India Talkies: January 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

List of highest-grossing Tamil films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_Tamil-language_films

Winners of 56th Filmfare Awards 2011

Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male)
Shah Rukh Khan - My Name Is Khan

Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female)
Kajol - My Name Is Khan

Best Film
Dabangg

Best Director
Karan Johar - My Name Is Khan

Best Film (Critics)
Udaan

Best Actor Male (Critics)
Rishi Kapoor - Do Dooni Chaar

Best Actor Female (Critics)
Vidya Balan (Ishqiya)

Best Actor In Supporting Role (Male)
Ronit Roy - Udaan

Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female)
Kareena Kapoor - We Are Family

Best Sensational Debut (Male)
Ranveer Singh - Band Bajaa Baaraat

Best Sensational Debut (Female)
Sonakshi Sinha - Dabangg

Best Debut Director
Maneesh Sharma (Band Baaja Baraat)

Best Playback Singer (Male)
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji (Ishqiya)

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Mamta Sharma - Munni Badnaam Hui (Dabangg)
Sunidhi Chauhan - Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan)

Best Story
Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane - Udaan

Best Music
Sajid - Wajid & Lalit Pandit (Dabangg)

Best Lyrics
Gulzar - Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji (Ishqiya)

Best Dialogue
Habib Faisal - Band Baaja Baaraat

Best Choreography
Farah Khan - Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan)

Best Action
Vijayan Master - Dabangg

Best Screenplay
Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap - Udaan

Best Background Score
Amit Trivedi - Udaan

Best Costumes
Varsha Shilpa - Do Dooni Chaar

Best Editing
Namrata Rao - Love Sex Aur Dhokha

Best Cinematography
Mahendra Shetty - Udaan

Best Sound Design
Pritam Das - Love Sex Aur Dhokha
Kunal Sharma - Udaan

Best Production Design
Mukund Gupta - Do Dooni Chaar

R. D. Burman Music Award
Sneha Khanwalkar - Love Sex Aur Dhokha

Sony Best Scene Of The Year
Golmaal 3

Lifetime Achievement Award
Manna Dey

40 Years Of Greatness Award
Amitabh Bachchan

Winners! Complete List From the 2011 SAG Awards

MOTION PICTURES

Ensemble: The King's Speech

Male Actor, Leading: Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Female Actor, Leading: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Male Actor, Supporting: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Female Actor, Supporting: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Stunt Ensemble, Motion Picture: Inception

TELEVISION

Ensemble, Comedy Series: Modern Family

Ensemble, Drama Series: Boardwalk Empire

Male Actor, Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Female Actor, Comedy Series: Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Male Actor, Drama Series: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Female Actor, Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Female Actor, Television Movie or Miniseries: Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Male Actor, Television Movie or Miniseries: Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack

Stunt Ensemble, Television Series: True Blood

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Ernest Borgnine

Javier Bardem Wanted For Bond 23

Javier Bardem is a popular man right now. He’s already in the mix as a possible Roland Deschain for Ron Howard’s ambitious take onThe Dark Tower, and now it appears that the EON team are eager for him to take a hefty role in the 23rd Bond film alongside Daniel Craig.

Deadline reports that MGM and regular Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are looking to snag Bardem as the likely second male lead of the movie. And while we could definitely see him playing a villainous type in the high echelons of the Quantum organisation, there’s no confirmation yet on what the part might actually be – for all anyone outside of EON knows, he could be another intelligence type who helps Bond out, or another, more mysterious player in the world of 007. If we had our choice, though, we’d put him as a formidable challenge to Daniel Craig’s hero.

Ever since MGM finally got things sorted out and set a November 9, 2012 release date, the pieces of the new Bond have started to slowly draw together Sam Mendes is still attached to direct the script from Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan and Judi Dench confirmed last week that she’ll return as M. Despite the longer break between this film and the last one the story apparently picks up almost immediately after the events ofQuantum of Solace.

If the idea appeals to you, don’t get your hopes up too quickly – Bardem has turned big roles down before and, as, mentioned, he’s a man with plenty of choices. Plus there’s a certain infant (the child he just had with Penelope Cruz) who has a high-profile role for him: dad…

James White

Hopkins takes `The Rite' to top of box office

NEW YORK - The Anthony Hopkins horror film "The Rite" topped the box office on a weekend notable for the bump many Oscar-nominated films received, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Warner Bros. flick earned $15 million from just under 3,000 theaters. The PG-13, "Exorcist"-influenced movie drew most of its audience from the older-than-25 demographic.

In its 10th week of release, the Weinstein Company's "The King's Speech" earned $11.1 million while adding nearly 900 screens.

