soon the second part of 'Baahubali' releases next year, both are expected to start working on the film," a source told IANS.

The source said the project may go on floors towards the end of 2016.

"Rajamouli will resume shoot on the remaining portion of second part of 'Baahubali' from September. As soon as the second part releases, he will start work on his film with Mahesh Babu," the source added.

The film will be produced by K.L. Narayana.

Meanwhile, Mahesh will complete shooting for Sreekanth Addala's family drama "Brahmotsavam" and a yet-untitled project with Puri Jagannadh, before joining hands with Rajamouli.

Actor Junior NTR's 25th Telugu film, tentatively titled "NTR 25", will go on floors here on Monday.

The film is going on floors after months of delay.

"Touchdown London! Really excited to start #ntr25 tomorrow. Looking forward to working with a new team, new people! #learning #movies #work (sic)," actress Rakul Preet Singh, who plays the female lead in the movie, posted on her Twitter page on Sunday.

To be directed by Sukumar, the film is said to be a family drama about the relationship between a father and his son.

Veteran actor Rajendra Prasad will be seen essaying the father's role while NTR will play his son.

Nearly 80 percent of the film will be shot in and around Britain, while some key scenes will also be shot in Australia.

The film, which has music by Devi Sri Prasad, is produced by BVSN Prasad.

Veteran actress Himani Shivpuri says she prefers to stay aloof from sex comedies, but has nothing against people who act in them.

"I don't act in sex comedies, and whoever acts in them, I don't think it's bad, because cinema, art and theatre are the mirrors of society. People love it (sex comedies), that's why it's made and shown. The day people stop watching sex comedies, makers will stop making them," she said.

Of late, the aspect of sexuality has been portrayed far too often in cinema and Shivpuri, who believes that "sex is a big truth of life", opines that it can be shown in a good manner.

Shivpuri, who was seen at the celebration party of Hindi play "Sab Golmal Hain", also spoke about the importance of comedy plays and said she wants to promote theatre.

"Life is so stressful, and when you get a chance to see such a light hearted comedy, it kinda makes you stress-free and your tension just disappears. Above, all I am a theatre person, from National School of Drama, I want to promote theatre," said the 54-year-old actress.

Discussing about her forthcoming films, the actress said: "At present, I am working on two films, 'Wedding Pulav' and 'The Black Truth', which is based on a real incident that happened in Bihar."

Bihu and Bhortal -- two traditional dance forms of Assam -- will be performed by school students from the state at the opening of the 45th Giffoni International Film Festival in Italy next week.

The film festival -- one of the most prominent international children's film festivals in the world -- will begin on July 17 at Giffoni Valle Piana in Salerno province in southern Italy.

Students from the NPS International School in Guwahati have been invited by the organisers to perform at the film festival.

Apart from Bihu and Bhortal, four students -- Md. Nasad (Class 8), Hrishiraj Sawant (Class 9), Krishna Saha (Class 8) and Disha Boro (Class 8) -- will also perform Indian classical dance at the inauguration ceremony.

While Bihu is a well-known dance form, Bhortal, where the performers are equipped with cymbals, was developed by Satriya artiste Narahari Burha Bhakat in Barpeta district.

"We are very happy that two very important dance forms of Assam will be performed at the inauguration of such a prestigious event. We are looking forward to that day," said school director J.N. Das.

"A thought-provoking documentary titled 'We are Same Same, But Different', directed by our students, has also been selected for a special screening," he said.

Earlier, a documentary titled "Assam Bamboo Crafts" by students of NPS International School bagged the 'Best Documentary Film' and 'Best Cinematography' awards in the school students section at the 5th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival in 2015.

"We are Same Same, But Different" was also selected in the top five from among 72 short films at the 8th Chinh India Kids Film Festival and Forum held in New Delhi from December 13 to 18 last year. Around 1,000 students from 29 countries had participated in the event.

After actress Pallavi Joshi resigned from being part of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) society, students of the facility are hopeful that people understand the issues due to which they have been protesting the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as chairman.

Pallavi, a National Film Award winning talent, reportedly put in her resignation on Sunday.

“Pallavi Joshi's decision to quit has made us feel more hopeful and understood. We feel a little hopeful that people are understanding the cause and stepping down because it's not just people who are former FTII students in the governing council body who are stepping down... which means the cause is spreading, people are understanding what is the problem here,” said a student, who didn't wish to be named.

