Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

After Rajinikanth turned down the offer to play the powerful character of Ravana in the epic film Ramayan, director Raj Kumar Santhoshi has cast actor Prakash Raj in the role. While Ajay Devgan and Kajol have been selected for the role of Rama and Sita, Rekha will play the key role of Kaikeyi. A visibly thrilled Prakash says that Santhoshi has offered him the role of a lifetime. It is reported that the director will be taking the key members of the cast, which includes Prakash to Australia next month for a special training programme. Meanwhile Prakash Raj is also busy with the release of his home production Mozhi and is happy with the way the film has shaped up. He is certain that Jyotika, who plays a deaf and mute girl in the film, will win a National award for her performance.

India’s highest-paid actor shoots in Pune for Rs 60-cr Sivaji —The Boss Rajaneesh Vilakudy: Cameras are rolling in Pune. Weeks after a Hollywood unit picked and camouflaged it as Karachi for the film ‘A Mighty Heart’, Rajinikanth, India’s highest paid actor, is shooting in the city for his latest film ‘Sivaji - The Boss’. The Rs 60-crore film, directed by ace director Shankar, is said to be the costliest Tamil movie ever made. Sources very close to the production unit said they would shoot in Pune for two days. Previously, they had shot in Panchgani, Satara and Vai village for a week. It is Pune’s calmness that has brought the production unit to the city. Sources said, “It is a peaceful city, yet cosmopolitan in nature. And we can’t shoot a Rajinikanth movie in Chennai or in other parts of Tamil Nadu. It will be a nightmare. That is why we have selected Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. The Vai village near Satara is one of the most beautiful places.” Shankar, who shoots his picture

Raj Kumar Santoshi was on the look-out for a very big star for the vital role of Ravana for his film Ramayan, so he approached Rajinikanth CHENNAI: According to sources, Raj Kumar Santoshi , who has undertaken the ambitious Rs 100 crore film, Ramayan, has managed a casting coup by roping in superstar Rajinikanth to play the role of Ravana. The bi-lingual recreation of the Ramayan, this film is being produced by K Sera Sera, and has real life couple Ajay Devgan and Kajol playing the lead characters of Rama and Sita. According to sources, Raj Kumar was on the look-out for a very big star for the vital role of Ravana. He went to Chennai recently and met Rajinikanth to see if he’d be interested in doing the role. Rajini was impressed by the offer but said he needed some time to think about it. Though Ravana is commonly depicted as an evil man, in Indian scriptures he is portrayed as a figure of immense moral and physical strength. He is a man of immense penance, learning and devotion to Sh