Malaysia Box Office Report

November 8–11, 2007
(US $1 = 3.3286 Malaysian Ringgit)

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TW LW Movie Weekend Gross Change Screens Change / Avg. Gross-to-Date Week 1 N Azhagiya Tamizh Magan $460,334 - 39 - $11,803 $460,334 1 2 N Vel $324,060 - 28 - $11,574 $324,060 1 3 N Bee Movie $288,394 - 43 - $6,707 $342,162 1 4 1 30 Days of Night $255,334 -30.6% 53 - $4,818 $877,426 2 5 - Stardust $95,807 -8.7% 20 - $4,790 $274,178 2 6 - 9 September $84,053 - 46 - $1,827 $330,206 2 7 N Balls of Fury $75,530 - 16 - $4,721 $75,530 1 8 N Lions for Lambs $47,665 - 20 - $2,383 $47,665 1 9 - Bullet & Brain $38,185 -30.0% 20 - $1,909 $120,242 2 10 - Shrooms $31,557 +46.0% 17 +5 $1,856 $83,807 2 11 N Om Shanti Om $23,869 - 8 - $2,984 $23,869 1 12 - Shoot 'Em Up $16,697 -58.3% 15 -10 $1,113 $185,724 3 13 - Chaiya $16,188 -46.1% 15 -2 $1,079 $147,255 3 14 - Cheut ai kup gei (The Exodus) $9,930 -18.2% 10 - $993 $28,469 2 15 N Hantu $9,813 - 4 - $2,453 $9,813 1 16 N Saawariya $9,549 - 5 - $1,910 $9,549 1 17 N Machakaran $8,818 - 5 - $1,764 $8,818 1 18 - 1408 $8,375 -65.1% 12 -8 $698 $123,977 3 19 - Kuntilanak 2 $6,394 -67.2% 12 -16 $533 $103,565 3 - - Penny Dreadful (2006) $5,563 - 15 - $371 $5,563 - - - Lantai 13 (13th Floor) $4,615 - 12 - $385 $18,762 2 - - 1957 Hati Malaya $3,377 -70.0% 15 -16 $225 $60,038 3 - - Otai $2,960 -91.8% 4 -11 $740 $1,102,592 5 - - The Bourne Ultimatum $2,411 -64.2% 6 -8 $402 $581,783 5 - - The Last Legion $1,615 -82.6% 2 -17 $808 $160,506 4 - - Tie saam gok (Triangle) $1,271 -84.1% 2 -24 $636 $147,677 4 - N Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding) $1,171 - 3 - $390 $1,171 1 - - Si jie (Lust, Caution) $993 +64.1% 2 -2 $497 $138,371 7 - - Baohulu de mimi (The Secret of the Magic Gourd) $788 -58.0% 2 -5 $394 $143,927 5 - - Mendadak dangdut $162 - 5 - $32 $1,115 2 - N Azur et Asmar $139 - 1 - $139 $139 1 - - Apartment 1303 $27 -99.5% 1 -10 $27 $114,990 4

ATM REVIEW BY AYNGARAN

Cast: Vijay , Shreya

Director: Bharhathan
Music: A.R.Rahman
Production: Swargachitra Productions

Vijay has reached a new milestone in his career by acting in dual roles in this diwali release “Azhagiya Tamizh Magan” the story is penned down by S.K Jeeva and directed by debutant director Bharathan. Music is scored by A.R rahman.Balasubramanian has handled the camera and Anthony is the editor.

Gurumoorthy (Vijay), is a student who is an athlete. He leads a fun filled life with his friends. Guru meets Abhi (Shriya) who is one among the richest man’s daughter and its love at first sight, Abhi also falls in love with him, realizing guru’s soft natured character ,duo start seeing each other, their love leads to wedding with their parent’s permission.

The actual plot begins when guru starts envisaging dangerous incidents in his mind, such incidents starts coming true, in one such situation he sees himself killing Abhi .so to avoid such a hazardous situation guru exiles himself to Mumbai. There he notices someone who replicates his physical appearance exactly and he is involved in a street brawl. Now he realizes that he is the one who tries to kill Abhi.when he tries to cross the road to meet him, he is bumped off by a vehicle that puts him in coma. Meanwhile the one he saw in Mumbai is called Prasad; Prasad is on his way to Chennai. Fate brings him to Abhi and he acts as guru hiding his true identity. For beauty and money Prasad starts to enjoy his new identity when things seem to go well for him, guru returns to save Abhi. From this point it’s all about how well he succeeds in saving his lady love and himself from the situation.

