The centenary celebrations of Indian cinema are all set to take place in Russia in December. Three popular Tamil films will be screened at the event organised by Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society (IRCFS).
Kamal Haasan's crime-thriller "Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu", Vijay's action-thriller "Thuppakki" and Dhanush's national award-winning film "Aadukulam" will be screened along with many other Indian films as part of the centenary celebrations in Russia.
"We are celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema in Russia in collaboration with the Russian government in December. Three Tamil films 'Thuppakki', 'Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu' and 'Aadukalam' will be screened at the event," P. Thangappan, secretary general, IRCFS, was quoted as saying by Indo-Asian News Service. "These films will be screened along with several other Indian films. We are yet to zero in on the final list of films to be screened at the fest," he added.
"Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu" was one of the biggest hits of 2006, the year of its release. Directed by Gautham Menon, the film is about an Indian cop who is in pursuit of two psychotic serial killers involved in the murders of young women. Dhanush's "Aadukulam", directed by Vetrimaran, has won accolades from all quarters. It bagged six national awards including best actor and best director in 2011. Vijay's 2012-blockbuster "Thuppakki" received massive response and became the highest grossing Tamil film of that year. The film is being remade in Hindi with Akshay Kumar playing the lead role. Director AR Murgadoss helms the Hindi version as well.
It is not clear whether the leading stars of these aforementioned films will be attending the event in Russia. Thangappan revealed that the actors have not been personally invited yet, as there is still time before the event to take off.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first Indian feature film, "Raja Harishchandra", which was released in 1913. Recently, the south film industry marked the centenary year of Indian cinema with four-day grand celebrations. Superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Balakrishna, Rekha and Sridevi were among others who were honoured at the event.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa presided over the inaugural ceremony, while President Pranab Mukherjee as the chief guest for the final day celebrations. Other political leaders, film personalities and dignitaries from four southern states (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh) attended the occassion.
