Latest news with #Vikram
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Nizamabad drug bust first exposed Telangana police officer's son's involvement in racket
Hyderabad: EAGLE sleuths, who have arrested Rahul Teja, the 34-year-old son of a Telangana intelligence officer, found that it was his plan to organise a New Year's eve party that backfired and first exposed his role as an alleged drug facilitator-cum-abuser. In the last week of Dec 2023, Nizamabad police had caught two of Rahul's aides on National Highway-44, and seized 12 grams of cocaine, 3 grams of MDMA and ganja from them. Rahul was cited as an accused in the case after his aides revealed his role. However, Nizamabad police had not been able to arrest Rahul for a year and half since then. Following six months of investigation, the Nizamabad police had found that the party was supposed to be attended by a UK-returned doctor, Rahul and few other businessmen. On Rahul's advice, his associates — D Vikram of Gachibowli and Shaik Khaja Mohiddin Chisty — went to Delhi in the last week of Dec 2023 and contacted one Balvir Singh, from whom they purchased cocaine, MDMA and ganja, according to the chargesheet. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Delhi link Vikram and Rahul's friendship dates back to 2018. Nizamabad police's remand report of Vikram in Jan 2024, said: 'Vikram went to Guinea in 2013 for business. He saw sale of drugs on the roadside. In 2014, he went to United Kingdom where he first tasted cocaine in a party. Vikram returned to Hyderabad in 2018 and it was in a party he met Rahul. Whenever Rahul used to visit Hyderabad, he used to call Rahul to arrange cocaine. During one of the interactions, Rahul told him that it was through one Mike from Delhi, he used to arrange drug. ' In Dec 2023, when Vikram and Chisty were transporting drugs from Delhi to Hyderabad, they were caught by Nizamabad police. According to the chargesheet, in April 2024, while tracking the drug suppliers, Nizamabad officials went to Punjab and nabbed Balvir Singh, who was allegedly working in coordination with Mike, who is still absconding. Balvir Singh, a Punjab resident, who was once an illegal immigrant to Spain, returned to India in 2021. Later, he came in touch with Mike, and began coordinating with him for drugs. After evading Nizamabad police for a year and a half, Rahul has now been nabbed by EAGLE sleuths for his role in the Kompally drug racket case busted last week. Rahul is said to have links with the arrested accused Surya Annamaneni, a hotel owner, and five others. Graphics— Questions galore 2014: Rahul questioned by Central Crime Station (CCS) sleuths while probing a car theft case in Jubilee Hills His father, though retired several years ago in the rank of additional superintendent of police, has been working in Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of Telangana Intelligence. Enquiries are being made on how Rahul escaped from arrest in the 2023 drug case
Pink Villa
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Coolie: Was Soubin Shahir's character Dayal originally written for Fahadh Faasil? Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals
Coolie, starring Rajinikanth in the lead role, is slated to release in theaters on August 14, 2025. Ahead of the movie hitting the big screens, the director, Lokesh Kanagaraj, revealed his first choice for the character Dayal before finalizing on Soubin Shahir. Who did Lokesh Kanagaraj approach first for Coolie? In his conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Lokesh Kanagaraj revealed that he initially wanted another actor for the character Dayal instead of Soubin Shahir. In response, Loki said, 'Initially, I didn't write the character for Soubin sir, but it was written for someone else, some other star. I don't want to mention the name, but I couldn't work with him for various reasons. I didn't know where else to go after that because I really wrote it for him.' The director continued, how his second choice was Fahadh Faasil and said, 'I want to work with Fahadh sir again, but sir was also not available, and I didn't want him to do the same thing he had done in Vikram. So I was searching for a lot of other actors, and finally, I've signed on Soubin sir.' Soubin Shahir as Dayal Soubin Shahir was one of the first cast announcements from Coolie that was made back in the day. As he plays the role of Dayal, the Manjummel Boys actor was seen shaking his legs alongside Pooja Hegde in the song Monica. About Coolie Coolie is an upcoming Tamil-language actioner starring Superstar Rajinikanth in the lead role. The film is said to revolve