The cast includes Vijay and shriya in the lead, Namitha, Geetha, Aashish Vidyathi, Shayaji Shinde, Santhanam and other.

Vijay has performed well in a dual role, especially the Character of Prasad, Which has lot of negative shades and then Gurumoorthy who is a hero image, Shriya has oozed out good performance and glamour ,Namitha has shook her legs for a sensuous song number and also comes for one scene ,Santhanam tries comedy which is energetic.

A.R Rahman’s music is the biggest highlight in the movie, whether it is a folk song or a duet, Rahman has handled it very well. The Remix of “Pon Magal Vandhal” is simply superb. The movie is a good entertainer and an awesome Deepavali treat.

Kuruvi drenched

By Behindwoods News Bureau.
November 14, 2007

Only recently we reported that work on Dharani’s Vijay-Trisha- starrer Kuruvi is going on in full throttle. Huge sets have been erected at the MGR film city for this movie and the scale of the sets indicates that it is not just for some song sequence but also for a major portion of the movie. In between, they shot some scenes at the Irungaatukottai racetrack where Vijay set the tarmac ablaze.

The team had even erected another set nearby in Sriperumbudur for shooting a song sequence, which features some models from Bangalore and Mumbai. Sadly, rain seems to have played spoilsport, which held up the shooting for two days – by the time the call sheet of the models ended. Even more disappointing is the fact that the modeling agency had been paid full in advance and with the shooting stalled due to rain, well beyond the allocated dates, it has resulted in loss of valuable time. But this has not perturbed the producers who are ready to go to any lengths to see the film materialize.

போக்கிரிக்கு விருது

விஜய்யின் சூப்பர் ஹிட் படமான போக்கிரிக்கு மலையாளத்து மாத்ருபூமி இதழ் வழங்கும் சிறந்த திரைப்படத்திற்கான விருது கிடைத்துள்ளது.

மாத்ருபூமி இதழும், பி.எஸ்.எஸ். லிமிட்டெட் நிறுவனமும் இணைந்து வழங்கும் திரைப்பட விருதுகள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. 2007ம் ஆண்டுக்கான விருதுகளில் விஜய்யின் போக்கிரியும் இடம் பிடித்துள்ளது.

தமிழில் போக்கிரி படம் சிறந்த படமாக தேர்வாகியுள்ளது. அப்படத்தை இயக்கிய பிரபுதேவா சிறந்த இயக்குநராக தேர்வு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார். ஈ படத்தில் சிறப்பாக நடித்த நயனதாரா சிறந்த நடிகையாக தேர்வு பெற்றுள்ளார்.

போக்கிரி படத்திற்கு ரூ. 1 லட்சம் பரிசும், மற்ற விருதுகளுக்கு ரூ. 50 ஆயிரம் ரொக்கப் பரிசும் வழங்கப்படவுள்ளது.

மாத்ருபூமி குழும நிர்வாக ஆசிரியர் பி.வி.சந்திரன் இந்த விருதுகள் குறித்து அறிவித்தார்.

கொச்சியில் வருகிற 18ம் தேதி நடைபெறும் விழாவின்போது விருதுகள் வழங்கப்படும்.

விஜய் படம் ஒன்றிற்கு கேரளாவில் விருது கிடைத்திருப்பது இதுவே முதல் முறை என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

www.thatstamil. com

Who lit the torch for Diwali?

IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, November 14, 2007]

The dust has finally settled down. The big hype surrounding the release of Deepavali movies too has come to close.

A total of half-a-dozen movie has hit the screens on Deepavali day creating great hype and expectations among the audience. Vijay's 'Azhagiya Thamizh Magan', Suriya's 'Vel', Sathyaraj's 'Kannamoochi Yaenada', 'Polladhavan' starring Dhanush, Jeevan starrer 'Machaakkaran' and 'Agra', a movie featuring newcomers.

It was celebration time at various cinema halls and multiplexes last week when these films hit the screens. Fans celebrated in joy the movies hitting the screens.

Let's check out the response and box office results of these movies.

