Now that her Bollywood career is not going great guns, Asin has shifted focus back to South India. She is apparently talking to producers in the Malayalam and Tamil movie industries. Though a Malayali, Asin has acted in only one Malayalam movie so far - and that was her debut film. Anyway, it looks like Chennai is eager to have the actress back. She has already been signed for the lead role in the Tamil remake of the Malayalam hit Bodyguard.

Then, she is acting in a film for Muragadoss opposite Surya. Director Silambarasan has asked her to play the lead in his film Vaaliban, and there’s also a film with Jayam Raja opposite superstar Vijay. But it’s not as if Bollywood is ignoring Asin. She has been asked to play the lead role in the Hindi version of Kaakha Kaakha (originally in Tamil), co- starring John Abraham. The film is being directed and remade by Gautham Menon.

So in the coming years, there will be a lot of Asin everywhere in the country!

Asin was a name to reckon with in the south when she decided to move bag and baggage to Bollywood. A Hindi film debut opposite Aamir Khan in Ghajini is the stuff that every newcomer’s dreams are made of. The film was a blockbuster and Asin was the toast of B-Town. But after her London Dreams (opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn) became 2009’s biggest BO nightmare, life has been topsy-turvy. Rumours about the southern spice girl refusing films by Farah Khan and Ashutosh Gowarikar hasn’t upped her popularity quotient much. With not a single film in her kitty (and even Kollywood turning the other way), Asin says she’s taking a break (from films )to return to her first love, painting.

Actress Asin has lost a role to Shruthi Hassan, the budding actress and Kamal Hassan’s daughter. So, what’s the big deal? The thing is that the film which slipped out of Asin’s hands is an AR Murugadoss directorial, which is going to be a big-budgeted tri-lingual.

As the director has become immensely popular ever since the release of Ghajini (Hindi), it is definitely every actor’s dream to be a part of his film. Though Asin has already worked with the talent for the Tamil version of Ghajini, she would have wanted to be a part of his film yet again.

The yet-to-be-titled film has Surya playing the male lead. The replacement has now become the talk of the town. Though an official announcement regarding Asin’s association with the film was never made, it was largely speculated that the fine actress was going to be Murugadoss’ choice.

The film is produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin and Harris Jayaraj has been roped in to score music. Ravi K Chandran is the cinematographer.

Legendary actor Kamal Haasan’s daughter Shruti Haasan’s Kollywood debut opposite reigning actor Suriya in a film to be directed by talented A.R. Murugadoss is one of the major happenings in the South Indian film industry these days!

While the shooting of this yet-to-be-titled flick, being simultaneously made in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, is all set to begin this week, we hear that the makers’ original choice in the female lead of the film was Asin, but they finally chose Shruti Haasan instead of Asin as reportedly Shruti Haasan has a face which is more suited for Bollywood.

To be produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, this untitled film will have music by Harris Jayaraj. Ravi K. Chandran will be the cameraman. More details including the title, shooting schedule, cast and crew are awaited.

Asin is in a catch-22 situation. The actress is insistent on doing only Bollywood films with ‘top saleable male stars’ and thus refusing offers from Tamil cinema.

After the London Dreams fiasco, offers up north have dried up for Asin and the latest is that she is going about town talking about pursuing her first love —painting. Meanwhile, in Kollywood, Asin is still the most-wanted heroine in every big actor’s wish-list.

Kollywood grapevine is abuzz that at least four big projects are being lined up with her in mind. The strongest of the rumours is that Asin has confirmed that she will star in the Tamil remake of Siddique’s Malayalam flick Bodyguard with Ilayathalapathy Vijay. Asin will play the female lead in the film (which had Nayanthara in the original) and shoot will commence in March end.

Another project awaiting her approval is director A R Murgadoss’s upcoming film with Suriya for producer Udhayanidhi Stalin, which will start rolling in May-June. Meanwhile, rumour mills have been working overtime that Simbu met Asin in Mumbai and discussed his dream project Vaaliban. Also, Jayam Raja — who introduced Asin to Tamil films — has approached her for his next film with Vijay. And, the biggest of them all is that director Gautham Menon is in talks with her for his Hindi remake of Kaakha Kaakha.

Asin, when contacted, refused to talk about her future moves and cited the usual ‘no dates’ clause for not doing Bollywood films. Sources close to her say that though she’s open to doing Tamil films if the roles are good, she will take her own time to decide. Says a hit director, who has worked with Asin, “I called her up recently and she patiently listened to my narration of a film that I’m planning to do with a Tamil superstar. She said that she would get back to me within two days, but I’m still waiting for that call.”