Now with a cumulative box-office haul of $72.2 million, the story of King George VI's triumph over his stuttering affliction continues to build momentum as the Oscar favorite for best picture. It led with 12 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, and its director, Tom Hooper, won best director from the Directors Guild on Saturday.

Last week's top film, the Natalie Portman romantic comedy "No Strings Attached," from Paramount, slipped to second with $13.7 million.

The other debut this weekend, CBS Films' action film "The Mechanic," which stars Jason Stathamand Ben Foster, took in $11.5 million, tied for third with Sony's updated superhero film "The Green Hornet."

Heavily marketed, "The Rite" sought a PG-13 rating less to attract younger audience members than "not to offend" older fans of the 73-year-old Hopkins, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

Fellman credited the film's success to Hopkins, who remains a draw for moviegoers, especially in scary films that recall his famous performance as Hannibal Lecter in 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs."

"The King's Speech" saw the biggest increase after Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday, jumping 41 percent from its performance last weekend.

The Coen brothers' Western "True Grit" was up four percent in its sixth week, bringing its total to $138 million. "The Fighter," in its eighth week, and Portman's "Black Swan," in its ninth week, had only slight drop-offs from the prior weekend.

Still, it was hard to ignore the rising tide of "The King's Speech," which has usurped David Fincher's "The Social Network" as prognosticators' pick to win best picture at the Academy Awards on Feb. 27. Its star, Colin Firth, is believed to be a shoo-in for best actor.

"If I was in Vegas, I'd slip a few bucks on it," said Fellman of "The King's Speech." (Warner Bros.'s dog in the fight is Christopher Nolan's "Inception," whose chances for best picture are considered slim.)

The Screen Actors Guild, whose members make up a large block of academy voters, was to hand out their awards Sunday night.

"The Oscar bump is in full effect," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

But the box-office opportunity for Academy Awards favorites is available partially because of the lack of blockbuster dominance in the marketplace. The weekend was Hollywood's 12th down-weekend in a row, meaning total box office was below that of the corresponding weekend a year earlier.

Last year's high January totals were largely due to the enormous success of James Cameron's 3-D epic "Avatar," which went on to become the highest grossing film ever.

"`Avatar' is casting a long shadow, making our comparisons week after week very tough," said Dergarabedian. "It's an anomaly. ... The marketplace is kind of doing what it's supposed to be doing."

Dergarabedian says the streak of down-weekends is likely to continue, possibly passing the 2005 record of 18 consecutive down-weekends.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Rite," $15 million.

2. "No Strings Attached," $13.7 million.

3. "The Green Hornet," $11.5 million.

(tie) "The Mechanic, $11.5 million.

5. "The King's Speech," $11.1 million.

6. "True Grit," $7.6 million.

7. "The Dilemma," $5.5 million.

8. "Black Swan," $5.1 million.

9. "The Fighter," $4.1 million.

10. "Yogi Bear," $3.2 million.

British actor Henry Cavill cast as Superman

NEW YORK - British actor Henry Cavill is going up, up and away.

Cavill will star as Superman (and, obviously, Clark Kent) in the next installment of the movie franchise. Warner Bros. Pictures announced the casting Sunday.

The film is to be directed by "300" director Zack Snyder, who says in a statement Cavill is "the perfect choice to don the cape and `S' shield."

No title has been announced for the film, which is intended to reboot the franchise after its latest incarnation fizzled. The 2006 movie "Superman Returns" was directed by Bryan Singer and starredBrandon Routh as the Man of Steel.

Cavill is relatively unknown. He had been considered for the blockbuster roles of Batman, James Bond and even the previous version of Superman. He co-starred on Showtime's "The Tudors."

Warner Bros. is targeting December 2012 for release.

Redford relieved this year's Sundance is ending

PARK CITY, Utah - FounderRobert Redford is glad this year's Sundance Film Festival is coming to a close.

The 74-year-old actor says it's "always a relief" when the 10-day event wraps because "it's really exhausting."

He's happy, though, about the success of this year's festival, with about 45 films being sold — up about 220 percent from 2010, when only 14 films were sold.

Redford believes the studios are taking an interest in the movies at Sundance because they're realizing "there are audiences" for independent films.

David Arquette Reportedly Leaves Rehab After Treatment For 'Alcohol & Other Issues'

David Arquette has checked out of rehab, Access Hollywood has confirmed.

"He has completed his treatment and has left," a rep for the actor told Access on Sunday.

PLAY IT NOW: David Arquette: How Is Daughter Coco Handling Divorce?

A source for People -- which was first to report the news -- reportedly told the mag the actor is "in great spirits."