'Azhagiya Tamil Magan' Vijay's 'Azhagiya Tamil Magan' has witnessed a bumper opening. Almost all the shows in Chennai city have been running to packed houses. Vijay dons a dual role. However his role with negative shades has not gone down well with his fans. The movie features Shreya, Namitha and Ashish Vidyarthi in the cast. Rahman's music has failed to strike the right chord.

அழகிய தமிழ் மகன் - Tamil Cinema Review

ஏறத்தாழ 5000 அடி படம். மராத்தான் ரேசில் ஓடிய களைப்பை ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டிய ஃபுட்டேஜ். ஆனாலும் விஜய் ஏறியிருக்கும் இந்த இரட்டை குதிரை சவாரி 'பலே வெள்ளையத்தேவா' ரகம்! மகளின் காதலுக்கு 'ஊஹ§ம்' சொல்வாரென்று எதிர்பார்த்தால் 'ம்' சொல்கிறார் ஸ்ரேவின் அப்பா ஆசிஷ்வித்யார்த்தி. வில்லன் இல்லாத காதலில் சுவாரஸ்யம் ஏது? வில்லனாக வருகிறார் இன்னொரு விஜய். இருவருக்கும் நடக்கிற எசகுபிசகான யுத்தத்தின் முடிவு என்ன? இதில் ஈ.எஸ்.பி என்ற புதிய சமாச்சாரத்தையும் கலந்து அழகிய திரை மகனை தந்திருக்கிறார் புதுமுக இயக்குனர் பரதன். திடீரென்று கைகள் உதற, எதிர்கால பயங்கரங்களை உணருகிறார் விஜய். அவர் உணர்வது போலவே அடுத்தடுத்த பயங்கரங்களும் நிகழ்கிறது. ஒரு சந்தர்பத்தில் தான் நேசிக்கிற காதலியை தானே கொல்வது போலவும் உணருகிறார். அருகில் இருந்தால்தானே அந்த கொலை நிகழும்? மும்பைக்கு பறக்கிறார். அங்கே...? இன்னொரு விஜய்! அதிர்ச்சிக்குள்ளாகும் அவர் சுதாரிப்பதற்குள் ஒரு விபத்து. மீண்டும் அவர் கண்விழிக்கும் ஒரு மாதத்திற்குள் என்னென்னவோ நடந்துவிடுகிறது. பதறியடித்துக் கொண்டு சென்னைக்கு திரும்பும் விஜய், வில்லன் விஜயோடு மோதும்போதுதான் கனவில் உணர்ந்த அந்த சம்பவம் நடந்தேறுகிறது. அட தேவுடா..! பிழைத்தாரா ஸ்ரே? இருக்கையின் நுனிக்கு தள்ளி சுபம் போடுகிறார்கள். கள் குடித்த காளை மாதிரி, ச்சும்மா தூள் கிளப்பியிருக்கிறார் வில்லன் விஜய். சிகரெட்டை எடுக்கிற ஸ்டைலும், அதை பற்ற வைக்கிற அழகும், 'என்னென்னவோ செய்றோம், இதை செய்ய மாட்டோமா?' என்ற பஞ்ச் டயலாக்கும், விஜய் வருகிற போதெல்லாம் திமிலோகப்படுகிறது தியேட்டர். போகிற போக்கில் ஒரு காதல் குழியை வெட்டி, அதில் நமீதா என்ற புள்ளி மானையும் தள்ளிவிட்டு போகிற அலட்சியம் இருக்கிறதே, ஒயிலாட்டம், சிலம்பாட்டம் மாதிரி இது விஜயாட்டம்! மற்றொரு விஜய்க்கு, காதலியையும், தன் காதலையும் காப்பாற்றியாக வேண்டிய கட்டாயம். எந்த காயை நகர்த்தினாலும், அங்கே ஒரு 'செக்' வைக்கிறார் வில்லன் விஜய். எப்படிப்பா இதெல்லாம் என்று யோசிக்கிற நேரத்தில், விஜயின் டைரியை படித்துவிட்டுதான் அதெல்லாம் என்று முடிச்சை அவிழ்க்கிறார் இயக்குனர். இரண்டு விஜய்களில் யார் உண்மையான காதலர் என்பதை ஸ்ரேயா அடையாளம் கண்டு கொள்கிறபோது பதற்றம் தொற்றிக் கொள்கிறது கதையில்! ஸ்ரேயாவுக்கு டூயட் ஆட மட்டுமல்ல. நடிக்கவும் சிறிது வாய்ப்பளித்திருக்கிறார்கள். வாழ்க! தணிகலபரணியை மடக்குகிற ஸ்ரேயா, கீதாவின் முன், குத்துவிளக்காக பளபளப்பது அழகு! ஒரு பாடலுக்கு விஜய்க்கு கம்பெனி கொடுத்து, கடைசியில் வயிற்றை தள்ளி கொண்டு வந்து நிற்கிறார் நமீதா. சில காட்சிகளே வந்தாலும் கஞ்சா கருப்புவின் காமெடி 'போதை'தான்! படம் முழுக்க 'ஒளி'வீசுவது கேமிராமேன் பாலசுப்ரமணியெம்தான்! இரண்டு விஜய்களையும் மோத விடுகிறபோது வித்தை காட்டுகிற கேமிரா, சண்டை காட்சிகளின் பயங்கரங்களை அப்படியே உள்வாங்கியிருக்கிறது. ரஹ்மானின் இசையில் 'பொன்மகள் வந்தாள்' ரீமிக்சும், 'மதுரைக்கு போகாதடி' பாடலும் மனசை விட்டு அகல சில மாதங்கள் பிடிக்கும். ஒரு விஜய் இருந்தாலே உரியடி திருவிழா! இங்கே இரண்டு விஜய்..! கேட்கவேண்டுமா? கிடாவெட்டி பொங்கலே வைத்திருக்கிறார்கள்! -ஆர்.எஸ்.அந்தணன்

