Latest news with #DemonteColony
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Rajavel: I am not a fan of horror films
Rajavel confesses that he is not a fan of horror movies and that he has only watched a few films of the genre. This is a shocking statement on several levels, as he flirts with horror in Housemates and was also a part of the writing team of the successful and novel Ajay Gnanamuthu film, Demonte Colony. "Unique concepts and stories within the horror genre fascinate me. But I am not a fan of the genre. At least not the ones with the clichéd possession-exorcism storylines. The horror employed in Demonte Colony and Housemates is unique. Truth be told, I watched a lot of popular horror films only before I wrote Housemates. Films such as The Sixth Sense and Insidious define my taste in the genre." Recounting the multi-pronged challenges he faced during production and post-production, Rajavel says that it was an enriching experience on the whole. The film demanded peculiar performances, and he credits his stint as an assistant director with Ajay Gnanamuthu for his preparedness. "Performance-wise, the actors faced teething troubles as they had to emote facing a wall with no reaction on the other end to respond. I did a test shoot with my assistant directors and made them enact the interval scene. I used the footage as my instruction manual to let the actors know exactly what I needed. There was confusion for 3-4 days, and from then on, it was smooth sailing. On the post-production side, I had to ensure that Kaali Venkat sir's portions were in sync with 2012 Chennai. Despite most of the drama unfolding within the confines of the home, there is a substantial amount of outdoor scenes as well. Focus was needed on the CG front, where cars and bikes of the current period had to be cut out. Also, the metro rail works in the background, too, and had to be removed. So it was a task. Having worked in close quarters with Ajay Gnanamuthu sir, seeing him get involved himself hands-on in every department, it wasn't too much for me to handle."
New Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Housemates Movie Review: A zany horror that mostly delivers the goods
Unless it's a star vehicle, it is quite the daunting task to keep the audience engrossed with a clichéd first half. Even if a decent or brilliant second half follows, more often than not, the damage is already done. However, debut director Rajavel, despite hitting us with one cliché in the initial scenes, somehow convinces us that our patience would be rewarded with something wacky. And in Darshan's Housemates, the clichés do not act as fun-sponges, and the ideas introduced are amusing. Housemates begin with Darshan's Karthik, who is anxious to register a house in his name to convince his girlfriend Anu's (Aarsha Baiju) father for their wedding. Though Anu's father is reluctant to marry off his daughter to Karthik, they tie the knot eventually. As soon as Karthik realises the middle-class dream of getting married and owning a house, Anu senses something is off. Living all his life in a rented house, owning a haunted place might not have been on Karthik's bucket list, and Housemates is about how this couple tackle the conundrum, and react and respond when they discover they were tilting at windmills. Rajavel, who worked as a writer in the Demonte Colony franchise, impresses with his directorial debut by taking a calculated risk in the first 30 minutes of the film. Every single thing feels familiar; be it the TV automatically turning on, the creaking of the door, flapping curtains, and the clattering of cupboards. Just when we feel the writing to be ordinary, Rajavel compensates with a smart pre-interval block. And from here, Housemates singularly focuses on the predicament we are introduced to at the interval. Darshan and Aarsha fit the bill of the lead characters. The other lead characters, played by the fantastic Kaali Venkat and Vinothini Vaidhyanathan, are good team players. With Darshan, Aarsha and Dheena pulling off the lighter scenes, Kaali and Vinothini shine in the emotionally charged parts.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Arulnithi-Ajay Gnanamuthu's Demonte Colony 3 kickstarts with a pooja ceremony
Gnanamuthu also said that horror films like The Exorcist, The Conjuring and The Omen inspired him and made him "want to create a world of his own, to build a universe that could pay homage to the genre while standing on its own haunting feet." It is to be noted that in an earlier interview with CE, Arulnithi said that Ajay Gnanamuthu is expanding the franchise to encompass even a fourth part depending on the success of the films. The first Demonte Colony film was released in 2015 and was critically and commercially acclaimed. It set a new benchmark for horror films. The second film, a direct sequel was released in 2024. More details about Demonte Colony 3, including its cast and technical crew are yet to be announced.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Priya Bhavani Shankar begins shooting for Ajay Gnanamuthu's 'Demonte Colony 3'
Actress Priya Bhavani Shankar, who plays the female lead in the third instalment of director Ajay Gnanamuthu's popular horror franchise 'Demonte Colony', has now begun shooting for the film. Taking to her social media timelines on Monday, Priya Bhavani Shankar posted a picture of herself on the sets of the film and wrote, "Lady with the braid is back... First day. Lights on. Shadows waiting. #DemonteColony3 #DayOne #TheEndIsTooFar Let's have some fun @ajaygnanamuthu @arulnithi_tamilarasu @samcsmusic @meenakshigovindharajan_ @iam_archanaravichandran." The 'Demonte Colony' franchise, which features Arulnithi in the lead, is immensely popular and fans are excited that the third instalment is on its way. It may be recalled that the second instalment of the film, which emerged a huge superhit, featured Arulnithi and Priya Bhavani Shankar in the lead. Director Ajay Gnanamuthu began pre-production work for the film in April this year. In fact, he had also posted a picture of his team in Sliema in Malta and said, "Demonte Colony 3 work in progress." The significance of the franchise Demonte Colony is that there is a real place by the same name in Chennai and interestingly, is known for being haunted. Demonte Colony 2 - Official Tamil Trailer The franchise, which set a new benchmark in the horror genre in Tamil cinema, first came into existence in 2015, when the first part of Demonte Colony was made. The gripping thriller was an instant hit. Eight years after the first part was made, the makers released the second instalment, which too went on to emerge a superhit. The second instalment featured, apart from the lead actors, Arun Pandian, Muthu Kumar, Meenakshi Govindarajan and Archana Ravichandran in pivotal roles. Harish Kannan was the cinematographer for the second part of the film, which had music by Sam C S. Art direction was by Ravi Pandi and editing by D Kumaresh. The film was initially produced by Vijaya Subramaniyan on behalf of White Nights Entertainment along with RC Rajkumar of Gnanamuthu Pattarai. However, Cyber Forensics expert Bobby Balachandran procured all the rights of the film even before its completion and thereby turned its producer. The second instalment of the franchise, which released last year, had an impressive 85-day run in theatres, much to the delight of its makers. The second instalment's end made it evident that the makers were certain about making a third instalment of the franchise.
