SOUNDARYA TO DIRECT BILLA-2

Soundarya Rajinikant will not only produce Billa 2, but will also direct it. She is apparently all set to wear the director’s hat for the very first time.

The decision was taken after the superstar’s daughter approached Vishnu Vardhan (who directed Billa ) to direct the sequel but when he asked for Rs 5 crores, she was little hesitant to take it further. Sources reveal that Vishnu’s explanation was that when Ajith can be paid a big amount of Rs 10 crore for the film, shouldn’t he deserve at least half of it? Soundarya quickly changed her mind and decided to direct the film herself. After all, the pretty lady is already making the mega animated flick Sultan the Warrior with her dad Rajinikant in the lead. According to insiders Soundarya was so gung-ho about setting out on directing this film that she decided to show the rushes of her animated film Sultan … to Ajith. Pleased by the approach and narration, Ajith is believed to have immediately given his nod to work with her. The project is likely to take off sometime in June next year, once Ajith finishes his forthcoming films Aegan and Soundarya finishes Sultan

Soundarya in ROBO

Soundarya Rajinikanth, the younger daughter of Superstar Rajini and Managing Director of leading CG work company Ocher will join in the team of Robot as the graphics designer of Jeano, the robot dog. This robot plays in a crucial role in the film and appears along with Rajini in almost every frame of the film.

Sources reveal that the director of the film Shankar has decided to hand over this important work to Soundarya Rajinikanth. Her hard working 80 member crew will design the Jeano, the Robot companion of the Superstar within six months.

Since the hero is Rajini the director must have deemed it best to pass on all the graphics work to Ocher. Since it takes a long time to do the graphics portion of the film, Shankar has decided to delegate the work under the guidance of Ocher Studio.

SULTAN 600million budget

Sultan - great expectations!!

Soundarya Rajinikanth is busy with her Ocher Studios' first animation movie Sultan The Warrior.

"The movie is getting completed at a quick pace and we're looking at finishing it by the year-end, in order to be able to release it by April 14, 2009. Work for Billa II will not begin before June 2009," she said to a local newspaper.

The cost of the movie has now touched Rs.600 million, said sources from its financier Exim Bank “The costliest movie in Indian film history is expected to generate business of at least Rs.2.25 billion going by the interest indicated by the distributors following the distribution of over 1,500 prints of its second promo in cinemas,” a source told IANS.

“It began as a small Rs.60 million venture, but the unprecedented success of Shivaji last year saw it zoom past Rs.220 million and has now touched ten times its original envisaged cost,” another source acquainted with the deal revealed.

Sources say that Ocher Studios recently included more members into the team of animation specialists and VFX artistes to speedup the making of the movie. Special recruitment drive was conducted recently for this purpose

soundarya to direct ajith

The grapevine is abuzz that our "Ultimate" star Ajit has signed a record deal with Soundarya Rajinikanth's Ocher Studios to do a film for them. Ajit and Vishnuvardhan are planning a sequel to their highly successful Billa, and are in discussion at the moment.

Last month, Soundarya Rajinikanth has tied up with the Hollywood major `Warner Brothers` into an exclusive multi-picture deal with her Ocher Studios. The deal is for three years and Soundarya will make live-action feature films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

As a part of the deal, Soundarya will be doing her first Tamil film with Ajit. The grapevine has it that it was dad (Rajinikanth), who gave her the brilliant idea of making a sequel to Billa with Ajit.

The buzz is that Ajit has signed up the film for an astronomical Rs 10.01 crore! Yes the market is abuzz that Ajit will be paid a cool Rs Ten crore and One Lakh for the film, which will be made on a budget of Rs 30 crore. Sources close to the actor refused to comment on this record deal, the highest ever to be paid as salary to a Kollywood actor after Rajinikanth.

Meanwhile Ajit will be completing work on his Aegan and moving on to do Sivaji Productions new action thriller to be directed by Gautham Menon by November. After the film releases on April 14, 2009, he will start the shoot of Billa-2 for Ocher Studios.

SOUNDARYA @ "THE NAME IS RAJINIKANTH" book release

Soundarya Rajinikanth