FI R on Diwali Releases!

By Moviebuzz | Monday, 12 November , 2007, 09:53

It is early days, but the First Information Report (FIR) on Diwali films four days after its release, clearly indicate that it is going to be a lukewarm festival season. There are no super hits, and the public opinion on the Diwali releases is not very encouraging.

Added to that, super hit films (Ghilli, Godfather, Madurai, E, Dishum, Chennai-60028) on television and India-Pak ODI at Mohali on Diwali day and later Kanpur ODI on Sunday, ate into box-office collections of Tamil films.

And in Chennai city the demand for Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om was more than any other Diwali releases, though it was playing in four screens!

At the Box-Office in Tamilnadu- Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Vel are neck-to-neck throughout Tamilnadu, with ATM having an edge in urban areas (ticket prices are more) and the fantastic opening on Diwali day, while Vel is scoring heavily in B & C stations of Madurai, Salem and TK. But distributors unanimously feel that Vel is a safe bet in the long run.

Polladhavan which started slowly is picking up especially in urban areas, and is very good in Chennai city, Chengalpet and Coimbatore. It has potential to pick up big time, in the coming days. Kannanmoochi Yaenada is collecting only at Sathyam and Inox in Chennai and Mayajaal in NSC area, rest of the state it is a goner, while Machakaran collections are uniformly bad across the state.

Says Jayavel Murugan, leading distributor for Tamil movies in US : “Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Vel have opened in 20 cities across America. I had brought both the films at record prices and is comfortable with the turnout. Added to that ATM audio is a chartbuster in USA”.

The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of Sify.com

Mathrubhumi Film Awards 2007 announced

The Mathrubhumi- P.S.S. Film Awards 2007 have been announced.

Pokkiri has been judged as the best film and its director Prabhudeva as best director.

Nayantara has been selected as best actress for her performance in E and Vijay, the best actor for Pokkiri.

Awards for the best director and actors carry a cash award of Rs.50,000 each and the best film Rs.1 lakh.

The awards will be given on November 18th at Kochi.

ATM -Worldwide Box-Office report

By Behindwoods News Bureau.
November 13, 2007

This Deepavali was a treat not just for the Hindi film fans the world over but for fans of Tamil films as well. Shahrukh Khan, the King Khan, is the one who is smiling across the continents, as his film Om Shanti Om reaped success like never before. Om Shanti Om made it to the eleventh spot in the US box office raking in $1,764,131 over

the weekend at the rate of $15,474 per screen; further, it seized the seventh spot in the UK box office with collections totaling $1,084,316 and a per screen average of $20,852 and in Australia it has managed to secure ninth place with a total collection of $168,874 and a per screen average of $14,073.

