Rajini fans experience Kabali fever in the skies

With Rajinikanth’s ‘Kabali’ hitting the screens on Friday, the ‘AirAsia Kabali’ flight took off for Chennai from Bengaluru on Friday morning, with 158 fans for a special filmy flight experience.

The flight, which was announced mid-June, was scheduled to take guests to Chennai for a ‘first day first show’ experience.

The experience included a food menu having the star’s favourite breakfast ‘panyaram and tomato kothu’ as breakfast with music from the movie to keep the spirits high. The flight included activities where passengers had a chance to win the couch in the ‘Kabali’ movie poster on which Rajinikanth can be seen sitting.

Shivpriya Harlalka from Mumbai, who was travelling with son Tusshar, won the lot and was surprised beyond words. “I will not let anyone touch the couch. It will be a sacred item in my house,” she said. Shivpriya said she came barefoot to the event because she had come to visit her ‘God’.

Fans sporting customised Rajinikanth T-shirts and hoodies were seen shouting slogans and cheering on the flight and at the specially designed ‘Kabali’ bus. Smitha Ranganathan, a teacher from Bengaluru, wore a handloom sari which had ‘Neruppu Da’ doodled on it. “I was very excited to drape the sari for the occasion,” she said.

Rajinikanth’s fans from across the country were among the passengers and they expressed their admiration for the actor in their own ways. N R Chandran, a die-hard Rajinikanth fan from Erode, was dressed as ‘Kabali’. “It was an interesting experience. I fly often, but this was something different. As for my looks, it took me a month to grow the ‘Kabali’ beard,” he said.

Venue muddle
The package which cost Rs 8,000 per person, was meant to include a screening at Satyam Cinemas at 9 am. However, as the bus was taken to Prasad Studio without intimation, fans started protesting. Organisers then arranged a 12.30 pm screening at Satyam Cinemas.

While some said watching the screening at Prasad Studio was like watching a movie at home, others complained that they felt cheated and disappointed about the ‘first day first show’ experience.

Amar Abrol, CEO, AirAsia India, issued an apology and said he would make arrangements for passengers who missed their connecting flights.

“The flight from Bengaluru landed in Chennai at 7 am. The show was supposed to start at Satyam Cinemas at 9 am, however we were informed late in the night, around 1 am, by the production house, that the first show would only be at 12 pm. It is our fault that we didn’t inform the passengers about it and I take full responsibility for the turn of events,” he said.