The students are essentially looking at the dissolution of the current governing council any which way, the student said, and added that it is for the simple reason of making the governing council "more transparent”.

When BJP member Gajendra Chauhan, who played 'Yudhishthir' in “Mahabharat”, was appointed as the FTII chief, students protested saying his appointment was politically motivated. Even the institute's alumni expressed that the head of such a facility should be someone with impressive credentials.

Names like Jahnu Barua and Santosh Sivan had earlier spoken out about their dissent over Chauhan's appointment.

Marvel's next superhero offering "Ant-Man" is set to release in India on July 24.

Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, "Ant-Man" stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Peña and Judy Greer among others.

The film tells the story of master thief Scott Lang who is armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength and must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats, read a statement.

The story is by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish while Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay and Paul Rudd have written the screenplay.

The team behind National Award winning Tamil drama "Kanchivaram", which featured Prakash Raj and Sriya Reddy in the lead roles and was helmed by filmmaker Priyadarshan, are reuniting for a film in the language on a social cause.

"When I did 'Kanchivaram', I was scared as hell because I was pitted against Prakash Raj, who is like a film institute of acting and was being directed by Priyadarshan. This time, I'm slightly scared but I'm sure it's going to be a much calmer experience," Sriya told IANS.

She says the film will be as sensitive as "Kanchivaram", and will address an issue that's rarely discussed.

"It'll be a very sensible film. We're not at the liberty to talk about the issue yet," she said.

Filmmaker Vijay, who is known for films such as "Thalaivaa" and Saivam", will be producing this project.

Industry heavyweights such as cinematographer Santosh Shivan and art director Sabu Cyril are also part of the project.

On the reuniting experience, Sriya said: "If you've followed my work, you'll realize I've only done films where I had something to offer. I've only worked in films where the heroines have something important to contribute. This film is going to be great in terms of learning.

"Prakash Raj being one of the finest actors in our country, so to act alongside him will automatically make one perform while Priyadarshan knows exactly what he wants."

The film, which is expected to go on floors next month, will be wrapped up in one quick schedule.

Actor-filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan, whose performance in Kamal Haasan-starrer Tamil drama "Papanasam" impressed critics and audiences alike, says his role in upcoming thriller "Vishwaroopam 2" will prove his versatility.

"Post the release of 'Papanasam', everybody has been asking me if I'll do more Tamil films. I'd love to but I'm eagerly looking forward to the release of 'Vishwaroopam 2', in which I play a character with grey shades. It will showcase my range as an actor," Mahadevan told IANS.

"These two roles are two extremes. In 'Vishwaroopam 2', I play a sly, conniving bureaucrat, whereas in 'Papanasam', I'm the father who doesn't know where to look for his missing son. I want audiences to see the different kind of roles I can portray," he said.

Known for his work predominantly in Bollywood, Ananth thanks Kamal for introducing him in southern cinema.

"Kamal is totally responsible for this. Post 'Vishwaroopam 2', he had even offered me a role in 'Uttama Villain', which I couldn't take up because I was busy with another project. And even when 'Papanasam' was offered, I was busy but they were kind enough to adjust the dates for me," he said.

Though "Vishwaroopam 2" was his southern debut, Ananth almost did Mani Ratnam's "Thiruda Thiruda".

"I was signed for the project. They even got my costumes ready, but I don't know why I was replaced by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam at the last minute. Since then, whenever I've met Ratnam, I assured him I'm not a bad actor. I hope he watches 'Papanasam'," he said.

His performance in Jeethu Joseph-directed "Papanasam", a remake of Malayalam blockbuster "Drishyam", has been getting rave reviews.

Some even said he matched Kamal's performance in the climax, which has won Ananth a lot of appreciation from Tamil audiences on social media.

"I'd be lying if I say I'm not on cloud nine. I worked extremely hard for that scene and started preparing my lines even before we started shooting," said Ananth, who doesn't like to be prompted dialogues on sets.

"I was hell bent that I'd not take prompting on the sets. In fact, when my co-stars were being prompted by the assistant directors, I was very disturbed because it was eating into my concentration and focus. Prompting is like going to a church where you're made to repeat everything the pastor says," he said.

But Ananth doesn't like to take full credit for the climax scene and says it was a collaborative effort with Kamal.

