Trisha calls Kamal Haasan her mentor: ‘I feel like I grew up with Mani Ratnam'
Trisha, who was last seen in Good Bad Ugly, collaborated with Kamal for the 2010 romantic comedy Manmadhan Ambu and then later in Thoongaa Vanam, which was released in 2015. The actor has also worked with Silambarasan TR in the hit romantic film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was released in 2010. The two actors also starred together in the 2003 film Alai.
In an interview with India Today, Trisha said, "I have known Simbu and Kamal sir for several years now, and it was quite easy for me. In my film career, Kamal sir has been a mentor to me. Simbu and I have done two films, and we have known each other for a long time. When I entered the film set, it felt like a safe space for me. I have built a comfort level with everyone, even with Mani sir."
The 42-year-old star has also worked with director Mani Ratnam in Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2. She said that working with Mani almost felt like she grew up with him.
"Doing Ponniyin Selvan after doing Aayutha Ezhuthu helped me understand Mani sir more. I feel like I grew up with him. I was trained by the best. Working with someone repeatedly helps you form a bond or understand each other better. He now knows what and how to extract from me. I have comfort with him. You are both in sync than you have before," she added.
Thug Life stars Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, Trisha, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Sanya Malhotra, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf and Baburaj. It will be released in theatres on June 5.
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India Today
8 hours ago
- India Today
Ganesh idols: Immersed in ecological uncertainty
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 18, 2025)In a small workshop in Hamrapur village, 60 kilometres from Mumbai, Nitesh Daur stands quietly amid neat rows of white Ganesh idols. Crafted from Plaster of Paris (PoP)—a lightweight, detail-friendly material—the statues have been his livelihood since 2005. 'If I shut down this business, what will I do?' asks the 35-year-old father of two. 'I have no other skills.'advertisementDaur's anxiety stems from a long-running legal battle over the environmental impact of PoP idols, the genesis of which can be traced to a 2005 PIL by the late rationalist Narendra Dabholkar's Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. On January 30, this year, the Bombay High Court issued an interim order, directing civic bodies across Maharashtra to enforce the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 2020 guidelines banning the immersion of PoP idols—even in artificial tanks—during the Maghi Ganeshotsav (January-February).The rationale: PoP's adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. The result: a swift crackdown by municipal bodies and police. On June 9, the court modified its order, allowing the manufacture and sale of PoP idols—so long as they aren't immersed in natural water bodies. A CPCB expert panel has also clarified that its 2020 guidelines were advisory, not mandatory. The partial reprieve has given idol-makers like Daur some breathing room ahead of this year's main Ganeshotsav, which begins in late August and is the most popular festival in Maharashtra. Then, on July 24, came further clarity. The court ruled that PoP idols under 6 feet in height must be immersed only in artificial water tanks, while taller idols may go into natural water bodies. The court also directed the state government to ensure local bodies strictly implement these amended norms and to provide enough artificial tanks for immersions. Additionally, the state was told to form an Expert Scientific Committee within a month to explore ways to recycle and reuse PoP and examine eco-friendly methods for faster dissolution. These directions will remain in force for all immersion-based festivals till March 2026. Accordingly, the state government has issued comprehensive guidelines for the immersion of PoP idols. Even so, not everyone is mollified. Naresh Dahibavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, welcomes the relief but warns of uncertainty ahead. 'This is only an interim order,' he says. 