"He's feeling good and he's ready to move forward," the source reportedly added.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebs Who Have Been In Rehab

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Arquette's rep confirmed to Access that the star had entered rehab in early January.

TMZ -- which was first to initially report the rehab information -- also reported that Arquette checked himself into a live-in rehab facility to address alcohol and other issues at the time.

A source told the website that drugs were not a factor in his treatment.

In December, Arquette appeared on the "Howard Stern Show" on Sirius XM, saying, "I've been drinking a lot... [But I don't] want to go into all that, because it's really a personal, traumatic thing... Everybody's worried and concerned about me. When I drink, I become a maniac... [I'm] definitely not drinking for a long time."

The 39-year-old actor separated from wife Courteney Cox in October.

Sir Peter Jackson 'doing well' after surgery

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - "Lord of the Rings" director Sir Peter Jackson is in stable condition in the intensive care unit of Wellington Hospital after surgery for a perforated ulcer.

Publicist Melissa Booth said Monday that Jackson was "doing well" but would be in the hospital for at least a few more days. She said doctors expect Jackson to make a full recovery.

Jackson was admitted to Wellington Hospital last Wednesday after complaining of acute stomach pains. His illness has delayed the start of filming of "The Hobbit," the two-part prequel to his Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Production of "The Hobbit" had previously been troubled by financial issues and the departure of its initial director Guillermo del Toro.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — "Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson is in stable condition in the intensive care unit of Wellington Hospital after surgery for a perforated ulcer.

Publicist Melissa Booth said Monday that Jackson was "doing well" but would be in the hospital for at least a few more days. She said doctors expect Jackson to make a full recovery.

Production of "The Hobbit" had previously been troubled by financial issues and the departure of its initial director Guillermo del Toro.

Buscemi, Margulies earn SAG TV drama honors

LOS ANGELES - Steve Buscemi of "Boardwalk Empire" and Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife" have been picked as best actors in a TV drama at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The award for overall cast performance in a TV drama also went to "Boardwalk Empire," a Prohibition-era crime drama.

Buscemi's thanks included a shout out and congratulations to Martin Scorsese, who won a Directors Guild of America Award prize the night before for directing the pilot episode of "Boardwalk Empire." Scorsese was ill and unable to attend.

"Marty, we love you. We hope you feel better, and we love working with you. Please come back," Buscemi said.

Margulies had warm words for her in-laws "for producing truly the most spectacular human being, who I get to call my husband."

The big-screen prizes are the night's main events, with winners gaining momentum for the same honors at the Feb. 27 Academy Awards.

Colin Firth, star of the British monarchy saga "The King's Speech," is expected to take home the best-actor trophy at the Screen Actors ceremony, while Christian Bale is the supporting-actor favorite for the boxing drama "The Fighter."

Best-actress and supporting-actress honors are more competitive. Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" and Annette Bening for "The Kids Are All Right" are in a tight race for lead actress, while "The Fighter" co-stars Melissa Leo and Amy Adams both are strong contenders for supporting actress, along with 14-year-old newcomer Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit."

Out of the 20 Screen Actors nominees in film categories, 17 also earned Oscar nominations. Among them are last year's best-actor winner Jeff Bridges, nominated this season for "True Grit";Nicole Kidman for "Rabbit Hole"; James Franco for "127 Hours"; Jesse Eisenberg for "The Social Network"; and Jennifer Lawrence for "Winter's Bone."

Before the show began, the guild presented its award for film stunt ensemble to the sci-fi blockbuster "Inception" and the TV stunt prize to the vampire drama "True Blood."

Nominated for overall cast performance at the guild awards are "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network." All five were among the 10 best-picture nominees at the Oscars, where "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech" are considered the front-runners for Hollywood's biggest prize.

"The Social Network," chronicling the rise of Facebook, had been the early Oscar favorite for best-picture, named the year's top drama by key critics groups and the Golden Globes.

But "The King's Speech" has surged forward in the past week, pulling upset wins at the Directors Guild and Producers Guild awards and leading the Oscar field last Tuesday with 12 nominations.

Last year's individual winners at the guild awards — Bridges for "Crazy Heart," Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side," Mo'nique for "Precious" and Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds" — all went on to win at the Oscars.

The cast prize, considered the guild's equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting the top Oscar winner.

The recipient of the guild's cast award has gone on to claim best-picture at the Oscars only seven of 15 years since SAG added that prize. Last year's guild cast recipient, "Inglourious Basterds," lost out to "The Hurt Locker" in the Oscar best-picture race.

The 17th annual SAG Awards include a life-achievement honor for Ernest Borgnine.

