The much awaited release of Kamal Hassan starrer Uthama Villain was, at last, released in cinemas here on Saturday afternoon. But, uncertainty over the release of the film till then left theatres almost dry for the matinee show, which was the first show for the film.
According to the Kovai, Erode, Nilgiris, Tirupur District Film Distributors Association, a Pollachi-based distributor distributed the film to about 50 theatres in the districts that were to screen the film. It includes nine in the city and eight in cinemas on the outskirts of Coimbatore.
Disappointment awaited fans on Saturday morning, too, as the noon show was cancelled. Some cinemas displayed sign boards saying the film will not be screened on Saturday. Those who waited at cinemas for a couple of more hours were lucky to see the matinee show.
Distributors said that around 2 p.m. they got news that the problem due to which the release was delayed was set right. In the next few minutes, cinemas were preparing for the screening but with not many fans for the show. It is learnt that about half the seats were empty for the first show.
However, news about the release spread quickly and the usual crowd thronged the theatres for the first and second shows. Theatre owners and film distributors expect heavy crowd on Sunday. They said that the theatres in Coimbatore district and the three neighbouring districts incurred loss of about Rs. 50 lakh as the film was not released on Friday.
They said that money was refunded to those who booked for shows on Friday.