ஐ - Shankar + Vikram + Amy Jackson + ARR

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Shankar opts for a grand set for Amy’s song in Ai
Janani.Karthik@timesgroup.com


Shankar’s Ai, which has been in the making for a long time, is nearing completion. The crew is expected to wrap up the shoot with a song, which will feature Amy Jackson, in the city. We hear that a lavish set for a whopping sum has been erected for the interesting number, said to be Amy’s introduction song in the film.
It looks like Shankar's penchant for huge settings continues with Ai as well. A source close to the unit says, “A huge set designed like a sliced lemon at a cost of about 2 crore has been erected in a studio in the city. The team has been working on this set for more than a month. Amy will shoot for this song this week for about six days. The song will not feature Vikram but just Amy and Upen Patel. This is the only song pending in the film and with this shoot, the Ai crew will pack up.”
This isn’t the first time that Shankar has opted for a lavish set. In his earlier films like Sivaji, Indian and Mudhalvan, the director had opted for a royal backdrop in certain songs.
We also learn that Vikram has completed his portions in the film and is currently on a vacation with his family abroad.

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The wait gets longer
By S S Kamal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | May 19, 2014, 09.17 PM IST
Shankar's magnum opus with Vikram, in the making for the last 18 months, is put on hold

Ace film-maker Shankar's next project Ai, featuring Tamil superstar Vikram and British model-turned-actress Amy Jackson, has been delayed further and will not release in June as planned.

Apparently, the delay in background score, coupled with the deferred release of Rajinikanth's Kochadaiyaan and Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroopam 2, is responsible for the postponement of the release of Ai, which has been in the making for the last 18 months. The movie, one of three biggest projects in Tamil in recent times, was scheduled for release during mid-2014. But things are not going as planned for Shankar. "This is not new for a movie directed by Shankar. As a master story-teller, he wants everything to be perfect. He does not compromise even if there is even two per cent variation. He is of the opinion that a delayed release is better than facing flak from the audience," a top distributor from Chennai said.

We hear that Shankar was not happy with a few scenes, involving Amy Jackson and he was forced to reshoot them with the actress. At the same time, A R Rahman, who is composing music and the background score of the movie, has reportedly sought more time to make it perfect.

Shankar is also particular that Ai gets an extended run in theatres without any interruption. Kochadaiyaan is releasing on May 23 and Vishwaroopam 2 is likely to hit the theatres in July or August. As both movies command huge market, including overseas, Shankar does not want Ai's performance to be affected.

"The movie has an interesting storyline with an universally appealing subject. He plans to release Ai in Telugu and Hindi other than the original Tamil. There are plans to release the movie in eight other Indian languages as well (dubbed). He has grand plans and therefore he does not mind waiting for the right time to release," a little birdie from Mumbai said.

It is said that the protagonist is a senior citizen, who tries to woo the winner of a beauty pageant by transforming himself as a youth. The actor, we hear, had reduced his weight to fewer than 50 kg during the shoot. The shooting for the movie had been put on hold for some time, owing to financial complications.

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I wanted to work in Ai: Peter Hein
Chennai: Peter Hein, celebrated action director, who has choreographed breathtaking sequences for many south Indian films, is currently busy coordinating some crucial scenes from the much talked about bilingual, Baahubali. He’s having a tough time, handling 2,000 stuntmen and several elephants on the sets, but it’s going to be worthwhile waiting for the film, according to him.

“Each and every shot has been dealt with in a studied manner. Since it’s a period flick, there are huge requirements that we don’t see in regular movies. I have worked earlier with S.S. Rajamouli, the director, and Prabhas, the male lead in the film, which makes me feel at ease improvising various scenes.”

After Baahubali, Peter is likely to work with Karan Malhotra of Agneepath fame for a B’town movie and a Hollywood project.

He regrets having missed out on Shankar’s magnum opus, Ai, due to prior commitments. “He gives people the freedom to explore and come up with their best. He it was who catapulted my career to another level,” Peter says.

As someone who has worked with the master filmmaker in three consecutive films — Anniyan, Sivaji and Endhiran — Peter reveals that Endhiran had him ‘sweat it out’ to get it right. The stuntman, who broke 19 bones during the film, says that food had to be injected into him through the hip part of his body as his mouth and hands couldn’t open.