Saawariya did have an impressive opening as well in all the above-mentioned three countries, in spite of the drubbing it received from critics. The movie grossed $ 542,192 in the US box office at the rate of $ 6,378 per screen securing the twenty-fourth spot; not bad at all for the movie touted to be a flop. It’s collections from the UK, where it secured the twelfth spot, is $336,437 with an average per screen collection of $7,009. Saawariya is placed at the sixteenth spot in the Aussie box office raking in $94,339 and $5,549 per screen.

What is even more surprising is that Tami films Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Vel have done exceptionally well at the UK box office collecting $199,693 and $43,191, respectively with an impressive per screen averages of $11,094 and $7,199 in theatres. This trend of Tamil movies doing well at the UK box office is prominent after Sivaji, which exposed Tamil cinema to the non-Tamil speaking Indian fraternity. Happy days are sure to begin here with biggies like Billa and Dasavatharam ready to hit the screens in the months to come.

CBO- Diwali weekend (Nov 8 to 11)

Moviebuzz

Diwali in Tamil Nadu comes a day before it is celebrated in North India. So the Tamil releases, six of them released on Thursday November 8, while two Hindi releases had the normal three day weekend. Vijay's Azhagiya Tamil Magan, clearly leads the Diwali pack as it took a fantastic opening in seven Chennai screens with a total capacity of approximately 4500 seats per show, due to the stars terrific pull at the box-office. It is clearly the number one at CBO, though it carries mixed reports. As expected the number two is Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om, it's three day opening is a fantastic 96 percent in five Chennai screens including Mayajaal ( taken by the trade as a part of Chennai city for Hindi films). OSO has been declared a hit by the trade and King Khan has reiterated his position as the 'numero uno' non- Tamil hero in Chennai city. In the third position is the Hari directed Surya masala entertainer Vel, which opened in eight screens, most of them small screens (Seasons, Inox, Suriyan, Chandran). The film caters to the family audience, which means by next week it will move further up the charts! In the fourth position is Dhanush's Vetrimaran directed Polladhavan, which also opened in seven huge screens, but due to good word of mouth picked up by day two. It is expected to be the sleeper hit of Diwali. In the fifth position is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, after a super 100 percent opening on day one in six Chennai screens it collapsed by day two. The audiences found it to be a big bore that put them to sleep!

Film Cast Pluses Minuses Trade fact Azhagiya Tamil Magan Vijay, Shriya, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sayaji Shinde, Geeta Vijay's stylish dual role and Rahman's music Vijay as comic hero and villain does not gel, especially the climax Super Opening

Malavika sizzles with Vijay!

By Moviebuzz
Last updated : Tuesday, 13 November , 2007, 21:24

Malavika is doing an item number with Ilayathalapathy Vijay in Dharani directed Kuruvi!

Last week, this peppy Vidyasagar composed song was picturised on Vijay, Malavika and dancers at the Madras Race Club. The song is said to be one of the highlights of the film.

Malavika became the hottest item girl in Tamil cinema, after the Vazhameenum… song in Chitiram Pesuthadi became a rage with the audiences.

For the Bangalore based Malavika, a thorough professional, to be Vijay's item girl is a major boost in her career. The buzz is that she is also being paired in a forthcoming film with a major hero.

Chennai box-office--- Double Treat to Vijay Fans

Eardrum cracking screeches, exploding crackers, and fanatic fans who drench their favorite heroes' larger than life images in milk and beer. These and more such customary festivities marked the festival of lights Deepavali at the theatres this year around. The ecstasy only multiplied since six new releases hit the cinema halls for this Deepavali – not to mention, three of them with significant heroes in the lead.

However, the excitement seems to be draining out pretty soon and a clear winner will emerge out in less than a week. Here we present the six big Deepavali releases rated based on their theatre occupancy and collections over the four day festival weekend. We predict that a dark horse will take over in the Deepavali release race in the days to come.

Cast: Vijay, Shriya, Namitha
Direction: Barathan
Music: A R Rahman
Production: Swagachitra Appachan

Vijay's target this time around seems to be his fans. Period. With him playing a dual role and Shriya and Namitha as eye candies, ATM is a fun ride with prominence in comedy and usual melodrama. Vijay's stylish action and Rahman's perky music remain the movie's highlights.

