: ‘Rajini mania’ gripped cinema theatres throughout Andhra Pradesh as his much talked-about blockbuster Kabali hit the screens on Friday morning.
The buzz was around that it was another super-hit in which Rajinikanth played a gangster with his characteristic élan.
When the moment finally arrived, his fans swarmed the theatres in huge numbers to watch their icon enact another flamboyant role, which he justified with his subtle emotions and typical mannerisms.
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As the Rajini fans formed beelines to see him on the silver screen, theatres did brisk business even as the reviews from media platforms projected a mixed result.
The cash registers, however, kept ringing as the fans were not concerned with the box-office outcome. They kept hanging around the theatres just to do their hero worship and they have done it with gusto.
In Vijayawada, theatres opened up in the early hours and the crowds swelled within no time. They broke coconuts praying for the success of the film and garlanded massive cut-outs of their beloved hero, who carved a niche for himself in Indian cinema by playing diverse roles in 163 films.
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On 59 screens
Kabali was played out in 59 screens in Krishna district, including in the three multiplexes – Cinepolis and PVR and Capital Cinemas – in Vijayawada. House-full boards greeted those who missed the bookings by a few minutes but for the successful ones who got their ‘prized possessions’ (tickets), it was celebration all-day.
The rush at multiplexes and cinema halls across Visakhapatnam was unabated as fans evinced keen interest in watching Kabali despite the flick evoking mixed response.
What turned out to be an interesting feature is how the Kabali mania is not gripping just ‘Thalaivar’ fans alone but even those who are not so fond of the superstar.
Apparently, this film has set a new trend in converting otherwise tough bosses into employee-friendly.
Unlike in Bengaluru and Chennai, where a few companies declared Kabali holiday on Friday, the city bosses had a different strategy to engage their employees.
“The movie caught everybody’s attention for a long time. What could be a better way to treat our employees to the first day show of Kabali ? Probably, this is the first time that we have set out on a new kind of employee engagement activity but it is worth exploring. The result is really refreshing as we could grab some ‘me-time’, breaking away from mundane work schedules,” says Narendra Nerla, chief operating officer of Inspiredge IT Solutions, who watched Kabali on day one along with 45 employees.
After watching the show, a few movie buffs said that Kabali did not meet their expectations. Assistant Manager (Marketing) of CMR Central Inox P.V. Ravi Kumar told The Hindu that irrespective of what was said tickets have been sold out for the next week.
Heavy fan frenzy marked the film’s release in Chittoor town on Friday with thousands of fans thronging the theatres from Thursday midnight.
A festive atmosphere prevailed all over Chittoor with fans led by Chittoor District Rajnikanth Fans’ Association president, T.G. Suresh, resorting to fireworks, cutting of cakes, beating of drums and performing dances at the arterial junctions and theatres.