Bachchan considering a Rajasthani film

The God Of Small Things not to be made into film

Novelist and activist Arundhati Roy says she is not keen on selling the rights of her Booker prize-winning novel The God Of Small Things for being adapted for the screen.

Several Hollywood producers had approached her for the rights of the novel,but Roy says she had declined. “Every reader has a vision of the novel in his or her head and I do not want it to be fashioned into one film. I do not want the novel to be colonised by one imagination,” she told a function to mark the release of I. Shanmughadas’s Shareeram,Nadi,Nakshatram,an appreciation of The God Of Small Things in Thrissur on July 21.

According to her,the worldwide response to the novel shows it was not just about Kerala. The God Of Small Things has been translated in Estonia,Denmark and Finland.

Award for Lenin Rajendran

Eminent film director Lenin Rajendran has been chosen for the Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai award for his contribution to Malayalam cinema. The award,instituted by Muthukulam Raghavanpillai trust in memory of Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai,an eminent actor,lyricist and screenplay writer,includes a cash of Rs 10,000 and a citation.

The award would be presented to the director at a function to be held at Muthukulam on August 14. Raghavan Pillai,who died in 1979,wrote the screenplay and dialogues of Balan,the first Malayalam talkie and Jeevithanauka,said to be the first box-office hit in Malayalam film industry.

Fund to help yesteryears film and drama singers

Music Artistes’ Association and Thankam Raichel Welfare Fund Organising Committee said it would constitute a fund to help for yesteryears film and drama singer Thangam Raichel,who is facing financial problems. Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode,K Salam,MAA President said Raichel who had enthralled music lovers with her songs was living in pathetic condition in a rented single room with her family.

The association decided to organise a musical night ‘Old Is Gold Musical Night’ to help the singer on July 22. About 20 singers including Sathish Babu,Sibilla Sadanandan,Najmal Babu are expected to participate in the musical nite,he said. Raichel,who had sung in Malayalam film Kadeja for which late Baburaj was music director and also in several dramas,said she had not received any help from the government.

Uchala Re Uchala ready

Uchala Re Uchala is a fantasy film in Marathi. A comedy,it is produced by Yashwant Choughule. Directed by Yashwant Choughule and Amol Bhave,it is written by Gajendra Kore and has music by Chinar-Mahesh. Vaibhav Mangle,Anand Ingale,Trupti Bhoir,Priya Berde,Jaywant Wadkar,Kishore Pradhan,Prajkta Kelkar and Pradeep Patawardhan are in the cast. The music album of the film was recently released by Mahesh Manjrekar.

Daughter of Malayalam film director among 3 killed in mishap

The daughter of well-known Malayalam film director Joshi was among three Infosys employees killed on July 25 when the car they were travelling in collided with a lorry at Mahabalipuram near Kochi.

Aiswarya,Joshi’s daughter,was driving the car with five persons in it,police said,adding they were on their way to Chennai from Mahabalipuram (about 45 kilometres from Chennai) when the mishap occurred.

Two of the seriously injured,who were also Infosys employees,have been admitted to a hospital in Chennai. The bodies were released to relatives after postmortem and are being brought to Kerala,family sources said.