Trade Talk:
The movie has opened to near-full houses on Diwali. Still early to predict results, as fans seem to have mixed opinion. There seems to be a drop in occupancy towards the end of the four day festive holidays.

Public Talk:
One hundred percent for Vijay fans.

No. Days Completed: 4
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 152
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 95 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs.2,918,416

Verdict: Very Good Opening

Link: Behindwoods

Vijay keen to team up with Thangar

By Behindwoods News Bureau.
November 12, 2007

The audio release of ‘Onbadu Roobai Nottu’ directed by Thangar Bachchan was held recently and the industry’s crème de la crème was spotted at the function. The film has Sathyaraj in the lead role in the name of Madhava Padayachi. While speaking at the occasion, Ilayathalapathy said, “I am an ardent fan of Sathyaraj sir.

Whenever I will have to perform scenes which require some sort of lampooning around, I will immediately see his films and go to sets with the same effect. Though I wish to act with Sathyaraj, I am afraid that he will overshadow me completely.” Vijay was also appreciative of ‘Periyar’ and ‘Ammuvagiya Naan’ which are making their entry into international film festivals.

He further disclosed his desire to act in story-centric films, at least two of such genres in a year. He was commending Thangar Bachchan’s work and wished to team up with him wherein an amalgamation of his talent and Thangar’s touch of nativity could yield an interesting cocktail. He also believed that a time would surely come when his desire would be fulfilled.

The audio release was attended by Mani Ratnam, Parthiban, Archana, Bharati Raja, Seeman, Vasanth, producer Kalaipuli Thanu and many others.

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Vijay wants to act in at least in one film with Rajini
Cinesouth - 12.11.2007

In Vijay's films, one can see about 99.9% of a Rajini film structure and now Vijay has actually expressed his desire to join hands with the superstar in a film.

'Onbadhu Rubaai Nottu' directed by Thankar Bachan features Sathyaraj in the lead role. Music is by Bharadwaj and the audio release took place last evening in Chennai.

It was released by Nagaravi and received by Bharatiraja and Mani Ratnam. The artistes on stage included Vijay, Parthiban, Prabhu Deva, Archana, directors Seeman and Vasanth and poet Vairamuthu.

The usually reticent Mani Ratnam actually praised Thankar Bachan to the skies. "As far as Tamil cinema is concerned, we have some giants in each time frame. It includes Sridhar, Mahendran, Bharatiraja, Balachander and Bhagyaraj. In today's time frame, we have many wonderful directors. More than a 10 of them are of world class talent and Thankar Bachan tops the list."

Vijay spoke next. "Beginning with small roles and rising to top hero status are 2 actors, one is Rajini sir and the other is Sathyaraj sir. I love to watch Sathyaraj in his comedy roles. I have acted with Nadigar Thilakam Sivaji Ganesan. I wish similarly that I could act in at least in one film with Rajini sir.

I am very impressed with the songs in Onbadhu Rubaai Nottu.' At aleast once in 2 yaers, I think one should act in such films. The time's not far off when I shall act as a hero under Thank Bachan's direction."

Thankar Bachan beamed with delight at so many compliments showered on him at the function.

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Vijay's dream desire...

IndiaGlitz [Monday, November 12, 2007]

"I want to act with Rajni", says Vijay Speaking at the audio launch of 'Onbathu Rupai Nottu', directed by Thangar Bachan. The movie features Sathyaraj, Archana and Rohini in prominent roles, Vijay said, "I am a great fan of Sathyaraj. I love his satire on screen. I want to act with Sathyaraj and Rajnikanth. However if I act with eminent personalities like Rajnikanth and Sathyaraj, I would be lost in their screen presence. I wondered at Sathyaraj's acting performance in 'Periyar'. I was thrilled when I came to know that it was nominated for the National award." Vijay said that he would love to do an off-beat movie once in a couple of years. Directors Mani Ratnam , Bharathiraja, Parthiban, Seeman, Vasanth, produces Kalaipuli S Thanu, actors Sathyaraj, Prabhudeva, Archana, lyricist Vairamuthu, music director Bharadwaj also spoke on the occasion. http://www.indiagli tz.com/channels/ tamil/article/ 34595.html

ATM - Vijay at his best

To be frank, I am a die hard fan of Vijay only for the past 4 years and even though I have watched him as an entertainer and was happy with his mass commercial movies, there was always a pricking feeling that Vijay’s potential as an actor is not yet utilized even in the best of his films. Even today after watching a lot of Vijay’s films before and after Kushi, I feel that Vijay is not less to anyone in terms of acting talents, and just that he has not been into the right script to tap that out.

