Saroja Devi's demise to Hansika-Sohael separation: Kollywood's top newsmakers of the week

This week was a rollercoaster for Kollywood, with unexpected demise, huge announcements, viral moments from stars, and heated debates keeping fans enthralled. From new film updates to social media discussions, Tamil cinema has been in the spotlight all week. Here is a roundup of the top 5 cinema news stories that have captured the hearts of Kollywood fans!

Veteran actress Saroja Devi, who acted in over 200 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi films, passed away today in Bengaluru. She died on July 14 due to old age and ill health. Saroja Devi, 87, was born in Karnataka in 1938. Known as Baingili, she made her debut in the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidas and began her career in Tamil cinema in 1958 with 'Nadodi Mannan.' She has acted in many successful films with leading heroes, including MGR and Sivaji. She has received many epithets like Abhinaya Saraswathi, Chalaba Sundari, and Abhinaya Bharathi, and has received many awards including Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. Her demise has caused great sadness in the film industry.

‘Thug Life’ actor Arjun Chidambaram got married to his longtime girlfriend Jayashree Chandrasekaran. He shared a sweet photo and wrote, “Married my bessst friennd." Arjun Chidambaram looked dapper in a black and white tuxedo, while Jayashree looked beautiful in an off-white saree with jewelry. The event was attended by friends and family; there was also a karaoke performance.

The Madurai High Court bench has ordered the central government to remove the teaser of the film ‘Bad Girl’ from social media. Three people from Sankarankovil had filed a case alleging that it contained negative scenes about girls. In it, it was requested to consider this as a sexual offense and take action. After considering this, the court ordered the central government to remove the teaser within a month. It has also been stated that restrictions should be imposed to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The Madras High Court has ordered Bobby Touch Gold Universal Private Limited to explain the contractual breach in a case filed by actor Ravi Mohan. Ravi Mohan said that despite being allotted an 80-day call sheet from January to March 2025, shooting did not begin, and that other opportunities were lost due to this. He said he quit because the project did not work out and demanded ₹9 crore in compensation to prevent the release of films including 'Chennai City Gangster'. His side argued that he was ready to return the advance money, while the production side argued that he acted in the film 'Parasakthi' in breach of contract. The judge ordered the production company to respond and adjourned the case to July 23.

Hansika Motwani and husband Sohail Kathuriya are reportedly preparing for divorce. The couple, who got married in December 2022, are reportedly living separately. Reports suggest that Hansika is living with her mother due to relationship issues, while Sohail is with his parents. Although Sohail denied this as "not true", there is no clear answer. The news of separation from the couple's separation, who were married after their last romantic journey, has shocked fans.