'Next year, the issue will be back in court.' He wants a 'permanent solution' to the issue of immersion of large idols—installed by more than 3,000 Ganesh mandals in Mumbai alone. Environmentalist Harshad Dhage, a petitioner in the case, too notes the 'temporary' nature of the reprieve. Emphasising the need to strike a balance between faith and sustainability, he says, 'This is not a fight against festivals, but against pollution.'HUBBUB AT THE HUBFor decades, idol-making has been the lifeblood of Hamrapur and neighbouring villages like Kalave, Johe, Tambadshet and Dadar in Pen taluka of Raigad district. Anchored by Pen town, the region is the nucleus of Maharashtra's Ganesh idol industry and even got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023. Across the taluka, some 250,000 people are said to be employed in the Rs 200-crore industry, collectively shipping out millions of clay and PoP idols each year, not only in India but to diaspora communities as far afield as the United States. Mumbai alone hosts some 12,000 public Ganesh mandals and over 200,000 household idols—most of them made from PoP and sourced from this Ganesh worship in Maharashtra was a modest, private ritual, with small, hand-crafted idols made from local clay. But in the 1890s, nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak elevated the festival into a public spectacle—an instrument of anti-colonial solidarity. Pen's transformation into an idol-making hub gathered pace in the 1950s, propelled by its location between Mumbai and Pune, and the availability of clay. A crucial shift came when local sculptor N.G. 'Rajabhau' Deodhar experimented with PoP, initially to embellish decorative images with finer detailing. Cultural cues added fuel. In V. Shantaram's 1959 film Navrang, an imposing 11-foot Ganesh idol made of PoP commanded the screen and was later immersed ceremoniously, foreshadowing a trend toward ever-larger images of the deity in households and mandals. The material proved easy to mould, light to transport and ideal for mass production. By the 1980s, Pen housed more than 500 workshops crafting idols from both clay and PoP, according to Shrikant Deodhar, Rajabhau's nephew and a fourth-generation sculptor. In the 1990s, outlying villages, with their cheaper land and abundant labour, joined the fray. In Hamrapur, farmlands long eroded by saline ingress have given way to gleaming bungalows—quiet monuments to the prosperity the idol trade has brought. In this belt, artisans are organically initiated into the craft as January court order, however, had sent tremors through the region. Many workshops suspended work entirely. 'We lost three critical months,' says Jagdish Patil, president of the Shri Ganesh Murtikar Utkarsha Mandal, representing about 600 workshops in Hamrapur. 'We usually produce around a million idols every year. This time, it may drop to 800,000.' THE PoP VS CLAY DEBATEadvertisementThe economics is unforgiving. Most manufacturers take loans to buy raw materials. For, while wholesale buyers settle dues post-festival, vendors supplying PoP, paint and coir insist on advance payments. 'Customers are fewer this year. There's confusion and fear,' says Neeraj Naik, an idol-maker in Hamrapur. In a neighbouring workshop, sculptor Kunal Patil gestures at a half-finished idol. 'One person can make 10-15 PoP idols per shift. Clay? Maybe two or three,' he is a key factor—while the retail rates of clay and PoP idols vary widely depending on the market and locality, a one-and-a-half-foot tall clay idol typically costs around Rs 3,000, compared to Rs 2,000 for a similarly sized PoP idol at the lower end of the product line. Patil and others maintain that PoP idols are not just more durable and cost-effective but more aesthetically consistent. 'Clay idols are fragile—even a damp garland can cause them to flake, which many consider inauspicious,' says Mahendra Kamble, a distributor who supplies Hamrapur idols to Dombivli, an extended suburb of Mumbai. 'If I sell 1,000 idols, barely 150 are clay. This means people prefer PoP.'advertisementBut traditionalists and environmentalists contest that logic. 'PoP doesn't dissolve, and broken parts of these idols later wash up on the shore,' says Mumbai-based clay sculptor Vasant Raje. 'This is vitambana (sacrilege) of our religion.' Raje points to the iconic 20-foot clay 'Girgaoncha Raja', installed every year in Mumbai's Girgaon neighbourhood, as proof that size isn't a bone of contention, i.e. PoP, is made by heating gypsum to remove water, resulting in a powder that hardens when mixed with water. A 2023 study on the Tapi river, which runs through Maharashtra's northern edge, found a clear correlation between PoP idol immersion and degraded water quality. The paints often contain toxic metals like lead and cadmium. PoP itself may take months—or even years—to dissolve, raising water hardness and harming aquatic life. Wildlife biologist Anand Pendharkar notes that the material clogs the burrows of fish and crabs and damages mangrove roots. 