“I realised that a small act of carelessness on my part can have huge repercussions,” Peter says, “and I do try to be careful. My family worries, but they know that I am enjoying what I am doing.” Deprived of the normal joys of childhood, such as school, Peter holds his family close to his heart.

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Real to reel, all happening in 'Ai'
Anupama Subramanian | June 09, 2014, 01.06 am IST
Chennai: Shankar, known for his highly experimental filmmaking style, is at it again. For the first time, the director is introducing a gay character in a pivotal role in his upcoming flick, Ai, which stars Vikram and Amy Jackson as protagonists.

High-profile make-up artiste, Ojas Rajani, who is behind the stylish looks of celebrities like Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Sridevi, Katrina Kaif and others, has bagged the role. Ojas will be playing himself, a celebrity make-up artist from Mumbai, in a character called Osma in Ai.

The film is produced by Aascar Films and Ojas’ role has much bearing on the script.

The B’town celebrity stylist is in Chennai in connection with a glitzy wedding when DC caught up with him. “My association with Shankarji began right from the days of his film, Hindustani. I did the make-up for Urmila in that film. Then I did Anniyan where I was the make-up and hair artiste for Sada. Later, Sivaji and Robo happened. Shankarji has always been fascinated with the way I work and with my character — the way I am. He used to tell me that he would cast me one day in his films,” Ojas tells us.

Gays are not always portrayed in a well researched or rounded manner in films, be it Hindi or Tamil, and didn’t he have apprehensions about the role? He responds, “Shankarji’s vision is different. I do agree that in Bollywood, we are shown in a demeaning manner in films. But what Shankarji offered me was an awesome character where I play myself in a love triangle. That’s the main reason I agreed to go on board. In fact, I was brought into Ai for Amy Jackson’s styling. Incidentally, I turned an actor,” Ojas says.

Ojas adds, “I designed my own wardrobe. Shankarji gave me a good budget for my clothes. Since I had worked with Vikram in Anniyan, the comfort levels were high. I wrote my dialogues in Hindi and English. Since my work involved doubling as a make up artiste for Amy, it was quite a tightrope walk.”

Will his acting stint continue? “If something interesting comes up, why not?” he says with a laugh. “I am not passionate about going in front of the camera. I am happy in my own space being a celebrity make-up artiste,” he ends.

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Shankar spends a bomb on ‘Manoharudu’ set
Shankar’s magnum opus Manoharudu, is going to be one of his costliest movies till date. The director had already spent a whopping amount for a song starring Amy Jackson and Upen Patel.
Now, yet another majestic set has been erected for this film. A china park set has been specially built in Pollachi. This set costs around 1 crore, and it took more than 6 months for building this structure.
Some crucial scenes and a song will be shot in this set. Shankar and Vikram are teaming up once again after the blockbuster ‘Aparichithudu’.
Vikram is currently going through a rough patch in his career as some of him past movies bombed at the box office.

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"Shankar has taken technology to a totally different level in Ai" - PC Sreeram
Jun 22, 2014
Ace cinematographer PC Sreeram is working with director Shankar in the director’s magnum opus, Ai. About Ai, PC Sreeram, in a recent interview, said, “I can only say that Shankar has taken technology to a totally different level in the film. Actor Vikram’s make-up, for instance, is a big highlight and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that some of the assistants of Paa’s makeup specialist Dominique, like Shaun, are involved in Ai.”

PC Sreeram, who has a habit of working in just one movie at a time, will hop on next to the Balki directorial Shamitabh, starring Dhanush, Amitabh and Akshara Haasan.

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Shankar Shanmugham @shankarshanmugh · Jul 1
Anirudh sings! Arr rocks! Ai tunes coming soon!

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suresh kenny ‏@sureshmylapore 6m
#Ai update:- Audio Launch n August, Film Releasing on September Guys time 2 c our chiyaan sir & Shankar sir masterpiece n Just 2 months time

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A.R.Rahman ‏@arrahman 1m
Master for 'I' delivered finally... All of us are looking forward to your reactions to the songs soon

[Cinemarasigan]

Good news... Waiting eagerly for songs!! Hope the film will be a visual treat as well..