South Buzz: Mammootty’s mother Fathima Ismail passes away; Sai Dharam Tej's 'Virupaksha' hits the big screens; Vijay’s ‘Leo’ audio launch venue changed

Hello and welcome back! From Mammootty’s mother’s demise to ‘Virupaksha’ finally hitting the big screens, and more, here are the biggest headlines from South cinema.

It’s a glum day for Mollywood, as superstar Mammootty’s mother Fathima Ismail, aged 93, passed away. She breathed her last today (Apr 21) morning in a private hospital in Kochi. Condolences are pouring in from all corners, and the funeral was held today at 4 PM at Juma Masjid in Chembu in Vaikom. She is survived by her children - Mammootty, Ibrahim Kutty, Zakariah, Ameena, Sauda, and Shafina. Dulquer Salmaan, Maqbool Salmaan, and Ashkar Saudan are her grandchildren.

On the other hand, it's a busy Friday for actor Sai Dharam Tej, as his film 'Virupaksha', has hit the theatres today. Helmed by debutant Karthik Varma Dandu, the protégé of popular Tollywood director Sukumar, ‘Virupaksha’ also has Samyuktha as the leading lady. The cast of the movie includes Sunil, Brahmaji, Ajay, Jhansi, Koushik Mahata, Rajeev Kanakala, and Rajsekhar Aningi. The film is receiving an impressive response.

In Kollywood, fans of Vijay are upset, as the venue of the ‘Leo’ audio launch has been shifted from Chennai. The makers are reportedly looking to host the event in Trichy, Madurai, or Coimbatore. Touted to be gangster drama, 'Leo' marks the Vijay's reunion with his 'Master' director Lokesh Kanagaraj. 'Leo' is slated to release this October, on the occasion of Ayudha Pooja and the film will be released simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi languages.

In other news, veteran actor Devaraj is returning to Tollywood. He has been roped in to play a pivotal role in Prashanth Neel’s ‘Salaar’. “My character has grey shades, mostly in the latter half, totally contradictory to the protagonist’s character. I have shot for 15 days in Hyderabad. It was excellent to work with Prashanth Neel, and cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda. I also have scenes with Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, who respect senior actors like me on the sets though one can’t have a personal relationship due to the age factor,” the veteran told Bangalore Times.

That’s all for today guys. Stay tuned to ETimes for your daily dose of South cinema.