'Jailer' early reviews in: UAE fans throng cinemas at 4.30 am to watch Rajinikanth's new film
Local distributor told Gulf News that Rajinikanth's star power has only amplified
Rajinikanth’s new film ‘Jailer’ is enjoying robust box-office success in the UAE cinemas, with fans from this region queuing up as early as 4.30 am to catch the first-day, first show, according to the local distributor.
Today marked the much-anticipated film’s opening day, and 855 shows within 135 locations will be screened to satisfy the growing demand for tickets. His movies are mostly review-proof with his star power doing most of the talking.
“More than 6,000 Rajinikanth fans bought tickets for the 4.30 am show alone. Rajinikanth is proving that age is just a number. His fan following has only increased with every year in the Middle East, and I have a strong feeling that it will be a bigger hit than the superstar’s 2016 film ‘Kabali’,” said Anish Wadhwa, the local distributor and founder of Home Screen Entertainment and Simply South, in an interview with Gulf News.
Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, ‘Jailer’ marks Rajinikanth's return to the big screen after two years.
“For the first time in the UAE, hundreds of fans even offered milk to Rajinikanth’s posters at Star Galleria Cinema as a homage to their idol. Their excitement was palpable. His releases are treated like festivals,” said Wadhwa. Rajinikanth, known for his bombastic histrionics on the big screen and his indefatigable star power while portraying altruistic characters, is one of South India’s enduring idols. His acting style and dialogue delivery have made him a star for all seasons.
“75,000 tickets were already pre-booked even before ‘Jailer’ opened in cinemas today, and that’s an impressive number for any South Indian film. His films have the incredible power to draw audiences in,” added Wadhwa.
The early reviews of ‘Jailer’ have been mixed, but it has been universally agreed that Rajinikanth carries the weight and that his charisma on the big screen remains intact. Most of his blockbusters over five decades are high on action, entertainment, and swashbuckling heroism.
In ‘Jailer’, Rajinikanth plays Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, who’s happily retired. However, his life takes a twist when his son Arjun, a cop, goes missing. This tragic episode compels Rajinikanth's character to emerge from retirement to trace his beloved son’s disappearance and death.
The film also boasts a slew of interesting cameos from Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, Kannada star Shiva Rajkumar, and Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff.
‘Jailer’ is now showing in UAE cinemas.