South Buzz: Samantha’s ‘Shaakunthalam’ gets a release date; Sonalee Kulkarni signs ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’; Ajith’s ‘Thunivu’ trailer fails to defeat ‘Beast’ record

The New Year is upon us, and your South bee has some exciting news for our viewers! From Marathi actress Sonalee joining the cast of ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’ to Samantha’s ‘Shaakunthalam’ getting a release date, here are the biggest headlines.


Monday is off to a great start in Tollywood as ‘Shaakunthalam’ has locked its release date. The epic love story starring Samantha and Dev Mohan will release on February 17. And we got some good news for you cinephiles. The Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer 'Shaakunthalam' will also hit screens in 3D. “Witness the #EpicLoveStory #Shaakuntalam in theatres from Feb 17th 2023 Worldwide! Also in 3D," Samantha tweeted.

In M-Town, Mohanlal’s next ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’ is moving at warp speed. Marathi actress Sonalee is the latest addition to the cast, and the film is expected to start rolling soon. Sonalee will also be making her debut in Malayalam cinema, with the upcoming film. We must say, Lijo Jose Pellissery is assembling quite an impressive cast and crew.

For Kollywood and fans of Ajith, things are pretty glum as the trailer of ‘Thunivu’ didn’t go as expected. The trailer got around 25 million views in a day, however, couldn’t beat the response Vijay’s ‘Beast’ trailer received last year, which was more than 30 million in 24 hours!

While buzzing around Sandalwood, your bee received a confirmation that actor Tilak Shekar has signed his next titled 'Dvandva', a political thriller with a sci-fi element. Helmed by debutant Bharath, the film revolves around a girl with hyperthymesia, and the story takes place between sunrise and sunset. “The story revolves around a little girl with hyperthymesia, thus has a photographic memory, remembering the smallest details. A politician tries to take advantage of this, and the drama unfolds in a 12-hour period. We wanted to name the film sunrise to sunset, but then stuck with an apt Kannada title, Dvandva. This genre is new to me as I have never done such a role,” the actor told Bangalore Times. Quiet experimental isn’t it?

That’s all for today folks! Your bee will be back tomorrow with your daily scoop on the South cinema. Until then stay tuned!