TN gears up for Kabali frenzy

After clearing the decks, including legal hurdles, the stage is set for the release of the Rajinikanth-starrer gangster drama Kabali on Friday.

Armed with an entertainment tax exemption certificate, Kabali, produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu and directed by Pa Ranjith, will be released in more than 7,000 screens across the globe, with tickets being sold in black for prices as high as Rs 3,000 in Tamil Nadu. Despite the state government’s cap of Rs 120 on movie tickets, theatre owners have been selling tickets for Kabali at five to six times higher than the original price. “I purchased a ticket for Rs 500 officially from the theatre,” said Suresh Krishnan, an autorickshaw driver in Chennai.

With just a few hours left for the release of the multi-crore budget movie, every theatre and mall here is wearing a festive look since Thursday, with giant cut-outs and banners of Rajinikanth. The first show of the movie will be screened as early as 4 am in almost all the theatres in the state.

Special pujas are being performed at various temples. Rajinikanth’s fans also organised flash mobs in commercial complexes in Chennai and Coimbatore.

"I somehow managed to grab tickets to watch the movie on the first day with a friend. It will be a sleepless night for us,” S Sriram, an IT professional, told DH.

Kabali has already raked in more than Rs 200 crore through the sales of distribution rights. Tickets for the first week were traded in hours with many corporate companies making bulk bookings. The movie has been backed by more than 10 popular brands, including aviation company AirAsia, which painted huge images of Rajinikanth on its aircraft.