Betty White wins again at the Screen Actors Awards

A year after Betty White received the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement award, she was back, taking home another statuette.

The 89-year-old White was honored Sunday for outstanding actress in a comedy series for her performance on TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland."

"I cannot believe this," said a genuinely shocked White, after being helped to the stage by presenter Jon Hamm. "They got the old broad up those stairs — and that's not easy."

She added that the award was "the biggest surprise I've ever had in this business."

It was a fitting win for White, whose recent comeback began at the SAG Awards. Her speech a year ago — in which she exhibited great comic timing and playful quips with presenter Sandra Bullock— was a huge hit. Afterward, a Facebook campaign was launched urging that she host "Saturday Night Live."

She eventually did, in May, leading to an audience of 12.1 million for "SNL" and, later, an Emmy award for White. In December, Associated Press members voted her the AP Entertainer of the Year.

Back at the same podium that helped launch her unlikely late resurgence, White proved that another year hadn't dulled her sharp wit. While speaking, she slyly ran her hand over the (particularly revealing) statuette, cooing, "ooh."

The crowd roared.

"Boardwalk Empire", Betty White among early SAG wins

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - New Prohibition-era drama "Boardwalk Empire" and veteran actress Betty White were among early winners at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday as Hollywood stars honored film and television performances just four weeks before the Oscars.

"Modern Family," last year's Emmy winner for best comedy series, was named best comedy ensemble at the gala dinner.

White, 89, received a standing ovation as she collected her trophy for playing a sassy caretaker in the new comedy "Hot in Cleveland".

"This is the biggest surprise I have ever had in this business. I am so lucky at 89 to be working....you didn't applaud when I turned 40," quipped the former "Golden Girls" star, who won the union's lifetime achievement award last year.

Melissa Leo was honored for her supporting role as a feisty matriarch in the boxing movie "The Fighter." She is the favorite to win the Oscar at the Academy Awards on February 27.

Accepting the statuette in the form of a male, Leo thanked her fellow cast members for "helping me get a man I can bring home with me tonight".

All eyes were on the top SAG prize -- best ensemble movie cast -- which is handed out at the end of the two-hour ceremony.

That award is usually a good indicator of best picture Oscar success because actors in the U.S. film and TV industry make up the largest voting group among members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The British royals drama "The King's Speech," with a leading 12 Oscar nominations, and the Facebook drama "The Social Network," are in a close race for the top Oscar.

But "The King's Speech" appears to be edging ahead in the wake of its victories at the Directors Guild and Producers Guild awards in the past week.

The ballerina melodrama "Black Swan," the lesbian family movie "The Kids Are All Right" and "The Fighter" are also competing for SAG's best cast trophy.

SAG best actress nominee Natalie Portman, 29, who plays an unhinged ballerina in "Black Swan," is thought to be neck-and-neck with Bening for her performance as a lesbian mom whose partner cheats on her with a man. Both took home Golden Globes this month.

SAG's actor race includes "King's Speech" star Colin Firth, who has swept various awards shows for his role as stammering monarch King George VI, as well as "Social Network" star Jesse Eisenberg, who met his real-life alter ego, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, for the first time on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend.

Also competing are last year's Oscar winner Jeff Bridges for western "True Grit," James Franco for "127 Hours" and veteran Robert Duvall for the independent film "Get Low." Duvall was a notable omission from the Oscar field.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards also honors performances in television. Steve Buscemi won his first SAG award for playing a corrupt politician in HBO's lavish "Boardwalk Empire" series, and Julianna Margulies made it two in a row for what she called the "role of a lifetime" as a buttoned-up lawyer in "The Good Wife."

Alec Baldwin won for the fifth straight year for comedy "30 Rock".

Melissa Leo wins SAG supporting-actress prize

LOS ANGELES - Melissa Leo won the supporting-actress honor Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role as the domineering matriarch of a boxing family in "The Fighter."

The win lifts Leo's prospects for the same prize at the Feb. 27 Academy Awards.

Leo was speechless for a long moment after taking the stage.

"I'm much better when I have my words written for me and somebody's costumes to put on," said Leo, 50, an Oscar nominee two years ago for "Frozen River" who had success earlier in her career on TV's "Homicide: Life on the Street" but has caught a second wind at an age when many actresses find roles scarce. "This has been an extraordinary season for me."

Betty White, who is having her own career resurgence in her 80s, won for TV comedy actress for "Hot in Cleveland."

"I must say this is the biggest surprise I've ever had in this business. There wasn't a prayer. I am so lucky to be ... at 89, to be working ...," White said, pausing as the crowd interrupted her with effusive applause. "You didn't applaud when I turned 40."

