Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya announced their separation. Dhanush won the National award for his performance in Asuran. Kamal Haasan was hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19. Allu Arjun's Pushpa set the box-office on fire. SS Rajamouli presented the grand trailer of RRR. Here were some of the biggest newsmakers of the year from South. All Pictures Courtesy: Mid-day Archives
Updated on : 30 December,2021 10:20 AM IST
Reports of actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu and actor Naga Chaitanya’s divorce were doing the rounds but neither of the two confirmed the same. On their Instagram posts, they officially announced that they parted ways. Both the actors shared the same message for fans and media in October. The statement read, "To all our well wishers. After much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans, well wishers and the media to support us during this difficult time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you for your support." The actors were recently spotted together at a studio in Hyderabad while shooting but didn't talk to each other.
Tamil star Dhanush was conferred with the Best Actor Award for his performance in Asuran. The award was shared by Manoj Bajpayee for his acting in Bhonsle. Aishwaryaa, Dhanush’s wife, was indeed proud. She shared a picture of him along with Superstar Rajinikanth on her Instagram account and also shared a moment with all three in the same frame. Superstar Rajinikanth was conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest film honour, by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in the capital at the 67th National Film Awards on October 25. Aishwaryaa wrote- “They are mine … and this is history. #prouddaughter. #proudwife."
Allu Arjun's Pushpa is all set to be a blockbuster at the box-office. This Pan-India film is doing thunderous business in the Hindi version as well. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh gave the total collections so far in Hindi that stand at Rs. 42.45 crore. Fans are now eagerly waiting for Part 2.
Amid the 'Jai Bhim' row, actor Suriya took to social media to thank his fans for their support for the film. The Vanniyar Sangam had issued a legal notice to actor Suriya and director TJ Gnanavel, demanding an unconditional apology from the makers of the film 'Jai Bhim' for portraying the community in a bad light. Several fans have posted messages on social media, supporting the Tamil star by sharing the trending hashtag #WestandWithSuriya. Taking to his Twitter handle on Wednesday, the actor thanked his fans for the "overwhelming" support. "Dear all, this love for #Jaibhim is overwhelming. I've never witnessed this before! Can't express in words how thankful I am for the trust and reassurance you all have given us. Heartfelt thanks for standing by us," he tweeted.
Recently, actor-politician Kamal Haasan tested positive for Covid-19 and was hospitalised. In a statement in Tamil, which he posted on his social media accounts soon after returning from the hospital, the actor thanked the team of doctors led by Dr J.S.N. Moorthy, for treating him like a brother. Kamal, who had been undergoing treatment for Covid-19, also thanked the nursing staff of the hospital and his daughters Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan. "My heartfelt thanks go to my brother, Mahendran, and my team members who, skipping food and sleep, looked after me," he said.
SS Rajamouli's RRR has been in the news ever since it was announced. The trailer of this magnum opus was launched on December 9 in Mumbai and fans' excitement went over the roof. The film stars Junior NTR, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, and Shriya Saran. It's all set for a release on January 7, 2022.
A video clip showing a failed attempt by an unidentified man to assault actor Vijay Sethupathi at the Bangalore airport had begun doing the rounds on social media. Talking to IANS, a source close to the actor said that the incident in question happened at the Bangalore airport in the early hours of Wednesday. Stating that the incident was not a serious one, the source said that the unidentified person, who was in an inebriated state, was creating a nuisance. Eventually, a minor argument erupted between the two sides after which the actor and his team chose to leave the place. However, the person is believed to have followed the actor and attempted to land a kick. Vijay Sethupathi, however, did not to choose to press charges and no police complaint was filed against the man.
