South Indian mega-star Rajinikanth’s latest release Kabali hit Mumbai with thousands of fans celebrating at the Aurora Theatre in King’s Circle and other parts of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai on Friday.
“The reaction to the film is ecstatic. The atmosphere inside the cinema hall is electrifying,” grinned Nambi Rajan, the owner of Aurora Theatre, which created history by hosting six full house shows of Kabali starting 6am Friday.
According to the distributors, Kabali released in 12,000-plus screens globally in 30 countries, including China. Of the 6,200 screens showing the film are in India, 116 of them are in Maharashtra, 104 in Mumbai alone.
Due to fans’ pressure, the theatre had applied to screen the film at 3am on Friday, but it was denied permission.
“Patrons have been coming dressed in all their finery, a majority sporting Rajini tee-shirts, one even came in the actor’s trademark three-piece suit. A Rajini Fans Club had organised complimentary food packets for the patrons during the 9am show today,” Rajan told IANS.
The day for the ‘Thalaiva festival’ started early on Friday — at 4am for many — with a customary visit to the nearby Sri Shankara Mathham and offering prayers.
Thereafter, the festivities started for the inaugural show with a huge procession of fans beating drums, singing and dancing on their way to the theatre for the much-coveted ‘first day, first show’.
At the theatre entrance, two 60-feet tall (almost a 7-storied building) gigantic cut-outs of the actor looked benignly at the fans who prostrated and prayed before the cut-outs — some breaking coconuts, others pouring coconut milk and water.
Then the jostling crowd started to quickly enter the dark cinema hall where 152 minutes of entertainment awaited in the form of Kabali.
Social media sites too were flooded with viewers’ reactions. They largely consists of the thumbs up sign to the film and lauded Rajinikanth’s performance in the Tamil film dubbed in Hindi, Telugu, Malay and other languages worldwide.
Rajan expects a minimum 50-day run for the film at Aurora Theatre since it’s being released simultaneously in so many screens, some with multiple shows, in different languages.
“For the next few days, all the shows here are housefull. It is clear that people continue to idolise Rajinikanth,” smiles Rajan, himself a die-hard fan of the icon.
Inaugurated in 1942, the 700-seater Aurora Theatre has been given a fresh coat of paint, enhanced interiors and exteriors, a new screen, glittering clean ambience with shining lights to welcome Kabali.
S. Natarajan, an ophthamologist and a die-hard Rajini fan, conducted a free eye camp, while Rajinikanth fan clubs in Mumbai organised blood donation drives at the cinema hall, besides patrons contributing to various charities.