'It has affected the breeding of Bombay duck, sponges and other marine organisms,' he says. The annual use of PoP across the state is about 4,500 tonnes, with Mumbai alone accounting for 675 tonnes, notes the 2023 study. Gradually, other states, like Goa, are banning the import and sale of PoP Ganesh doubts persist about how viable a large-scale pivot to clay would be. Today, just about 20 per cent of the idols made in Pen taluka are clay-based. The supply chain isn't ready. Nor is the workforce adequately trained, say those in the PoP idol industry. Some stakeholders call for a middle ground. 'The issue has to be seen from the prism of employment,' says Dhairyashil Patil, a Rajya Sabha MP of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former MLA from Pen. 'Even chemical industries pollute. Yet, we don't call for them to be banned. We ask for them to be regulated.' For now, the idol-makers of Hamrapur and nearby villages sculpt on, tracing divine forms in drying plaster, uncertain what shape their future will to India Today Magazine- EndsTrending Reel
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
'AK 64': Ajith locks no-salary deal with producer after demanding Rs 200 crore salary, deets inside
Popular South actor Ajith has surprised his fans with two films this year. First, 'Vidaamuyarchi', directed by Magizh Thirumeni , was released in February. The film did not meet the expectations. Secondly, in April, Ajith returned to the big screen with 'Good Bad Ugly', directed by Adhik Ravichandran , which was a huge hit. Trisha played the heroine in both films. Following this success, updates about the 'AK64' have generated great interest among fans. Srinidhi Shetty , GV Prakash join ' AK 64 ' team Although many people competed for the opportunity to direct AK 64, Ajith directly chose Adhik Ravichandran after the success of 'Good Bad Ugly'. Ajith was very impressed with his work style and handling of things. The initial stages of the film are currently in full swing. Reports from Asianet suggests that Srinidhi Shetty of 'KGF' fame will be playing the female lead and GV Prakash will be composing the music. ₹200 crore salary demand sees big studios exit Initially, a popular production house was said to be bankrolling 'AK 64'. But some companies backed out when Ajith asked for a salary of Rs. 200 crore. Following this, Rahul, who distributed some films of Ajith, came on as the producer as per Asianet. There was doubt as to how he would pay a Rs 200 crore salary for Ajith. That's where a twist happened, Rahul has signed a new contract with Ajith, and it's no salary deal for the actor reports Asianet. Ajith signs no-salary deal , takes OTT rights Accordingly, all the revenue generated from the film's OTT and satellite rights will go to Ajith. Rahul will only take the theatrical revenue. This is the most talked-about deal in Tamil cinema. The shooting of the film is said to begin in November. It is also reported that it is likely to be a gangster film. Ajith is currently focusing on his racing journey, and he is participating in racing events overseas regularly. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
India Today
12 hours ago
- India Today
Coolie box office Day 3: Rajinikanth film storms past Rs 250 crore worldwide
Rajinikanth's latest release, 'Coolie', is showing no signs of slowing down. The film maintained its blistering run at the box office on Day 3, minting Rs 38.50 crore in India, buoyed by the Independence Day holiday and strong weekend this, Coolie's domestic collection has soared to Rs 158.25 crore in just three days, while its worldwide gross has already crossed the Rs 250-crore mark. The film has also become the highest-grossing Tamil release of 2025, surpassing Ajith Kumar's 'Good Bad Ugly' within two days of who plays the menacing antagonist, Simon, reflected on the film's staggering impact. 'We knew we were part of something special, and the energy around the film is proof of that. The response to my role has been overwhelming. Great cinema is always about collaboration, chemistry and giving audiences something they will remember long after the credits roll,' he said. Here's the day-wise collection of 'Coolie': Day 1 [1st Thursday] - Rs 65 croreDay 2 [1st Friday] - Rs 54.75 croreDay 3 [1st Saturday] - Rs 38.50 croreTotal - Rs 158.25 croreApart from Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna, 'Coolie' features an ensemble cast that includes Upendra, Shruti Haasan and Soubin Shahir, with a special cameo by Aamir Khan. The film's thunderous success has now sparked speculation on whether it can challenge the towering records of Rajinikanth's earlier blockbusters such as '2.0' and 'Jailer'.With audiences thronging theatres and word-of-mouth growing stronger by the day, industry trackers believe 'Coolie' is firmly on course to breach the Rs 600-crore mark, further cementing Rajinikanth's unshakeable reign at the box office.- EndsTune InTrending Reel
