Feminist— Shabana Azmi to do a key role
Noted actress Shabana Azmi is to do the key role in Feminist, to be directed by Biju Machchaad and produced under the banner of New India Films.

Based on story by the director himself, the script will be by Roopesh Pun the film will also have in the cast Nedumudi Venu, Murali, Bhanupriya, Rasika and Narendra Prasad. Azhagappan will wield the camera while Johnson will set to tune songs by O.N.V. Kurup. Murali Beypore is to do the artwork.

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A film on Shadkaala Govinda Maraar
ShadkAala Govinda Maraar, who lived during the reign of Swathithirunaal, the music loving king of erstwhile Travancore, has always been remembered as one of the shining stars in the firmament of music. And now, cinema is ready to pay deserving tribute to this divinely gifted musician. The film titled Swararagaganga, based on Shadkala Govinda Maraar, will have in the cast Maala Aravindan, Paravoor Bharathan, Mahima, Gayathri and Master Shamnaz. Script and direction will be by Raveendran Palissery while Shibu Pathanamthitta and Elias Kanneththu would produce the film. Music will be by K.S. Venkatesh and S.N.G. Moorthy. Kalamandalam Gopinath will do the dance direction for the venture.

Mammootty to do another Hindi film
Mammootty is to act opposite Raveena Tandon in a Hindi film (also to be made in Tamil), directed by debutante director Bappaditya Roy.

Mammootty plays the role of a criminal lawyer and Raveena appears in the role of his mentally disturbed wife. The music is done by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and the shooting will commence soon.

Lal, Mani in key roles
Lal and Kalabhavan Mani are to play the key roles in noted director I.V. Sasi’s next film Ee Naadu Ivide Vare, to be produced under the banner of Silver Screen. Scripted by K.S. Noushad, the film has cinematography by J. Shivakumar.

Sindhu Menon will play the female lead while others in the cast include Narendra Prasad, N.F. Verghese, Cochin Haneefa, Janardhanan, Babu Namboothiri, Augustine, Subeir, Sukumari and Kaviyoor Renuka.

Manisha comes to Malayalam
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala is not new to the film industry down south. Manisha, who was introduced by Subhash Ghai in Saudagar and who has done many Hindi films, did Mani Ratinam’s Bombay and later Shankar’s Indian down South. And now, the actress is all set to make her entry into Malayalam. Manisha will play the female lead opposite Jayaram in the next film by director T.K.Rajeev Kumar, the very same director who had directed Manisha earlier in Raja Ko Rani Se Pyaar Ho Gaya. The film will have script by P. Balachandran and is to be produced by Kaliyoor Shashi, who had produced Rajeev Kumar’s last film Vakkaalaththu Narayanan Kutty.

P.V. Gangadharan gets Man of the Millennium award
The Chennai Film Fans Association, which had judged the Jayaraj-directed Shaantham as the best film of the last year, has decided to bestow its Man of the Millennium award upon P.V. Gangadharan, the producer of Shaantham. P.V. Gangadharan has produced many good films in Malayalam. The association has adjudged Jayaraj as the best director (Shaantham ) and Illayaraaja (Kochchu Kochchu Santhoshangal) gets the award for the best music director. KPAC Lalitha has been selected as the best supporting actress for her performance in Shaantham. The awards would be given away on July 14 at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the association in Chennai.

Mohanlal to do a Joemon film
Joemon, who had done films like Samarajyam, Jackpot, Yadavan and Siddhartha is to do a film with Mohanlal in the lead. Mohanlal had earlier done a guest role in Joemon’s Unnathangalil, which is yet to be released.

The film is to be produced by JMJ Productions, the producers of Unnathangalil. The shooting for the film will commence after Mohanlal finishes his work with Praja, Ravanaprabhu, Chakram and Onnaman, his present commitments.

Hariharan - Shaji N. Karun to team up
Both Hariharan and Shaji N. Karun are well established names in filmdom. Hariharan is one of the most reputed of Malayalam filmmakers who has already made many outstanding films. And Shaji N. Karun, the internationally acclaimed filmmaker is also a reputed cinematographer. Now, after a considerable gap of time, Hariharan and Shaji are coming together in Pattum Valayum, Hariharan’s next directorial venture. Shaji had wielded the camera for Hariharan earlier in Sargam. Scripted by T. Damodaran, the film will have lyrics by Yusuf Ali Kechery and music by Ravi Bombay. The shoot will commence in August in Nilambur.

Jayaram to star in Shafi’s debut film
Shafi, the brother of Rafi of the Rafi-Mecartin director duo, is getting ready to make his entry as a director. In the debut film directed by Shafi, to be scripted by Rafi-Mercartin, it is Jayaram who’d be playing the lead role. To be produced by Aswathy Films, the film will feature cinematography by Anandakuttan and music by Suresh Peters.

Murali plays the lead in Spandanam
Actor Murali, who had done many notable characters in Malayalam, has been keeping low-profile for some time. (Of course, he is doing the lead role in Neyththukaran, woven around the death of EMS Namboothiripad.) And now, Murali is going to do the lead role in Spandanam, to be scripted by Madambu Kunjukuttan based on story by Jayakrishnan, who directs the venture. The film is to be produced under the banner of Jeevarekha Films and the rest of the cast are yet to be decided.

Satyan Anthicaud’s film named
Popular director Satyan Anthicaud’s latest venture, which is to hit the theatres during Onam, has been named Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka. Starring teenage sensation Kunchacko Boban along with Samyukta Verma and newfind Asin,the film has script by Sreenivasan and is produced under the banner of Carlton Films.