It was a busy day for the theatre owners and to say they were ecstatic is an understatement! But not all was hunky-dory as morning shows were cancelled. Those who managed to catch the film, were blown away by the sheer brilliance of it
Websites crashed. Theatres ran to full houses. Excited fans screamed every time Bhallaladeva and Baahubali clashed. And they screamed some more when…hell, nobody cared and everyone joined them to scream! When the most-awaited movie of the year (you’d have to be living in a cave to have missed the hype about Baahubali 2: The Conclusion) finally hit the screens after breaking records with its pre-release business, the excitement you see at movie halls is palpable.
“The response has been phenomenal,” says Karthi Thirusangu, marketing and sales head, Jazz Cinemas, which is running three IMAX shows everyday. “Those who watched the IMAX version said they loved the VFX and the grandeur. Even otherwise, people seem to have had a great experience. Usually, a film runs for three weeks if it’s good. Baahubali 2 will run longer.”
Nikilesh Surya, owner, Rohini Theatre, is excited too. “People are flocking in huge numbers and the reactions have been positive. For the first time in a long time, a movie has covered all the requisites of commercial cinema without seeming cliched.”
The city also has its share of Prabhas fans, following the success of the first film. Dr Madhumitha Ravi, rues being unable to get tickets. “I wanted to watch the film on the day of its release but I’ve only managed to get tickets for Saturday. Even that was quite a challenge. I’m quite excited about watching Prabhas.”
Due to some payment issues concerning distributors, all the morning shows were cancelled on Friday. Students were heartbroken, naturally, and Jayasuriyan Alagarsamy (St Joseph’s College) was one of them. “We waited outside the theatre, only for the cops to tell us that the show was cancelled.
My friends and I had woken up early to catch the film. We watched the first day first show of Baahubali: The Beginning too. We caught only the night show.” But those who managed to catch the noon show, couldn’t stop raving about the film. This included quite a few celebrities who shared their excitement on Twitter (see box).
Cinematographer Tirru, managed to watch the film yesterday. “Rajamouli, Sabu Cyril and team have taken Indian cinema to another level. It’s an intense drama with excellent story-telling, great VFX and art direction.”
Director Vijay of Thalaiva fame loved it too. “For a film with such a big canvas, a filmmaker has to make a movie that captures the imagination of the audience. Rajomouli has covered the family audiences and also managed a product that has done justice to all the important characters in the film. Piracy will not affect it as audience understand that this film deserves to be watched on the big screen.”
(with inputs from Naagarajan Subramanian)
Source: The New Indian Express