Alec Baldwin won his fifth-straight guild award for best actor in a comedy series for "30 Rock."

"I don't know what to say. This is ridiculous. I'm so happy," Baldwin said. "We've had a great year with the show."

"Modern Family" won for overall cast performance in a TV comedy.

Steve Buscemi of "Boardwalk Empire" and Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife" won as best actors in a TV drama. "Boardwalk Empire," a Prohibition-era gangster series, also won for overall TV drama cast performance.

"Marty, we love you. We hope you feel better, and we love working with you. Please come back," Buscemi said.

Margulies had warm words for her in-laws "for producing truly the most spectacular human being, who I get to call my husband."

The big-screen prizes are the night's main events, with Leo and other winners gaining momentum for the same honors at the Oscars. Colin Firth, star of the British monarchy saga "The King's Speech," is expected to take home the best-actor trophy, while Christian Bale is the supporting-actor favorite for "The Fighter."

Best-actress and supporting-actress honors are more competitive. Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" and Annette Bening for "The Kids Are All Right" are in a tight race for lead actress.

Before the show began, the guild presented its award for film stunt ensemble to the sci-fi blockbuster "Inception" and the TV stunt prize to the vampire drama "True Blood."

"The Social Network," chronicling the rise of Facebook, had been the early Oscar favorite for best-picture, named the year's top drama by key critics groups and the Golden Globes.

But "The King's Speech" has surged forward in the past week, pulling upset wins at the Directors Guild and Producers Guild awards and leading the Oscar field last Tuesday with 12 nominations.

The cast prize, considered the guild's equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting the top Oscar winner.

The 17th annual SAG Awards include a life-achievement honor for Ernest Borgnine.

"We are a privileged few who have been chosen to work in this field of entertainment," said the 94-year-old Borgnine, whose award was preceded by a tribute including clips from his Oscar-winning performance in 1955's "Marty" through his role in last fall's action comedy "Red." "I hope that we will never let our dedication to our craft fail, that we will always give the best we possibly can to our profession."

The Eagle - Trailer...

`Inside Job' earns DGA documentary honor

LOS ANGELES - "Inside Job," a chronicle of the economic meltdown in 2008, won the documentary prize Saturday at the Directors Guild of America Awards, boosting the film's prospects for an Academy Award.

The film's director, Charles Ferguson, used "Inside Job" to grill economists and business leaders on who was responsible for the financial chaos.

"For those of you have seen the movie, it's a pretty ballsy, out-there movie," said Ferguson, whose 2007 war-on-terror film "No End in Sight" also was nominated for the documentary Oscar. "It didn't make me too many friends in the investment community."

Among TV winners:

• Comedy series: Michael Spiller, "Modern Family."

• Reality programming: Eytan Keller, "The Next Iron Chef."

• Musical variety: Glenn Weiss, "The 64th Annual Tony Awards."

• Daytime serials: Larry Carpenter, "One Life to Live."

• Children's programs: Eric Bross, "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf."

• Commercials: Stacy Wall.

For the evening's main award, feature-film directing, David Fincher was considered the front-runner for his Facebook drama "The Social Network," which would position him for the same prize at the Oscars. The guild winner almost always goes on to claim the Oscar for best director.

Tom Hooper — director of "The King's Speech," which leads the Oscars with 12 nominations — also is up for the guild honor, along with Darren Aronofsky for "Black Swan," Christopher Nolanfor "Inception" and David O. Russell for "The Fighter."

Once again, Nolan is odd man out at the Directors Guild honors, the only contender who was not nominated for the directing Oscar. The same thing happened to Nolan two years ago, when he was up for the guild prize for "The Dark Knight" but was overlooked for a best-director nomination at the Oscars.

Joining Aronofsky, Fincher, Hooper and Russell in the Oscar race for director are Joel and Ethan Coen for "True Grit."

Only six times in the 62-year history of the guild awards has the winner failed to take home the Oscar for best director.

Fincher, a past guild and Oscar nominee for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," won the directing prize at the Golden Globes for "The Social Network," which also earned him best-director honors from key critics groups.

Marking its 75th anniversary, the Directors Guild dispensed with its usual honorary and lifetime-achievement awards in favor of a look back at the union's legacy. Directors such as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and last year's feature-film winner Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker") introduced a series of short films centered on King Vidor, John Ford, George Stevens, Frank Capra and other guild pioneers.

The Directors Guild prizes are followed this weekend by Sunday night's Screen Actors Guild Awards, the last big honors before the Feb. 27 Oscars.