With no film in sight, Asin decided to take a break in her home-state Kerala. After her dud experience with London Dreams, the south Indian star has decided to be choosy on her future Hindi movie projects. Apart from her southern films, Asin has loads of free time at present. But the actress is unperturbed by her unemployed status. She is using her time judiciously.

The actress loves painting.

She had even held a painting exhibition at the age of seven.

However, years later she is once again devoting her time to painting.

It is believed that Salman Khan had inspired her to get back to her childhood hobby.

Very few know that the gorgeous southern beauty Asin is a painter and has even had exhibitions of her paintings before joining the film industry. The star, who made a splash in Bollywood film industry with the blockbuster ‘Ghajini’ started painting from childhood and even had her first exhibition at the tender age of 7.
The latest we hear is that Asin also took lessons from the acclaimed painter T. Kaladharan who is also guru to Bose Krishnamachari a multi-disciplinary artist who has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally.
Reveals a source, “Asin used to paint ever since she could hold a brush in hand –most of her paintings are freestyle on canvas. But ever since she’s joined the industry she has let go of it”
Recently, Asin has started painting again courtesy to a chance meeting with her guru T. Kaladharan. Adds the source “When Asin went to Kerala to receive the Pride of Kerala award she met her guru after ages and told him that she’s started painting again. T. Kaladharan even told her to bring her paintings there so that an exhibition could be arranged”
Who knows now we may soon see the talented Asin have an exhibition of her work

It’s been a long time since Vijay and Asin Thottumkal have shared screen space. Earlier, the duo had delivered a fabulous spell of blockbusters with Sivakasi and Pokkiri. Although, many south Indian filmmakers and actors kept requesting her, the actress had to refuse their offers due to busy schedules in Bollywood.

Now with the actress running out of offers in Bollywood, she seems to have accepted to pair with Vijay in the Tamil remake of ‘Bodyguard’. The Malayalam version Bodyguard is directed by Siddique and featured Dhilip-Nayantara in lead roles. Producer R.B Choudary of Super Good Films has signed Siddique and Vijay for this remake version…

Wonder what actors do to kill time if they are not shooting? No films mean no work and thus southern import Asin is keeping herself busy by taking up a new hobby. Asin has started painting at her Lokhandwala house. As a source tells a daily, “She uses acrylic on canvas and has already made around seven paintings.” Good going so far.

The girl has been learning painting since childhood and also had an exhibition when she was just seven. Her mentor was T Kaladharan, an eminent painter of Kerala. But now Asin has found her inspiration from Salman Khan who loves to paint and has even gifted a painting to Asin’s father.

“She was actually inspired by Salman to restart painting,” a source is quoted as saying. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

She has walked the ramp, designed clothes and is now making her acting debut in Bollywood — that’s Sonakshi Sinha for you. The daughter of actor Shatrughan Sinha comes across as an outspoken person.

Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter is not at all unnerved to work with Salman Khan, who is double her age.

When asked whether she felt strange acting with Salman Khan who is more than double her age, she says, “I agree he is a lot older than me. But nowadays a lot of new heroines have done that. Deepika came in with Shah Rukh Khan and Asin with Aamir Khan. They too are way too young than their heroes. So what are we talking about? Besides, I have seen the rushes. I look good with him.”

Sonakshi realised that she was suited for acting only after she lost a lot of weight. And the weight loss happened because Salman had told her that she was ‘way too fat’ when he first saw her.

“He told me that the first thing I needed to do was lose weight. He said that he can take me in his movie as a heroine but I needed to shed off my kilos first. He convinced me to lose weight. When that happened, he said I was on for his next film. I was very happy doing my fashion designing but suddenly after losing weight, I knew that my career graph has changed,” says Sonakshi candidly.

Didn’t Shatrughan Sinha tell her ‘khaamosh’ in his inimitable style
when she first went up to him and said she wanted to act?

“There’s no way he would tell me ‘khaamosh’. In our house, I go around telling my dad ‘khaamosh’. Besides, he saw the script and approved it himself,” she says. During the course of the conversation Sonakshi also gives us a glimpse into her philanthropic side. She wants to take up the cause of breast cancer.

“I want to build awareness about it. This is a form of cancer that can be easily cured provided it is detected early. A lot of women don’t speak about it because they think would be turned into outcasts,” she ends.

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