"Having an actor like Kamal Haasan in front, emoting in front of him actually helped me. We mutually helped each other to get the best out of us for the scene. If people have felt both matched each other's performance, I think it's because of the wavelength we share," he said.

Well-known southern composer M.S. Viswanathan, who has over 750 films to his credit, is battling for life at a private hospital here.

MSV, as he's fondly called by the members of Tamil filmdom, is undergoing treatment at Fortis Malar hospital for old-age related ailments and breathing problem.

"He's been undergoing treatment over the last few days. After initial treatment, he showed signs of recovery and was almost ready to be taken back home. But on Tuesday, his condition deteriorated and he had to be rushed to the ICU," a family source told IANS.

"His pulse had dropped and he was struggling to breathe," the source said.

The source added that celebrities and close friends of Vishwanathan, 87, have already started paying visits.

Popular for composing music in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam industries, MSV started his career as composer for 1952 film Tamil "Panam" starring Sivaji Ganeshan

MSV is popular for his collaboration with fellow composer T.K. Ramamoorthy. The duo composed music for 86 Tamil films during their association of over a decade.

Having started composing together in 1952, they split up in 1965. Some of their best films include "Paasamalar", "Sumaithaangi", "Server Sundaram", "Aayirathil Oruvan" and "Enga Veetu Pillai".

Post the separation, MSV went on to become more successful.

Viswanathan's solo hits include "Bama Vijayam", "Galatta Kalyanam", "Deivamagan", "Moondru Dheivangal", "Rickshawkarana, "Bharatha Vilas" and "Ulagam Sutrum Valibana.

Popularly known as 'king of light music' (Mellisai Mannar), Vishwanathan has also worked in Malayalam films such as "Manthrakodi", "Babu Mon", "Ullasa Yathra" and "Amme Anupame".

In Telugu, his compositions include "Tenali Ramakrishna", "Anthuleni Kathaa, "Idhi Katha Kaadu", "Aakali Rajyam" and "Maro Charitra".

MSV and legendary filmmaker K. Balachander combination has produced several evergreen classics.

Viswanathan's wife Janaki died in 2012. A year later, his best friend and composer T.K. Ramamurthy breathed his last.

He is a recipient of Kalamamani and several other music awards.

Actor Dhanush's forthcoming film "Maari", which is slated to hit the theatres on July 17, has got a 'U' certificate.

The 31-year-old "Raanjhanaa" actor took to micro-blogging website Twitter to announce about the films certification.

"#maari July 17 th release with "U" certificate. #varom #july17 #senjuruven #godbless," Dhanush tweeted.

In the film, Dhanush is said to be playing a local hooligan, who goes with the catchphrase "Will finish you off".

Directed by Balaji Mohan, the film has music by Anirudh Ravichander. "Maari" is jointly produced by R. Sarath Kumar, Radikaa Sarath Kumar and Listin Stephen.

Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, whose highly anticipated magnum opus "Baahubali" - which he calls his tribute to Indian epic Mahabharat - releases in cinemas on Friday, says the creative success of his film is more important than its box office prospects.

"I'm usually not motivated by money. When my films succeed creatively, that's my biggest achievement. The creative satisfaction I get from my films matters to me the most than box office numbers," Rajamouli told IANS.

Although he admits film economics is important, he says that's not what drives him to make films.

"Baahubali", which is touted as one of India's most expensive films at Rs.250 crore (nearly $40 million), is Rajamouli's "tribute to Indian epic Mahabharat."

"One of the biggest inspirations behind 'Baahubali' is 'Mahabharat'. The epic war drama between the Pandavas and Kauravas has always fascinated me," he said, adding that the Amar Chitra Katha comics too helped him envision the world of "Baahubali".

The film, originally made in Telugu and Tamil, will also release in Hindi and Malayalam in dubbed versions.

Asked why he chose to release the film in multiple languages, he said: "Given the budget of the film, it's impossible to recover the cost involved if we release in one language. Right from the start, the plan was to make it as a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. Hence, we cast actors who are popular in both the industries.

"Following the success of 'Eega' ('Makkhi' in Hindi), we had planned to release 'Baahubali' in Hindi as well."

When the team was looking for someone to release the film in the northern belt, filmmaker Karan Johar came on board.

The film is all set to release in a record number of 4,000 screens worldwide.

