Express News Service
Amidst all controversies, the Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala released to full houses in theatres across Kerala. The expectations are quite high as the superstar is returning to the big screen after a gap of two years with Kaala.
While, in Tamil Nadu Rajinikanth has a huge fan following, his films in Kerala are no less than a festival.
Despite the film having weathered many storms regarding its release in Karnataka, a Kerala based IT company has reportedly declared a holiday for all its employees on the release day of Kaala to honour the superstar.
“The extraordinary rush that we get to see for a Rajinikanth movie, especially for the first day first show, is kinda missing today. We are 12 short of the houseful show which is a strange for a Rajini movie for the first show. The first show will decide everything and if reports are great, a good rush can be expected in the coming days,” says Unnikrishnan M, staff at Carnival cinemas, Angamaly.
Kaala is Rajini’s first film after his political debut and comparatively, there has been a low-key celebration for his films, this time around. An official from Anupama theater in Kottayam also feels that the rush is relatively low. “The first show started at 10:30 am and it’s houseful but the strange thing is that there are several tickets left for other shows which is a new thing for a Rajini movie. We are very confident that the ticket sale will pick up and fans will have a great outing,” says Anil A, a staff of Anupama Theatre, Kottayam
Several film critics have admitted the fact the there has been a drop in the ticket sales for Kaala. Many blame the trend on his political statements and the low-key movie promotions.
For a die-hard Rajini fan, however, all these controversies are nothing of a concern .”We have been waiting for a Rajinikanth movie for such a long time. Even if the celebrations are a bit less we have come to watch the movie early morning itself. I could not get the ticket for the first show but will see the next show at any cost,” says Naveen Krishnan, a final year UG student based in Thiruvananthapuram.
Source: The New Indian Express