Dressed in their best, the boys break into a jig and jam the entrance when the door opens.
They are at Senthel Kumaran Multiplex in Gandhipuram to catch the first day, first show of Ajith’s magnum opus Billa 2 .
And, then the show begins. When Ajith makes his first appearance on the screen, the collective roar of his fans is deafening.
They whistle, shout ‘thala’, and throw paper pieces up in air to to welcome their screen idol. Some of the more enthusiastic fans jump up, take off their shirts and twirl them in the air. It is a frenzy.
With every scene Ajith appears, their enthusiastic yelling hits the roof. They clap for every dialogue he utters. When Ajith thrashes the villains, the fans dance.
Things quieten only after a bit. A latecomer is full of questions.
“Brother, when did they show ‘thala’? How was the entry? Is the song over?” he asks eagerly.
For C.S. Mani, a polytechnic student and his friends, a semester exam in the afternoon is no excuse for not turning up at the theatre at 6 a.m.
They love Ajith for his style and the characters he chooses to play on screen. “It’s thala’s film. We’ll come back for an evening show after the exam,” they say.
Another fan, Syed from Mettupalayam, spent all day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get the tickets for the first show.
“Beginning with Amaravathi, I have watched all his films. He has come up the hard way, which draws me to the actor. We adore him for his confidence and simplicity too,” he declares.
Engineering student R. Pandian’s dream of starting a rasigar manram for Ajith didn’t materialise, but he ensures that he never misses the first show.
“He’s not publicity hungry, I respect him for that.”
V. Gowtham, a young fan, impatiently waits for the sequences that were shot in Barovia and at the Likani Palace.
Billa 2 is an Ajith’s film all the way. Stylishly shot, and in extraordinary locations, Ajith plays David Billa, a refugee who becomes a dreaded gangster. But he has rid himself of his rugged, bearded look and has sported a clean shaven and glam look.
Students Sruthika. S and Sakthi. R are bowled over by the first 60 minutes of action.
The music is extraordinary, they say, and can’t stop sighing over the hero.
He is awesome, they keep saying about their hero and his style statement as a don.
S.N. Salavuddin, another teenager, says Ajith carries off the role with élan.
“The first half ends with the theme music of Billa. So, it’s going to be a power packed second half,” he predicts.