It took the team nearly three years to complete the first part of the film. With another 120 days of shoot left on the second part, it's expected to hit the screens next year.

Rajamouli says it wasn't easy to stay motivated throughout.

"We struggled towards the end, especially to complete the last 20 percent of the film, as most actors by then had almost given up having shot for over a year. But I always believe the team draws its motivation from the director, so I had to push myself and others without losing my cool," he said.

Despite the long wait, the buzz around "Baahubali" was always alive. It's perhaps the best marketed south Indian film ever.

"A lot of planning went into all this. Over the last one year, we've been very active on social media platforms. We needed to create the buzz, make audiences - irrespective of the region - curious about our film. And the only way to do it was through marketing," he said.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan too has heaped praise on Rajamouli's creation and even wished to be part of it.

Asked if he plans to rope in Big B in the second part of the movie, he said: "I'd love to work with all the stars, provided I have a suitable script for them. I can't approach them just because I want to work with them. For 'Baahubali', I had decided long back that Prabhas was my hero. I let my script choose my actor and not vice versa.

"It was nice of Bachchan sir to say lovely things about our film."

The film is about the story of two warring brothers for an ancient kingdom. It features Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannah Bhatia in the lead roles.

Ganesh Hegde, who became a phenomena in the early 2000s with tracks like "Main deewana" and "Zindagi zindagi", has been missing from action for a while. The choreographer-singer, now coming in as a judge of reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded", says evading the spotlight was a conscious decision to avoid "doing something mediocre".

"Lull for you is a planned decision for me. I have been doing entertainment stuff, which you may not know about," Hegde told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

An interesting facet he shared was that he has been busy working on a film's script for the past two years.

"So, what you think is a lull is for me a planned decision to not do something mediocre," he added.

Hegde came out with an album "G: The Debut Album" in 2005 and another album "Let's Party" in August 2011. The choreographer notes that all his focus is on his script now.

"You need some preparation to come up with something spectacular. That's what used to happen before I came with 'Main deewana'... as you did not know me till then, but I worked three years to come out with 'Main deewana'. Now, I have worked three years on my film," he added, without divulging any details about the project.

"I can't divulge anything right now. It's near completion. When everything is finalised, we will make a formal call and you will be happy to know what I will do," he said.

Also known for his work in films like "Black", "Koi...Mil Gaya" and "Khamoshi: The Musical", Hegde is now geared up to be a judge for dance-reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded", alongside actor Shahid Kapoor, filmmaker Karan Johar and international dancer-actress Lauren Gottlieb.

Hegde is excited to be a part of the show, which will start beaming on Colors channel from July 11. He notes that the change in format lured him in.

"There's not much scope for reality show judges usually. It's just sitting and giving judgments. Since I have been an entertainer, a singer and a performer and so I feel the need to entertain and that doesn't happen as a reality judge. But Raj Nayak, from Colors, has assured me that this season will be different," he said.

He makes films, acts, hosts chats shows, is a costume designer, judges reality TV entertainers and is now even on board as a co-curator of two channels -- but one thing that Karan Johar is not up for is a daily soap.

"I won't come in daily soaps," Karan, who is a co-curator of Viacom18's two new English entertainment channels - Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD -- along with actress Alia Bhatt, said here.

"I know I want to do all kind of things, but now to be part of a daily soap might be pushing it too much. Being a judge for a reality show or an anchor for a talk show is okay as they come once or twice a week, but daily soap, no way," added the "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" director, who was seen as an actor in "Bombay Velvet" earlier this year.

Colors Infinity channel will boast of content that will span genres such as drama, superheroes, comedy, fantasy, crime and thrillers and will focus on reality television with shows based on dancing, cooking, magic, singing and other lifestyle interests.

Viacom18 has entered into major multi-year deals with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine among others.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays a Pakistani reporter in Salman Khan's upcoming mega movie "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", says the director is more important to him than the script.

"A lot of people say script is important, and I agree to some extent. But I feel the director is more important than the script. A good director can create magic with bad or average script, but a bad director can kill even a good script. I am more focused on the director. So for me, director is more important," Nawazuddin said during a promotional event here on Wednesday.

Nawazuddin had earlier worked with director Kabir Khan in "New York" and with Salman Khan in "Kick".

This is his second outing with the director and the actor, and he said he was comfortable working with them as he understands their process.

