Movies
South Indian International Movie Awards set to enthral Dubai in August
NEW DELHI: The fourth edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) is slated to be held in Dubai on 6 and 7 August.
Title sponsored by Micromax, the awards enjoy the highest popularity in South India with over 45 per cent of South Indian TV viewers watching the award ceremony every year.
The nomination process of the movie awards is executed by a panel of veteran judges from Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam industries, followed by online voting for the final verdict of winner selections.
The event will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre. SIIMA chairman Brinda Prasad said, “This year, SIIMA is back in Dubai and we are looking forward to a grand night that will only get bigger and better with over 20 stars performing over two days in Dubai.”
Kick starting this year’s Micromax SIIMA Celebrations is Ivede, a Malayalam crime and drama thriller holding its premiere in Dubai with the star cast- Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nivin Pauly and Bhavana.
Sukumaran said, “I am excited about the premier of Ivede happening in Dubai. SIIMA believes in taking the South Indian film industry globally and it gives us immense pleasure to be associated with the event. Also, Dubai has always been a great market for South Indian movies and I would love to see the movie response with our Dubai audience”
Micromax Informatics CMO Shubhajit Sen added, “Micromax is proud to partner with SIIMA, which has been a part of the magical journey of South Indian cinema. Being an iconic youth brand, we have been consistently connecting Indians to their passions and nothing, not even cricket, evokes as much engagement as movies. I would like to thank all the members of the organizing committee for their effort of bringing together best talent in the industry and felicitate their notable contribution to South Indian cinema.”
Those present at a press meet in Chennai to announce the awards included Rana Daggubati, Shriya Saran, Pranitha Subhash and Yash.
Saran said, “To be representing the South film industry globally, is both a responsibility and a privilege and SIIMA is just the right platform to be a part of. I am now eagerly looking forward to the awards ceremony in Dubai.”
Movies
Green Gold Animation creates CG character for Telugu film Rākāsā
Chhota Bheem studio expands into mainstream VFX with dialogue-free digital lead.
MUMBAI: Green Gold Animation, the house that gave India Chhota Bheem, is now stepping out of the kids’ zone and into the big screen with a rather silent but powerful performer. The Hyderabad-based studio’s VFX division has delivered a fully computer-generated character for the upcoming Telugu-language comedy-fantasy thriller Rākāsā, set for theatrical release on 3 April 2026. Directed by Manasa Sharma and produced by Niharika Konidela under Pink Elephant Pictures in collaboration with Zee Studios, the film marks a notable move for Green Gold into complex, character-driven work for mainstream cinema.
What makes the project stand out is its ambitious central character, a completely digital creation that does not speak a single line. Instead, the character relies entirely on animation, movement, facial expressions and body language to convey emotion and connect with audiences. This is a relatively unexplored approach in Telugu cinema at this scale.
Green Gold’s VFX team was involved from early pre-production through to final delivery, completing over 750 CG shots with a team of more than 100 artists. The work included detailed character animation, performance design and fluid simulations, all executed within tight timelines and practical budgets through strong planning and close collaboration.
Green Gold Animation founder & CEO Rajiv Chilaka said the project pushed the team to approach character creation differently. “Building a fully digital character where every emotion had to come through performance and detailing was very meaningful,” he noted.
Green Gold VFX supervisor and VFX creative director Murali Manohar Reddy added that the emotional depth had to be communicated entirely through visual performance. “This wasn’t about reinventing technology, but about using our tools and processes with precision to serve the story,” he said.
Producer Niharika Konidela praised the collaboration, saying the Green Gold VFX team understood the vision and brought strong detail and emotion to the character while working within practical constraints.
The film blends humour, action and mythological elements, following an NRI protagonist on a chaotic and magical adventure. It stars Sangeet Shobhan, Nayan Sarika, Vennela Kishore, Brahmaji and Ashish Vidyarthi, with music by Anudeep Dev.
For a studio best known for colourful kids’ animation, delivering a silent, emotionally expressive CG lead for a mainstream theatrical release is quite the plot twist. With Rākāsā, Green Gold Animation is quietly proving it can speak volumes even without dialogue.
