Around Tinsel Town
Veteran actor ‘Sowcar’ Janaki passes away at 94
>> Veteran actor Sankaramanchi Janaki, aka ‘Sowcar’ Janaki, known for countless performances in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on Friday (August 21). She was 94.
Janaki, whose filmography spans seven decades and more than 400 films, made her debut in the 1950 Telugu film Shavukaru, directed by veteran director LV Prasad.
Here are the stories done by The Hindu as a tribute to Sowcar Janaki:
> ‘Sowcar’ Janaki, the versatile face of Tamil cinema known for majestic roles and finesses
> In Pictures | Remembering ‘Sowcar’ Janaki’s remarkable journey in cinema
> Politicians, celebrities recall contributions of ‘Sowcar’ Janaki, pay tributes
> ‘Sowcar’ Janaki: A life that was never bound by the script, till the end
> ‘Sowcar’ Janaki’s stellar performance stands out beyond tears
> Gurajada Samskrutika Samakhya offers tributes to Sowcar Janaki
> Heritage city mourns ‘Sowcar’ Janaki
> ‘Sowcar’ Janaki’s twin passions: Beyond cinema, the veteran actor loved food and designing interiors
> ‘Sowcar’ Janaki had a memorable role in Malayalam in Soorya Manasam
Bollywood
‘Samuk’: Akshay Kumar and Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s alien action thriller goes on floors
Ajay Devgn’s ‘Drishyam 3’ titled ‘Drishyam The Conclusion’
Asha Bhosle’s last recorded film song to release on her birth anniversary
‘Phool Aur Kaante’ director Kuku Kohli dies at 77
Hollywood
Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth film with David Fincher retitled ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth’
Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’ to re-release globally in ‘Encore’ edition ahead of ‘Doomsday’
Tim Curry, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and ‘It’ star, dies at 80
‘RoboCop’: Dan Stevens cast as Alex Murphy in Prime Video’s live-action series
Kit Harington replaces Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’
Regional Cinema
‘Mahakali’ video glimpse: Akshaye Khanna as Shukracharya
‘Kaaka’: Chiranjeevi’s next with Bobby Kolli gets a title
Prabhu’s next is with ‘Writer’ director Franklin Jacob
Keralam actor Devan set to join Vijay’s TVK after BJP exit
Case filed against event organisers, university management after sound box collapse injures five during pre-release event of Yash’s movie in Hyderabad
World Cinema
Oscars 2027: ‘All of a Sudden’, ‘Coward,’ ‘Possible Love,’ ‘Everytime’ and ‘On the Road’ join International Feature race
Venice Film Festival adds ‘NAZA,’ Gaza documentary from ‘No Other Land’ filmmakers, to Competition
Trailers
In ‘Haiwaan’ trailer, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan tackle each other in Priyadarshan’s twisted thriller
In ‘Brothers’ trailer, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson discover they might actually be brothers
In ‘Gandhari’ trailer, Taapsee Pannu vows to rescue her kidnapped daughter in action-thriller
‘Gunmaaster G9’ teaser shows Emraan Hashmi as a wounded lover in Aditya Datt’s pulpy actioner
‘Operation Tral’ teaser of the action thriller starring Jayasurya and Ritika Singh out
‘Bass X Machina’ trailer promises a futuristic take on legendary lawman Bass Reeves
In ‘The Pitt’ Season 3 trailer, Noah Wyle faces new challenges in medical drama
‘12 12 12’ teaser shows Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan starring in Apple TV’s new crime thriller series
In ‘Jagmae Sangeetham’ trailer, Prakash Raj brings his charm in Prime Video’s musical-romance
Essential Reading
1) ‘Babita Singh Reporting’ interview: Nimisha Sajayan, Sudip Sharma and Ambiecka Pandit on unmaking a cop-drama
>> Actor Nimisha Sajayan, executive producer Sudip Sharma and director Ambiecka Pandit talk about their upcoming film, ‘Babita Singh Reporting’, the importance of female gaze, how Nimisha chooses her stories and more
2) ‘Toxic’: How Yash built his reputation as an actor
>> From ‘Googly’ and ‘Raja Huli’ to ‘KGF’, a look at the performances that reveal the actor behind Yash’s larger-than-life image, ahead of ‘Toxic’s August 26 release
3) Arjun Das and Aditi Shankar on ‘Once More’ and choosing stories that speak to them
>> The actors speak about their upcoming romance drama, how Arjun balances big-star projects with mid-budget gems, how Aditi’s vocal training helps her acting, and more
4) Polish Cinematographer Artur Zurawski on working with Salman Khan and Rani Mukerji
>> In Delhi for his solo exhibition, the noted Polish cinematographer of ‘Sultan’ and ‘Mardaani’ fame talks about his craft and concerns
5) How designer Abhishek Chaudhary is adding a quirky punch to Bollywood movie posters
>> Berlin-based product designer Abhishek Chaudhary is giving iconic Hindi films a fresh, unexpected visual language with his quirky posters
6) Oscars 2027: Which film will India choose as its official International Feature entry?
>> With the Film Federation of India now accepting submissions for the 2027 Oscars, here are some of the strongest contenders for India’s International Feature Film submission
7) From celluloid to digital: the changing face of Chennai’s cinema industry
>> Over 84 years, Kodambakkam, the heart of Tamil cinema, has changed beyond recognition, and so has the Tamil film world. Surviving all odds, cinemas have evolved from a single projector and four intervals to the IMAX of today, while filmmaking has moved on from the expensive process of shooting on celluloid to embracing digital technology
8) ‘Geethanjali’ re-release: PC Sreeram revisits Mani Ratnam’s iconic love story
>> Ahead of its digitally restored 4K re-release, cinematographer PC Sreeram talks about filming ‘Geethanjali’ in the hills of Ooty and how the mist became a silent third character
9) Romance, longing, life, and cinema on Chennai’s beaches
>> While one could argue that the LIC Building established the “big city” vibe and that Spencer Plaza represented Chennai’s “modern and capitalist” aspects, the beach has always been used to represent love and life
10) Shalini Adnani’s ‘Our Share of Sand’: Inside the Indian sand-mining story heading to Venice
>> Ahead of the world premiere of ‘Our Share of Sand’ at Venice Critics’ Week, the Chilean-Indian filmmaker discusses growing up between two cultures, the human cost of India’s development boom and the moral compromises that come with privilege
What to watch
1) In ‘Babita Singh Reporting’, Nimisha Sajayan steers the social autopsy of patriarchy
Read the full review here
2) In ‘Hi’, Kavin, Nayanthara anchor Vishnu Edavan’s old-school wholesome entertainer
Read the full review here
3) In ‘Once More’, Arjun Das and Aditi Shankar shine in a fresh romance that loses steam
Read the full review here
Published – August 28, 2026 04:44 pm IST
