Kayadu Lohar joins Silambarasan TR in STR 49
On Sunday, Dawn Pictures, the production banner of Silambarasan TR's 49th film,
announced that
Dragon
star Kayadu Lohar has joined the film's cast in a lead role. As reported earlier, Ramkumar Balakrishnan of
Parking
-fame is directing the film, tentatively titled
STR 49
, from his own screenplay. Announced in February, on Silambarasan's birthday, the film also stars Santhanam.
STR 49
is Ramkumar Balakrishnan's sophomore directorial after 2023's
Parking
, starring Harish Kalyan and MS Bhaskar in the lead roles. Aakash Bhaskaran is producing the film through his banner, Dawn Pictures. On the technical front, it has composer Sai Abhyankkar. The makers are yet to reveal any information about its plot or additional cast and crew. While announcing Kayadu's casting news, Dawn Pictures stated that "more updates are on the way."
Kayadu Lohar, who shot to fame after her breakout role in actor Pradeep Ranganathan and director Ashwath Marimuthu's
Dragon
this year, has
Idhayam Murali
next, opposite Atharvaa. On the other hand, Silambarasan's upcoming projects include
Thug Life
with director Mani Ratnam and actor Kamal Haasan,
STR 50
with director Desingh Periyasamy, and
STR 51
with Ashwath Marimuthu.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
3 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Housefull 5 vs Thug Life Worldwide Opening Day Comparison: Akshay Kumar's comedy tops Kamal Haasan starrer to emerge number 1 Indian film of the week
This week has seen the release of two major films. One from Kollywood and one from Bollywood. Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's crime-thriller, Thug Life, released on 5th June while Akshay Kumar fronted comedy-ensemble Housefull 5 released on 6th June. Both films were locked in an intense battle to become the bigger opener and Housefull 5, by the slimest of margins, has managed to take a higher opening. Housefull 5 has grossed Rs 37.25 crore on the opening day, driven by its India collections of Rs 26.50 crore (Rs 22 crore net) and overseas collections of USD 1.25 million (Rs 10.75 crore). Thug Life took a bigger opening internationally than in India. It grossed a good USD 2.25 million (Rs 19.30 crore) internationally while it could manage just Rs 17 crore in India. The Day 1 Worldwide Box Office Collections Of Housefull 5 and Thug Life Are As Under While the opening of Housefull 5 and Thug Life at the worldwide box office is not too different, the gap shall increase through the course of the run of both films because the word of mouth of the latter is poor, resulting in higher than normal drops. Housefull 5's word of mouth is on the mixed side and that should be enough for the film to sail through. The advance bookings of Thug Life were bigger all across the board but the spot bookings of Housefull 5 were better, helping it trump its able competitor on the opening front. The spot bookings of Housefull 5 show that the franchise still enjoys a strong following among the mass audiences, who are generally known to book tickets once the film hits theatres and not pre-book it. Housefull 5 has an uninterrupted run until the release of Sitaare Zameen Par on 20th June, 2025. Thug Life too doesn't have major competition until the release of Kubera. The open run shall certainly benefit Housefull 5; but Thug Life, not so much. You can watch both Housefull 5 and Thug Life at a theatre near you now.
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Thug Life Box Office Collection Day 2: Kamal Haasan's film faces decline with ₹7.5 crore
The much-anticipated film Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Kamal Haasan, has seen a notable decline in its box office performance on the second day of release. As per early estimates from Sacnilk, the film earned approximately ₹ 7.5 crore (all languages combined) across India on Day 2 — a significant drop from its ₹ 15.5 crore opening day collection. This brings the two-day total to ₹ 23 crore (net) in India. The sharp fall in collections has sparked concerns over the film's ability to maintain momentum through the weekend, particularly in non-Tamil-speaking regions, where its reception appears weaker. On its second day, Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's Thug Life showed mixed box office trends across regions. In Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai, the film held up relatively well. The Tamil version posted a moderate overall occupancy of 31.41% on Friday. The Telugu version did slightly better, managing a 14.17% overall occupancy, but still fell short of expectations for a pan-India project. The Hindi version saw a dismal 6.48% overall occupancy, with poor turnout even for evening and night shows. The over 50% drop in collections on Day 2 is a worrying sign for the makers of Thug Life, especially considering its star-studded cast, renowned director, and the significant pre-release hype surrounding the film.
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Free for Reel: Mumbai's free-to-attend film screening clubs
On Tuesday afternoon, I found myself in a packed theatre at the National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) in Mumbai for a screening of Thithi, Raam Reddy's award-winning 2015 Kannada feature. Two hours later, as the credits rolled, Reddy launched into a workshop about his journey as a filmmaker and the making of Thithi, warning the audience that it would last at least an hour and a half. Very few people left their seats. Towards the end, he screened an unreleased trailer for The Fable, saying his upcoming film is in the 'magic realism genre". During the Q&A, an audience member asked what that meant. Reddy explained: magic realism treats the magical not as spectacle but as fact, woven into the everyday setting of the plot. Also read: What to watch this week: 'Thug Life', 'The Living End' and more It struck me that the person asking the question likely wasn't 'from the scene". This was a free, public screening. Anyone who saw the announcement on the Instagram feeds of the organisers—NMIC, NFDC (National Film Development Corporation) or the VHS (Versova Homage Screening) collective—could attend. In that room, newcomers and cinephiles, students and artists sat side by side, drawn not by exclusivity or ticket prices but by a shared love for cinema. Over the past year, I've seen more such scenes emerge in Mumbai: film screenings that are free and accessible, and spaces where community grows alongside cinema. VHS has been hosting such screenings for over a year, followed by informal Q&As with directors. 'When we started, we invited friends, collaborators, fellow filmmakers," says Rohan K. Mehta, writer/director and co-founder of VHS. 'But word spread quickly. Demand far outgrew venue size, so we moved to a form-based RSVP system." The audience today is a mix of regulars and curious newcomers. Most of their screenings happen in and around Andheri, the heart of the film industry in Mumbai. 'Down south, places like G5A and the Film Heritage Foundation also screen rare and exceptional films," Mehta adds. These screenings are either free or priced between ₹100-250. Then there's started by Apan Singhal, a Delhi-based product designer and software developer. It curates film screenings across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, sharing updates via city-specific WhatsApp groups. 'The idea came two years ago when I realised film viewing had become a solitary activity in the post-OTT world," says Singhal. 'Fillum tries to bring back the community aspect." The Mumbai group now has over 200 members. 'Around 50% of all film events in Mumbai are free, and most of the rest are under ₹250," he says. Also read: 'Loal Kashmir': Stories of love and longing from Kashmir More recently, there's Secret Cinema, a club that began just two months ago. Each session hosts about 20-25 people who debate between two classic films, vote, and watch the winner together. Everyone introduces themselves before the screening, with one fun fact and one life tip. 'People need third spaces," says the club's co-founder, who prefers to stay anonymous. 'Places where you show up as you are, do something together, maybe meet someone new. Free screenings matter not just for the films, but for the feeling of belonging. That's the whole point." These spaces are becoming less gate-kept. I've lived in Mumbai long enough to feel like a local, but not long enough to take these pockets for granted. It's heartening that anyone can walk into a room full of strangers, find a seat, and be part of something cinematic. All it takes is following the right Instagram handle. Also read: 'Stolen' review: No good deed does unpunished in this bleak, impressive thriller
