They broke pumpkins to ward off evil eyes, lit camphor to perform aarti and bathed gigantic cut-outs of Rajnikant with hundreds of litres of milk. As crackers burst incessantly, the Tamil superstar's fans exhibited their joy by distributing sweets.
Film buffs in Tamil Nadu gave a rousing yet traditional welcome to "the boss's" latest avatar as Sivaji, the one-man demolition squad against black money, in his newest offering, Sivaji: The Boss, which had a global release on Friday.
"It was great to watch Rajni. I enjoyed Sivaji thoroughly. Though it's long (3 hours and 6 minutes), it never bored me even for a second," said Chennai Corporation mayor M Subramanian.
For the most expensive film ever made (Rs 95 crore) in the history of Indian cinema, Sivaji's first two days' bookings in just Chennai crossed Rs 3 crore. "It's a smash hit. With such response, it'll have a long run. Our investment will bring back good returns," said C T Valliapan, owner of Kamala Theatre. In Chennai, the film had a 16-screen opening. "We're housefull for the next 14 days," he said.
As is the case with every Rajni film, Sivaji's story too is not thick plot. It goes like this: Sivaji (Rajnikant) is a US-based software professional who returns to India to work in his native land. A socialist and do-gooder, he tries to establish a university and hospital with his own money. His aim is not to profit; but, give free education, treatment and employment opportunities to the poor.
The Indian Robinhood, in turn, uses the entire money for the welfare of the poor and needy. Rajni fan Valliappan is certain the actor has replicated his old magic yet again. "It has the production standards of a Hollywood film in terms of grandeur and technical value," he said.
R Pandirajan, a call centre employee, who is not a Rajini fan, said he wasn't disappointed. "It has all the ingredients — comedy, action, punch, dialogue, all Rajni style." But, who will fight the touts selling tickets for Rs 1,000?
(Courtesy: The Times of India)
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