The second week of November 2022 turned out to be quite exciting for the South film industry. Well, it's that time of the week when we bring you all the important happenings of all week long. With our weekly edition of 'South newsmakers', check out the top happenings from the entertainment world.

Kamal Haasan joins forces with Mani Ratnam

Celebrated actor Kamal Haasan is off on a new cinematic journey as he has joined forces with filmmaker Mani Ratnam for the project named KH234 for now. The actor and director duo has come together for a film after 35 years, post their 1987 classic Nayakan.

Sharing the news on Twitter, the Vikram star penned, "Here we go again! #KH234." Financed by the Madras Talkies, Red Giant Movies, and Udhayanidhi Stalin, music maestro AR Rahman will score the tunes for the venture. Talking about the movie, Kamal Haasan was quoted saying, "I was equally excited 35 years before when I was about to start work with Mr Mani Ratnam. Collaborating with a similar mindset is stimulating. This stimulation includes AR Rahman as well. Eagerly looking forward to presenting this venture with Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin." 

Samantha starrer Yashoda off to a great start

After a long wait, Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer new-age thriller Yashoda was finally released in the theatres on 11th November this year. The suspense drama has been receiving a tremendous response from the audience. Commemorating the great start of the film, the actress, along with director duo Hari and Harish and the rest of the team posed for a group selfie at the actress's home, and the still was also circulated on the internet.

Besides Samantha, Yashoda further stars Rao Ramesh, Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Murali Sharma, Shatru, Priyanka Sharma, Madhurima, Sampath Raj, Divya Sripada and Kalpika in prominent roles, along with others.

Suriya on the sets of Kaathal: The Core

Jyothika will be making her Mollywood comeback with the much-hyped drama Kaathal: The Core. She will be seen sharing the screen for the first time with superstar Mammootty. Helmed by The Great Indian Kitchen fame filmmaker Jeo Baby, the shooting for the movie is currently underway. Recently, Suriya decided to pay a visit to the sets of the film. A few sneak peeks from his visit made it to social media. Sharing a photo of the three, Mammootty Tweeted, "Happy to have hosted Dear @Suriya_offl at the location of @KaathalTheCore."

According to director Jeo Baby, Mammootty and the film's producer suggested Jyothika's name for Kaathal: The Core. While the filmmaker was thinking of casting a seasoned actress as the female lead, after hearing the script Mammootty felt that Jyothika will be perfect for the part.

Dhoni to make his Kollywood debut

The former captain cool of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni will soon be foraying into the Tamil film industry. He will be donning the producer's hat under his production banner Dhoni Entertainments for a couple of Kollywood projects. His banner will also back some Malayalam and Kannada movies. Now, the latest buzz is that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also likely to make his debut as an actor soon.

Going by the reports in Indiaglitz, director Lokesh Kanagaraj is keen to cast Mahendra Singh Dhoni in one of his forthcoming projects. It is also believed that the movie is likely to be a part of the popular Lokesh Cinematic Universe aka LCU. It might also be so that MS Dhoni stars in Lokesh Kanagaraj's next with Thalapathy Vijay, which is tentatively titled Thalapathy 67. However, we will have to wait for an official announcement for confirmation.

Rashmika Mandanna faces trolls

Rashmika Mandanna is at the top of her professional game after delivering hits like Pushpa: The Rule, and making her Bollywood debut. Her lineup also looks equally promising with Pushpa 2, Varisu, Animal, and Mission Majnu. Amidst her evergrowing popularity, the diva was subjected to trolls for her reaction to Rishab Shetty's blockbuster Kantara.

The Southern beauty was asked by the paparazzi at the airport if she has watched the movie yet. Replying to this, she said that she has not watched the suspense drama so far. After this, she faced a lot of criticism for forgetting her roots. For those who do not know, Rishab Shetty introduced Rashmika Mandanna as an actress with his 2016 film Kirik Party. The movie became a success, leading to an amazing film trajectory for the star.