The defining moment in the trailer to actor Vijay’s upcoming film Bigil , directed by Atlee, is the scene where Rayappan (the older of two characters essayed in the film by Vijay) raises both his hands and goes, “Bigiluuuuu,” in a gruff voice.
Now, imagine a packed movie theatre full of Vijay fans repeating the actions of a man they adore, in unison, as the scene plays out on the big screen. Cue ear-splitting whistles and that one rabid fan screaming, “Adutha Thamizhaga Mudhalvar Thalapathy!” (Hailing Vijay, who is fondly referred to as ‘Thalapathy’ by his fans, as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu).
A poster advertising the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show at Vettri Cinemas
This was the scene at Vettri Cinemas, a suburban movie hall located in the neighbourhood of Chromepet in Chennai. I walked into the theatre at 8.30 am on Sunday to witness a new phenomenon concerning Tamil cinema — the screening of a Tamil movie trailer.
Breaking new ground
You are, perhaps, wondering... what’s new with that? This was not a movie trailer that was being screened before the start, or during the interval, of a movie screening. Vettri Cinemas was screening Bigil ’s trailer as if it was a theatrical exhibit product (read: movie), and sold tickets for people to gain entry into the movie hall. I ask Rakesh Gowthaman, the proprietor of Vettri Cinemas, if he is legally permitted to do so?
A poster advertising the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show at Vettri Cinemas
“Yeah. We’re not ripping the video content off YouTube and exhibiting it to customers. This is a theatrical print of Bigil trailer, and it has been given a Censor certificate. The tickets we sold (at ₹1 each) at the counter and through the online vendor is inclusive of GST,” he says, adding that many customers on the day had booked their tickets online, though it comes with a convenience fee in the ₹30-35 bracket.
It is Ram Muthuram Cinemas in Tirunelveli district that started the trend of exclusive screening of trailers in Tamil Nadu. But charging a ticket fee, and turning it into a show, was a smart move by Vettri Cinemas as other movie theathres like Rohini Cinemas in Koyambedu, which had also planned a Bigil trailer screening, had to cancel at the last minute due to the law and order situation that it created. “We don’t have space outside the theatre like certain cinemas have. So, we went with the logical option of turning it into a show. Otherwise, if fans gather on the outside and make a scene, we too would have had to face these issues,” adds Rakesh.
Tickets for the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show was sold for ₹1
But Bigil is not the Tamil film that kickstarted this trend. It was Ajith Kumar’s Nerkonda Paarvai . Rakesh notes that the production house behind the Ajith-starrer had reached out to them with this idea. “We only screened it a few days after the trailer was uploaded to YouTube. Still, the response was significant,” adds Rakesh. It is one of the reasons why when Bigil came into the picture, he proactively reached out to AGS Entertainment, the producers of Bigil , a few days in advance and planned the screening date ( Bigil ’s trailer was uploaded to YouTube on October 12, a day earlier, at 6pm). “At the end of the day, it is additional promotion for the film,” says Rakesh.
In fact, so popular was the announcement that Vettri cinemas had to accommodate two more screenings to accede to fans’ demand. What explains this phenomenon? “Why don’t you find it out yourself?” Rakesh tells me, and leads me into the screening hall.
World of Vijay
I walked right into a sea of rabid Vijay supporters.
Actor Vijay’s fans turned the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show at Vettri Cinemas into a festival atmosphere
There was the eccentric — the kind who would shout slogans that ranged from funny to borderline wild. There was the docile — the kind that was just happy to be there, and was taking in the atmosphere by recording it on his phone. And then there was the unhinged kind — dancing to drum beats, throwing glitter paper into the air and inviting a glare or two from annoyed theatre security personnel. The reason that brought them all together on that day, and at that time, was one — their ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay.
Though the trailer was only 2.42 minutes long, Rakesh had plans to deliver at least a 30-minute immersive Vijay experience for his customers.
Actor Vijay’s fans converge for the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show at Vettri Cinemas
And so, the show began with a couple of fan-made edits that celebrates the life (read: career) of Vijay. From Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997) to last year’s Sarkar , the video counted up the glorious hits in the actor’s career before winding down with Bigil and three huge question marks. This prompted a raucous roar from the crowd, a deafening message that they will not let their favourite hero down when the time comes.
Another fan-made video started with Vijay’s most recent public appearance — for Bigil ’s audio launch that was telecast on Sun TV. “Nanba, Nanbi...,” says Vijay, as the crowd in the theatre roars again. On that day, Vijay broke into an impromptu rendition of the song ‘Verithanam’ — performing for the pleasure of an enthralled crowd. On Sunday, too, every time he paused, the crowd at Vettri Cinemas roared to fill the gap with shouts of “Verithanam, Verithanam” that threatened to bring the roof down!
Actor Vijay’s turned the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show at Vettri Cinemas into a festival
This was followed by the trailer... not once, but thrice. Still, the fans had not had enough. At the end of the nearly 30 minute screening, when Vettri Cinemas held up the “Thank You for Coming” card, the crowd broke into a “Once more” chant. When it did not die down after two minutes, the theatre obliged and played the trailer for a fourth time.
I spotted Vimalraj from Adambakkam, dressed in a football player’s t-shirt sporting the name Bigil and number 5 on his back (just like Vijay in the film), about what makes it so fun. And he chooses to deliver a bombshell.
Actor Vijay’s fans converge for the ‘Bigil’ trailer screening show at Vettri Cinemas
“Actually, I was an Ajith fan for a long time. Then, I watched Thuppaki a few years ago, and I converted!” he says. For Vimalraj, Vijay’s films strike a chord because it is the whole package. “There is action, comedy, sentiment, fights, punch... it is mass overall. And it all moves nicely along with the screenplay. I’m sure Bigil would not be different,” he adds, before making his way out of the theatre, with a spring in his step.
As I exit the screening hall, I run into Rakesh, and he asks me how it felt. At that point, I was too overcome with what I had seen to respond. But I did manage to ask him if he sees such trailer screening shows growing into a trend in cinema halls. “I think it can. I don’t know if multiplexes would be into it. But if it will attract so many people, why can’t it?” he remarks, adding in conclusion, “Besides, it is about building a loyal customer base for my theatre. They will know Vettri Cinemas will give them an unforgettable experience should they watch Bigil here.”
