The first show of actor Rajinikanth’s latest release, Lingaa , was screened as early as 1 a.m. in many theatres across the city on Friday. Despite the drizzle and overpriced tickets sold over the counter, fans came out in thousands to watch their ‘super star’ on the big screen. Many had made elaborate plans for the release on December 12, which also happens to be the actor’s 64th birthday.
Around midnight, fans across the city cut cakes and broke into impromptu ‘Happy Birthday’ songs. At Kasi Theatre in Ashok Nagar, fans had set up camp right from Thursday evening and brought in traditional drummers to pep up the proceedings.
Milk sachets were opened and their contents liberally splashed on banners with Rajinikanth’s image that adorned facades of theatres.
There was no shortage of drama at Kasi Theatre after fans were initially told that the midnight show might not be screened. Angry fans pelted stones and damaged glass doors. However, the show went on as planned after a delay.
While the first day saw some single screen theatres screening up to seven shows, over the weekend, they may reduce the number to five.
Theatre owners and distributors hope that brand Rajini will fill up seats until Christmas.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a theatre owner says, “The film has been bought at a huge price. The movie has to run to packed houses for 2 weeks for it to benefit everybody.” Trade sources said the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions of the film were released across 2,500 screens in India and over 1,000 screens abroad.