After watching ATM yesterday, my long time wishes were fulfilled. To be frank, I was almost in tears of joy after watching the film, because Vijay has displayed his potential in a movie that was made for fans like me, rather than in a movie made for satisfying some unknown jury judging films for an award presented by a film based magazine.

We trio, myself, Venky, Orkut Vijay community owner and Bala, our mutual friend have discussed hours on such topics. Today after watching ATM, we are the happiest of Vijay fans because this is what we wanted to see from Vijay. I am echoing words from Bala just a few minutes ago “If we look for logic in a double hero subject Indian film industry will go for a shutdown. If we ask for getup change movies, Hindi industry will head towards shutdown. If we look for Logic sense half of superstar heroes films will be nothing. Kamal movies which try to take care of all these things are not appreciated by all class of public. So, what do audiences seek exactly?”

I have watched many Vijay movies till date and I will always be impacted by the movie as a whole and to some extent by Vijay’s characterization. But in ATM, the performance of Vijay as PRASAD was just outstanding that I have gone really mad about that character as such. Recollecting every moment what Prasad did in each scene, my mind and soul vibrates with joy to such an extent that I wish to watch the movie n number of times. I have never shown so much affection towards a negative character in any film, whoever had done it. But I cannot just hate Prasad and his handsome looks, the charm, the style, the expressions, the voice modulation, the power and the grace has simply taken me out of this world. And which is why I was able to accept the climax. I would have literally cried if Prasad had got killed for any reason.

Each and every word of the above lines is credited to Vijay. The boy who was papa’s kid when he entered filmdom with Naalaya Theerpu has risen to such great heights today as an actor, as a performer, as an entertainer and as a big star, that he is able to carry a whole film by himself. I am least bothered about what others say about the film, I hardly care for how websites review the film and it hardly matters to me how technically brilliant the film is. I might sound stupid, but I watch Vijay films only for Vijay and he has never let me down anytime and he has never failed to deliver. I would rate it as the best film of Vijay I have seen till date and will not be able to get over the feel of ATM for days to come.

I would say there are three types of audience who come for a Vijay film. One is the kind which comes in and goes out with the thought that “Vijay and his films suck to the core” There is no cure for such creatures and there is no use of talking about them. The other kind is people like me who are ready to watch anything good done by Vijay and go to the film with an open mind. (Infact I do it for every movie I watch, not only Vijay films) So we are always happy, because, no big expectations, no big disappointments and only entertainment on the whole.

There is a third category of people, who are none other than Vijay fans, but with huge expectations from him. These people are so crazy about Vijay films that they watch the film with a preset state of mind and a self composed storyline. They expect a lot from each and every aspect. And when even a small error occurs, they get terribly disappointed and feel like the whole film is a let down. And as a matter of fact, there are always disputes between this category 3 and category 1 anywhere and everywhere. Now it is this category three mostly that forms the mass for Vijay and he always takes utmost care to cater them. And it is for this people, Vijay gave a hint as not to expect anything and forget his earlier films when watching ATM. So whoever feels that the film lacks something, please go and watch it once again. Concentrate on Vijay and his performance. I know that there are things not in the way you expect and a few mistakes done. But you cannot just let down Vijay for such silly things and say that the movie is not good.

Finally about special effects, even Ghilli had a lot of crappy special effects that were totally unbelievable. We can forgive a few poorly executed scenes for the sake of respecting the hard work of an one man army called Vijay, who in addition to his usual comedy, dance, action, romance departments has taken up the villan department and has given us an excellent performance. At the peak of his career, he has taken the risk of acting in a film like ATM inspite of knowing the fact that it will not be a typical Vijay film expected by everyone. I salute that confidence!

