Deepfake crisis, Vinayakan's remuneration, and South's dominance: News hits of 2023 from filmdom

The year 2023 was marked by a slew of events that shaped the film industry. We take a look at some of the events that we picked and the people we wrote about in this yearender.

Multiplex owners refuse to stream 'Leo' in Hindi heartland
Before 'Leo' release, prominent multiplex chains in North India opted not to screen the Vijay-starrer due to the filmmakers' refusal to comply with the eight-week OTT window rule established by these chains. This development generated discussion in South India, which has set four weeks between theatre and OTT releases. South Indian filmmakers, producers, distributors and theatre owners urged the Multiplex Association of India to reconsider the eight-week OTT window rule, in light of the ban on the release of the film's dubbed version.

Vinayakan's remuneration for the film 'Jailer'
'Jailer' directed by Nelson and featuring Rajinikanth in the lead, was one of the biggest money-spinners in the South film industry this year. Though actor Vinayakan played a key role in the movie, it was rumoured that he had received low remuneration for the film, while other actors received a better pay cut. As per reports, Vinayakan had only received Rs 35 lakh for the movie. As the discussion raged, the actor came forward to deny the rumours and also claimed that he had received triple the amount. He also added that the rumour was baseless and was the work of certain 'mischief-makers' from Kerala.

Age is just a number for 'Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum' star Viji Venkatesh
Viji Venkatesh made an impressive debut in director Akhil Sathyan's movie 'Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum'. The stylish Laila- the uber-cool Ummachi who wore sneakers with a sari - was not only loved for her looks but her performance in the film. In an interview with Manorama online, had gushed about the acceptance and love she received among people after the film.

Rashmika Mandanna's deep fake video
An AI-generated video featuring Rashmika Mandanna sparked genuine concerns about the future of deep fakes in India and the safety of women. The video purportedly featured Rashmika Mandanna entering an elevator. However, upon closer scrutiny, it was unveiled as a deepfake of Zara Patel, who is an Instagram influencer. After the incident, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan sought legal action against such occurrences.

Decoding the 'Orry' enigma
Orry, also known as Orhan Awatramani is often spotted in pictures featuring celebrity kids. Since he did not have any godfather in Bollywood, his presence around these star kids generated a lot of curiosity. We ran a story on this social media celebrity. Apparently, he is not a 'social activist' as he had originally claimed. And that's where the enigma deepens!

Dismal year for Mollywood?
A cursory glance into the Malayalam film industry revealed there were only four superhits, though a total of 220 films were released this year. Also, as per statistics available till December 8, only 13 out of the 209 films could achieve a break-even point. This is particularly distressing as the year was marked by the highest number of film releases ever.

T P Madhavan at Gandhi Bhavan
A video of T P Madhavan spending his time at the Gandhi Bhavan in Pathanapuram shocked many as the veteran actor was an integral part of Malayalam cinema in the 80s and 90s. Though he looked cheerful in the video, many were saddened by his plight. The actor, who was the first AMMA secretary, suffers from memory loss. He only has had a few visitors from the film world, in the last eight years.

Iratta comparison with V K Pavithran's movie 'Utharam'
Though Iratta didn't do good business in theatres, the film started receiving acclaim after it streamed on OTT. What was most notable was the film's comparison with the 1989 film 'Utharam' directed by V K Pavithran. The latter revolves around the suicide of a poetess, who is the wife of journalist Balachandra Nair's friend. Meanwhile, 'Iratt' has Joju George playing two police officers - Vinod and Pramod.

Controversy around '2018'
'2018' was India's official entry to the Oscars, but some people did not take kindly to Jude Anthany Joseph's portrayal of the church in the film. They argued that Jude trying to enhance the church's involvement, while deliberately acknowledging the assistance from other machineries. In an exclusive interview with Onmanorama, the actor retorted that the same people should watch his movie 'Sara's', which had been contrary to the Church's belief system.

Iconic 'Godfather' scene recreated through AI
Though Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video did raise concerns, people were amazed when Kerala-based quantitative developer Tom Antony recreated the iconic 'Godfather' scene involving Mohanlal, Mammootty and Fahadh Faasil. Though many appreciated his work, Tom, later released a video saying that he felt guilty of creating the video since deepfake technology is far more dangerous than it appears. His words were truly prophetic.