The first-day, first-show of any Tamil film featuring a popular star — especially when the popular star’s name is Rajinikanth — has always been an event dominated by men.
But, for the first-day, first-show of Lingaa , women too seemed to have been a part of the celebration.
Traditionally, women and families have tended to stay away because of the fear of crowds turning disruptive.
In this regard, multiplexes have made the experience of going to a theatre much safer.
This development in turn has forced the single screens also to implement certain basic measures such as not allowing men who have consumed alcohol inside the premises.
“Multiplexes have definitely transformed the movie-watching experience. However, there is no point watching a Rajini film in a multiplex. What's a first-day, first-show without dancing and whistling?” asks Vandana, who watched the 5 a.m. show at Kolathur Ganga theatre.
The number of women watching the early morning show has surprised many.
The early morning shows at Kasi Theare, where the actor's fan clubs had blocked the tickets, had a good number of women braving the rains and fans.
Mythili, a professional, says she went for the 4’o clock show with her friend's family.
“I went because I wanted to see him first on screen. Since I went with my friend’s family, I had no problems with the crowd. They were well-behaved and decent,” she says.