I sincerely wished that Vijay fans could have supported films like Kannukul Nilavu which would have given Vijay a confidence to do performance based roles. And with the same heart I am seriously praying that every Vijay fan should watch ATM as many number of times as possible, because it is a critical movie at an important stage in his career that Vijay has presented to us as an actor. Our acceptance is the only thing that will give him the confidence of taking up such movies in future. I am saying this because, for other actors its awards that decide the choice of films, but our Vijay chooses films only with the thought of his fans in mind. So I end up here wishing all Vijay fans enjoy ATM and hope the film does really well atleast for the effort Vijay has put into it.

Long Live Vijay!!
Cheers,
KSR

Azhagiya Tamil Magan-Review

By: Settu Shankar
Friday, November 09, 2007

Link: OneIndia

It's double dhamaka for all Vijay fans! If you are ready to enjoy a movie without any logic, ATM is a must see. Of course Azhagiya Tamil Magan is a new effort from Vijay and his team and the young box office prince has delivered well being seen in novel getups in the film. He is looking very smart and fresh in his first ever dual role performance. His stylish and comical mannerism in ATM steels the show and scores well for him. Director Bharathan has well exploited the actor's strength and style in most parts of the film.

We only knew that Vijay is the hero of the movie. But what surprised the viewers is his villain role! Yes, he is playing both the hero and villain role. However, the director (Bharathan, a debutant) seems not to be bothered about the story as it is wafer thin, and in the climax he seems to be unable to how to end the film well Among the major drawbacks of the film is its length – almost three hours. It needs a good trimming mainly in the first half which is too long and at times sags.

We must say that ESP is not a proven scientific fact and hence the director putting it as a matter of fact is wrong. This could have been digested if the director had presented it in a different way without saying that it was scientific.

Guru (Vijay) is an athlete and a business management student who always seen with his two friends Santhanam and Sathyan. They reside in a house owned by sex bomb Shakeela (she appears as herself) in a colony. Abhinaya (Shreya) is the daughter of a business baron (Ashish Vidyarthi). They happen to meet and fall in love. Both parents accept their relationship.

Suddenly Guru starts seeing things that are going to happen in the immediate future. The doctors say he has Extra Sensory Perception (ESP). He has two bitter experiences, which may be the cause of it. Just before Guru and Abhinaya are to be engaged, Guru gets a very disturbing ESP, of him killing Abhinaya. A shattered Guru distances himself from Abhinaya and goes away to Mumbai.

In Mumbai he stumbles upon a person, who looks like him. This adds a twist to the tale of the ESP he had about Abhinaya. Before catching the man, played by Vijay himself, Guru has an accident and the new man moves to Chennai where he is mistaken to be Guru. The stylish and care free Prasad (the villain), the look alike Guru, is a greedy person, who would do anything to earn money and enjoy life. Abhinaya mistakes him for Guru and invites him to her house.

Understanding what he has got into, Prasad decides to act as Guru and marry the rich Abhinaya. He proposes that they get engaged and she accepts. Guru, then sensing trouble returns back to Chennai to set thing right with his love.

Vijay plays the role with much ease and outstanding style. His comic timing, impeccable dancing abilities (particularly in the title song) make his performance simply outstanding. In the negative character Prasad's role, he is the veritable scene stealer. No doubt, Vijay is the strength of the movie. Shreya is another sweet surprise in the movie. She is not appearing as a glamour doll, but performs well in a meaty role on par with the hero. Particularly in the climax, Shreya proves her acting agility.

There is nothing special in Namitha's role. The director has used her effectively for a scintillating song. Santhanam plays the hero's friend well and raises the comedy bar to a new level. The major plus of the film is AR Rehman"s catchy tunes and cool background score. Nee Marliyn Monroe... is an item number shot with Vijay and Namitha in Phuket islands. But in many shots of the song, one can easily find the censor officer's work too.

Maduraikku Pogathadi and Valayapatti Thavile are other two foot tapping numbers. However the remix of Ponmagal Vandhal is not a pleasant one for the ardent lovers of original song. Balasubramaniyan's camera work is another asset. The film"s foreseeable problem is the climax, which is undigestable for the masses. Over all, the film has many drawbacks in its script but Vijay neutralizes all of these with his outstanding performance!!

Verdict: Above average

Credits:

Cast: Vijay, Shreya, Namitha, Ashish Vidhyarthy
Music: AR Rahman
Direction: Bharathan
Production: Swargachitra Appachan