Crazy acts of fandom ruled parts of Andhra Pradesh, known as the land of cinema buffs. With the long wait for S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2- The Conclusion ending and the film hitting the silver screen on Friday, Prabhas’ fans went overboard in public display of their love for their hero.
Outside the cinemas screening the film, fans whooped and whistled in excitement. At Annapurna, a group of youngsters offered a traditional ‘haarathi’ to a giant flexi poster of Prabhas and sprinkled flower petals.
People who watched the first show at 6 a.m. gave their feedback to the ones waiting outside thereby further fuelling the frenzy. One could hear bemused accounts of myriad experiences of the viewers. So widespread was the frenzy that it enveloped even the most jaded souls. “It’s a spectacle not to be missed. It’s worth the long wait,” said an excited Lavanya Pilli, a Prabhas fan.
In East Godavari district, the film release was a festival celebrated by fans who adorned the arterial streets with banners and flexi board of Prabhas. Their counterparts in the neighbouring West Godavari went a step ahead and booked tickets for all shows of the film for the first three days.
At Amalapuram, a wordy duel between fans of Prabhas and Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan over screening of a benefit show led to mild tension which was later defused by the police.
In Srikakulam, offices, both government and private, wore a deserted look with most employees hitting cinemas.
Tarani Prasad Mishra, an artist, carved a sand sculpture of Baahubali-2 on the banks of the Vamsadhara river near Narasannapet.
In Tirupati, the film was screened in 13 cinemas while a total of 80 cinema halls screened it across Chittoor district.
Cinema owners warned
Responding to reports of tickets being sold at exorbitant rates by cinema owners, the Krishna district administration formed teams with police, revenue and municipal corporation personnel and deployed outside cinemas and other important junctions to check possible flouting of norms.
“If anybody fails to adhere to the rules, we will not hesitate to even close down the theatre,” said Joint Collector Gandham Chandrudu.
Despite pressure, the Krishna district administration had not permitted benefit shows for Chiranjeevi’s Khaidi No. 150 , Balakrishna-starrer Gautamiputra Satakarni and Pawan Kalyan’s Katamrayudu released recently.
Not to leave anything to chance, cinema owners secured court orders for the benefit shows that apparently brought huge monetary benefits to them.
Bypassing the district administration and directly approaching the Principal Secretary for permission to screen six shows daily was yet another ‘smart’ act. Starting from April 28, the theatres will screen six shows daily till May 7.
