Kannada superstar Rajakumar, who was admitted to a Chennai hospital March 12, is on his way to recovery. The hospital says he will be discharged soon.

The knee and hip replacement surgeries were successful. He is able to walk and sit without pain.

Dileep turns producer

Malayalam star Mohanlal was one of the few actors who turned producer early in his career. He was instrumental in making memorable films like His Highness Abdullah and Bharatham.

Though his Pranavam Arts lost money in the acclaimed Vaanaprastham, the film won him his second National Award (the first was for Bharatam). 

To recover his money, he made the hugely successful comedy, Harikrishnans (Mohanlal, Mammootty and Hindi star Juhi Chawla). Mohanlal then stopped producing films and invested in a chain of hotels.

Mammootty restricted his investments to television serials.

Now, it is Dileep's turn. The film is the story of a detective called Moosa, played by him.

Now, films on television

If you can't fight them, join them, say Tamil film producers. Despite their best efforts, they have not been able to curb film piracy. Cable television operators have made matters worse by immediately airing new films.

Producers plan to join hands with cable television operators and start a pay channel to screen new films on television. "Producers are facing a great threat from pirated VCDs. There is no point in fighting this battle because the pirated VCDs network is too strong. The only way to solve the problem is to find an alternative," said the president of the Producers Council.

If the alternative to video piracy is a pay channel, what will happen to distributors and exhibitors? The Tamil Nadu Exhibitors Association will meet on April 9 to discuss how to counter this move.

Sarika to anchor Banyan event

Sarika's comeback to films after 17 years, after her estrangement from husband Kamal Haasan, is big news in Chennai. When asked at a press conference if she would act opposite him, she replied, "Why not? After all, he is one of the best actors in the country."

For now, Sarika will anchor the annual spring fundraiser, Basant Utsav, for Banyan, home to homeless, mentally challenged women. This year's show features dancer Anita Ratnam.

Banyan was founded by two collegians, Vandana and Vaishnavi, 10 years ago. Their commitment and grit won them a lot of celebrity admirers. Many known faces of the Tamil film industry participated in a fundraising programme for Banyan recently.

Sarika, like other film stars, was bowled over by the sincerity of Banyan's volunteers.