around a harbour and the lives of labourers, with Nagarjuna Akkineni and Upendra Rao playing key roles. Apart from the veteran stars, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan will be making a cameo appearance in the movie. Moreover, an ensemble cast of actors like Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Pooja Hegde (dance number), and more are also part of the movie. In the recent interview itself, Lokesh Kanagaraj confirmed that Coolie's trailer will be released on August 2, 2025. The director does not want to reveal much about the plot ahead of its release. On the other hand, Fahadh Faasil is soon set to appear in the Tamil film Maareesan. The movie directed by Sudheesh Sankar is slated to release on July 25, 2025, with Vadivelu as the co-lead.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Fahadh Faasil initially planned to star in 'Coolie': Director Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals why he couldn't be a part of Rajinikanth starrer
Picture Credit: X The versatile actor Fahadh Faasil has worked in multiple star-studded projects and is highly praised for the roles he portrays. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj , who has worked with the 'Aavesham' actor in the superhit ' Vikram ', recently revealed that he initially planned to rope him in the upcoming Rajinikanth starrer 'Coolie', however, it could not materialise. Why couldn't Fahadh Faasil join? In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Lokesh shared that Fahadh Faasil was initially his first choice for a pivotal role in the film. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the collaboration could not take place. Lokesh revealed that he had originally written the role played by Malayalam actor Soubin Shahir for Fahadh Faasil, and even approached him with the character. He spent nearly six months developing the role, hoping to bring Fahadh on board. But with Fahadh already committed to other projects, he had to decline the offer. Soubin Shahir stepped in Malayalam actor Soubin Shahir eventually stepped into the role initially written for Fahadh and has already made an impression. He was recently seen in the viral song 'Monica', sharing the screen with Pooja Hegde. Fans on the internet have been buzzing about Soubin Shahir's presence in the film. Although Pooja Hegde has made a captivating presence in the film, Soubin Shahir's energetic moves grabbed the eyeballs. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 월 2만원으로 아이들의 한끼 선물하기 굿네이버스 더 알아보기 Undo by Taboola by Taboola Cast of 'Coolie' Aside from Rajinikanth and Soubin, 'Coolie' also stars Shruti Haasan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra, and Aamir Khan, promising one of the most massive star lineups in recent Tamil cinema. With music composed by star musician Anirudh Ravichander, the film is expected to feature both pulsating action and a chart-topping soundtrack. The movie is scheduled to release on August 14th this year, during the Independence Day release window. It will clash with Bollywood's spy action thriller 'War 2' starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR and Kiara Advani.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals how Aamir Khan's secret role in Coolie was leaked; teases their upcoming superhero film: ‘It'll be the biggest actioner ever'
In all honesty, a collaboration between star Tamil filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj and Bollywood icon Aamir Khan was never something any of us dreamed of or imagined would actually happen, until the two began publicly speaking about each other. Once the possibility of their teaming up started to take shape, it became impossible to ignore. One of Tamil cinema's most acclaimed filmmakers and one of Bollywood's biggest actor-stars, famously known as Mr Perfectionist, joining forces for the first time? Who wouldn't want to bet on that project? Even before their superhero film materialises, Lokesh and Aamir have already officially collaborated. The actor recently played a cameo in Lokesh's upcoming Rajinikanth-led actioner Coolie. Although Lokesh and his team tried to keep Aamir's involvement under wraps, the news was simply too big to contain. The makers eventually confirmed his role and even revealed his character poster. Now, Lokesh has opened up about his experience working with the Bollywood legend, as well as about their upcoming project, which is already in development. 