CHENNAI,
India (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of fans of Indian superstar
Rajinikanth are thronging cinemas across the country to catch the
premiere of his latest film, “Kabali.”
Many
private firms gave their employees a day off and parents kept children
home from school in Tamil Nadu state for the movie’s release Friday.
Crowds of fans waited outside theaters all night before the gangster film premiered soon after daw
Inside
one theater, Rajnikanth enthusiasts screamed, cheered and whistled as
their hero fought many battles with underworld dons and villains.
IANS adds: The earliest show in Chennai city started around 4 a.m.
For
the first show in the city, hardcore superstar fans assembled outside
cinema halls even before midnight to celebrate the release of the film.
“We
spent the whole night outside. As early as 11 p.m., we gathered at the
theater to raise banners and huge cutouts of Thalaivar,” Madhan Kumar,
who watched the first show at Kasi theater, told IANS.
It was a sleepless night for most fans as they waited with bated to watch their 65-year old matinee idol on screen on Friday
“It’s
not everyday you get to watch Thalaivar’s film. Hence, the excitement
to watch the first day, first show of the film. These last few days have
been crazy, with hardly any sleep,” Sumanth, a third year Engineering
student who watched the first show at Rakki cinemas, told IANS.
In other parts of Tamil Nadu such as Madurai, the first show of “Kabali” started around 3 a.m.
In the opening weekend in the city, the film reportedly will have over 300 shows across theaters.
Directed by Pa. Ranjith, the film features Rajinikanth as a don who fights for Tamils in Malaysia.
On Thursday night, the film had its world premiere in Malaysia and Singapore, followed by Dubai and some parts of the US.
According
to the film’s US distributor CineGalaxy Inc, the film has already raked
in over $1 million from its pre-sales from the premieres.
The
film has also been released in Hindi and Telugu, apart from its Tamil
version. The dubbed Malay version is slated to release on July 29.
Sixty-five-year-old
Rajinikanth is India’s most popular star and counts millions of fans
who speak the Tamil language and even those who don’t.