"I know Kabir's working style, so it brings a comfort zone and I am working with Salman sahab for the second time, so there is a comfort level with him too," he said.

Nawazuddin will be seen portraying the role of a Pakistani reporter who helps Salman in his journey.

"The biggest task for me is the honesty of the character. The character I am portraying should look authentic, whatever that character might be, I put in all my efforts to achieve it," he said.

"Bajrangi Bhaijaan", directed by Kabir Khan, features Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. It is about a young mute girl from Pakistan who finds herself lost in India with no way to head back over the border to her home.

The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on July 17, during the Eid weekend.

"Umrao Jaan" director Muzaffar Ali, who returns to make a film after a while with "Jaanisaar", is extremely fascinated with his heroine, debutante Pernia Qureshi, terming her a "miracle woman'.

"When you see some women, you get a feeling that they they'll give up in moments of hardships. But with Pernia, this is definitely not the case as she can do wonders. She is a miracle woman. She has performed these miracles without a hint of difference to her beauty and grace," Ali said at the trailer launch here.

"She is a genius and nothing short of that and I think she'll go very very far. And I think it is the best choice that I've made," he said.

About the thought of casting the renowned fashion entrepreneur, Ali said: "When I saw Pernia, I got a feeling that she was Noor (her character in film). And Noor had a certain attitude and style about her. She combined a certain style of determination to do activities and a peculiar style of dancing and expression."

Pernia has also beautifully enacted a special fight form which was a concoction of karate and other martial arts.

A period love drama set in the late 19th century, "Jaanisaar" also stars Pakistani actor Imran Abbas of "Creature" fame.

Rejecting a claim by a film financier who sought to make him responsible for a loan availed of by son-in-law Dhanush's father Kasthuri Raja, superstar Rajinikanth submitted in his petition to the Madras High Court that he was not the guarantor of the loan sum of Rs.65 lakh.

According to petitioner S. Mukanchand Bothra, filmmaker Kasthuri Raja had borrowed Rs.65 lakh from him in 2012 on the promise that if he failed to repay the loan, Rajinikanth would do it.

When the case came up for hearing on June 22, Justice Ravichandra Babu issued notices to Kasthuri Raja and Rajinikanth.

The superstar said the financier cannot hold him liable for such a loan.

"The financier should not have advanced loan because my name was used, and hold me liable. I'm neither the guarantor nor the borrower of the loan, hence I'm not responsible to pay any money," Rajinikanth said in his petition.

Rajinikanth also said that if Kasthuri Raja had used his name to avail loan, the financier should have informed him or at least verified.

He said that these allegations are aimed at tarnishing his image in public.

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan says he's grateful to Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who is said to have recommended the former for the Tamil remake of Malayalam blockbuster "Drishyam".

"I heard it from somebody that Mohanlal wished to see me star in the remake of 'Drishyam'. He felt I'd do justice to the film and recommended by name. I'm thankful to him for that because rarely do stars like me get to work in such lovely films," Haasan told IANS.

Kamal reprised Mohanlal's role in recently released "Papanasam", the Tamil remake of "Drishyam".

Jeethu Joseph, who helmed the original, also directed "Papanasam".

About a father's plight to cover a murder committed by his family, the film also stars Gautami, Nivetha Thomas, Ananth Mahadevan and Asha Sharath in important roles.

The film has already been remade in Telugu and Kannada, while the Hindi version titled "Drishyam" starring Ajay Devgn will release on July 31

Actor Sivakarthikeyan is on an experimental mode. He will be seen in three diverse get-ups in his upcoming yet-untitled Tamil outing, which will be directed by debutant Bhagyaraj Bharathi.

"Sivakarthikeyan, for the first time in his career, will be seen in three different get-ups. He will be seen as a youngster, a lady and an old man. International make-up artist Sean Foot, who had recently worked on Vikram's look in Tamil film 'I', has been brought on board," a source told IANS.

Sean will take care of Sivakarthikeyan's three different looks in the film, which will be produced by R.D. Raja.

While the rest of the cast will be soon finalised, industry heavyweights such as cinematographer P.C. Sreeram and sound designer Resul Pookutty are already part of the project.

Anirudh Ravichander, a regular in Sivakarthikeyan's films, has been roped in to compose the tunes.

The regular shooting of the project is set to begin from September.