'We actually did not want to let the world know that Aamir sir is a part of Coolie. That's why we shot with him somewhere else and didn't let any news come out. But there were speculations and talks. Then Aamir sir called me and said, 'Lokesh, I can't keep lying in front of the camera. I've been doing it from morning for my film (Sitaare Zameen Par). Can I just say it?' Hearing this, I was like, 'Please say it, sir. It's not a world secret. I'll talk to the production house.' So, I told Sun Pictures, let's release a poster featuring Aamir sir and let the news out. Films are made for people, you can't keep them tightly under wraps all the time,' he shared during a chat with The Hollywood Reporter India. Lokesh went on to say that working with Aamir Khan felt similar to his experience collaborating with Kamal Haasan in Vikram (2022). 'When working with Kamal sir, after a shot, if you approach him with a correction, he too will have one correction to give you. So, you'll be confused wondering which one you like the most. Hence, you need to fix on one thing, and if you want a little improvisation, you just need to show them what they actually did and ask for slight improvement instead of going for a completely different thing. That's one similarity I have noticed between the two of them. And they will ask for retakes even if I say okay (to a shot). Aamir sir worked on the movie for just 5-6 days, and he will always ask, 'Can I do it one more time just for my own satisfaction?' And I would agree since we all love to see them perform,' he added. Speaking about his planned project with Aamir, Lokesh said, 'After Kaithi 2, we might most probably be doing a film with Aamir sir. It will be a Hindi film, but for the entire globe, not just for the Indian audience. It's a very nice idea, and we had a wonderful time discussing it. I love the way he approached the film. I think our collaboration will bring a new kind of genre. It'll be the biggest action film and can be called a superhero film as well. I wrote it very long ago.'
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Is Coolie similar to Thalapathi? Lokesh Kanagaraj spills beans on how Rajinikanth reacted after watching it
Coolie is among the most awaited movies of 2025. Just a month away from its release, Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj's maiden project is seen as one of Tamil cinema's biggest box office bets this year. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Lokesh Kanagaraj spilled the beans on his upcoming venture and revealed how Thalaivar reacted after watching the first cut. The Vikram director revealed that the 1991-released Thalapathi is his favourite Rajinikanth film, and he has tried to achieve the same level of balance while writing Coolie. Lokesh said, 'Out of Rajini sir's filmography, I love Thalapathi the most, and I have tried to maintain that balance with this film. That is what I tried to achieve with this writing.' Kanagaraj went on to mention that Thalaivar hugged him after watching the theatrical print and acknowledged his vision. 'After watching the film in the dubbing studio, he [Rajinikanth] hugged me and said, 'It looked like Thalapathi for me!' That made my day, and that was the night I slept very peacefully after many months,' added Lokesh. The young Tamil filmmaker underlined that no one can match Mani Ratnam's writing, but he was relieved a little after getting such a compliment from Rajinikanth himself. 'That is what I was telling my friends, too. If at all, I am doing a film with Rajini sir, it has to be somewhere close to Thalapathi. I cannot write a film on par with Mani Sir's quality, as his film and writing is unmatched.. but I got a little satisfaction when we compare that film with this one. Listening to the same words from Rajini sir was an achievement,' concluded Lokesh Kanagaraj. Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals he had narrated a fantasy film to Rajinikanth before Coolie Furthermore, Lokesh Kanagaraj also revealed that he had earlier narrated a fantasy film to Rajinikanth, to which the Superstar had immediately said 'Yes'. Though the duo decided to go with Coolie, as the fantasy film would've taken a year and a half more to roll on the floors. The filmmaker highlighted that almost 1000 people have worked on Coolie every day and night. It's been 4 months since the shoot, and he often visits Jailer 2 sets to meet the Tamil icon as he misses him a lot. Coolie is locked to clash with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's War 2 at the box office on August 14th, 2025. The much-awaited movie also stars Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and others. Aamir Khan is doing a special guest appearance in the movie, while Pooja Hegde will be seen shaking legs on a special dance number.
