Ajith, Vijay, Mahesh Babu set for BO battle

After almost seven years Vijay and Ajith are all set to battle it out at the box-office on Jan 10. Their films ‘Jilla’ and ‘Veeram’, both of which have garnered quite a lot of expectations, are slated to release ahead of the Pongal festival.

Distributors believe the festive season is an appropriate time to release big budget films with big stars as Tamil Nadu enjoys an extended holiday of 10 days. Although makers are hoping to rake in the moolah, trade pundits think otherwise. With simultaneous releases, a major problem that arises is availability of theatres. Adding to their woes is Mahesh Babu’s film ‘1 Nenokkadine’, which will also see a world-wide release on Jan 10.

Sources say ‘1 Nenokkadine’ has already blocked multiplex screens in the UK, US and Singapore where Tamil movies usually enjoy a good run.

With three films fighting head-on, ‘1 Nenokkadine’ seems to be a few steps ahead of the two Tamil films with aggressive promotions and theatre blocking.

However fans of Thala and Thalapathy seem to be unfazed and are ready to celebrate their matinee idols’ releases.

Surprisingly, the fans of the two stars, who are usually at loggerheads with each other, seem to have joined hands this time. According to TOI, Ajith fan clubs across the city are planning a special mention about Vijay's ‘Jilla’ in their banners, while Ilayathalapathy's fan club members are likely to wish ‘Veeram’ in their promotional banners.

The duo’s films have previously clashed at the box office and here’s what happened:

Bhagavathi and Villain:

Bhagavathi and Villain released on November 4, 2002. Both the films turned out to be blockbusters, giving Vijay and Ajith’s then floundering career a big boost.

Thirumalai and Anjaneya:

Both these films released on Oct 24, 2003. Though Thirumalai did well and transformed Vijay into a mass hero, Ajith’s Anjaneya only did average business.

Aadhi and Paramasivam:

Aadhi and Paramasivam which had similar plots, released on Jan 14, 2006, while Vijay’s Aadhi turned out to be a dud, Ajith’s Paramasivam fared averagely.

Pokkiri and Alwar:

Pokiri and Alwar both released on Jan 12, 2007. Pokkiri which was Prabhu Deva’s directorial debut in Tamil became a blockbuster hit, while Ajith’s Alwar tanked without a trace.

The question now is who will win the epic clash this time? Ajith, who is on a winning streak or Vijay, who needs a hit to get his career back on track, or will Mahesh walk home with the honours?

Teenagers who drink have more friends

Middle and high school students who drink alcohol are often the same ones winning the popularity contests, new research suggests.

Previous studies have found friend groups can influence choices about alcohol, but haven't looked at the possible social payoffs of drinking.

"There has not been much data to support that drinking among teenagers directly leads to higher popularity and more friendships," said Peter Delany. He is the director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality in Rockville, Maryland.

Delany was not part of the study team, which was led by Mir M. Ali, also from SAMHSA.

"The fact remains that underage drinking is linked to a long list of adverse health and behavioral consequences, including the deaths of thousands of adolescents and young adults each year," Delany told Reuters Health in an email.

Ali and colleagues analyzed data from a national study of 7th through 12th graders from 132 schools who were surveyed in 1994. The survey included a variety of questions on drinking and substance use, number of friends, friends of friends, home life and other factors.

Teens who reported occasional drinking and getting drunk tended to have higher "social connectedness" than their abstaining peers. That was especially true for white students.

Getting drunk seemed to be more important for popularity than just drinking in general. Kids who drank at all reported having an extra half a friend, on average, and those who got drunk reported one additional friend compared to non-drinkers.

The findings "provide new evidence on the motivation behind adolescent drinking," the researchers wrote in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

"There are many healthy behaviors, both athletic and academic, that increase teens' popularity among peers," Delany said.

For instance, two of the study's authors found in an earlier paper, published in the Journal of Public Health, that playing sports leads to more friends for overweight white boys.

Family, peers, schools and neighborhoods can all influence teen drinking and may also indirectly influence how much popularity teens gain by drinking, Delany said.

"We know that parental influence can help adolescents resist drinking and other forms of substance use," he said. "Recent SAMHSA reports have shown that adolescents are very influenced by their parents' attitudes on substance use."

Teens need adult help to develop a healthy relationship with alcohol and to have positive social values, Joseph P. Allen said.

Allen studies adolescent social development at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was not part of the new research.

"Adults often avoid teens like the plague, but then we're surprised when, left to their own devices, they develop values with which we're not comfortable," Allen said. "If we don't engage with teens - by getting them involved in volunteer service, encouraging their participation in civic activities and debates and just talking to them - then we can't be too surprised when their values are largely those that appear in the online and popular media."

The link between drinking and having friends is not only an issue for the underage, researchers noted.

"One of the toughest problems with teen alcohol use is that alcohol use is associated with greater social involvement, and likely popularity, even in adulthood," Allen said.

"Teens are often just trying to do what they see adults doing, and it's hard to convince them it's a terrible thing when they see both social and work-life events where alcohol plays a prominent role," he said.

"Our best chance is likely to give teens ways to feel like they are moving into the adult world that don't revolve just around alcohol," he said.

Parents can consult resources like SAMHSA's "Navigating the Teen Years: A Parent's Handbook for Raising Healthy Teens," Delany said. The handbook is available here: 1.usa.gov/JHyeEC.