Compensate for 'Darbar' losses: Distributors to Rajini

That Tamil superstar Rajinikanth-starrer Darbar did not do well at the box office as expected is now out in the open. Distributors of the movie, which hit more than 4,000 screens in the country on January 9, are now demanding compensation from Rajinikanth for the losses suffered by them.

With Lyca Productions, the producers, and Director A R Murugadoss washing their hands of the issue, the distributors were literally on the roads on Monday as police refused to proceed them towards Rajinikanth’s residence in upscale Poes Garden.

They were not even allowed to meet Rajinikanth’s representatives as police stopped them saying the distributors did not have permission to meet the actor.

The distributors, who have been running from pillar to post to seek an appointment with Rajinikanth, say they have suffered losses to the tune of crores of rupees as collections in theatres were very poor.

There were murmurs in tinseltown about the failure of the movie ever since it was released, but none of the distributors spoke about it publicly for about a month as they were not willing to antagonise the superstar.

Rajinikanth is the only actor to have compensated distributors for their losses in the past – he paid huge sums of money to distributors after his movies Baba (2002) and Lingaa (2014) bombed at the box office.

“We paid huge sums of money to buy distribution rights of Darbar but the response to the movie was underwhelming. We paid the money that was quoted to us because we were told the movie has come out very well and it would be financially successful. But the movie did not do well, and we have suffered huge losses,” said Thiruvengadam, who secured distribution rights for South and North Arcot regions in Tamil Nadu.

Another distributor, who did not wish to be named, told DH that he alone had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 6 crore as collections were not as expected. Since distributors screen the movie on a percentage basis in theatres, their revenues depend upon the collections, he explained.

“We would not have come out if the losses were minimal, but it is huge for this movie. We cannot sustain in this industry if we continue to suffer losses. The only way out is a compensation package from Rajinikanth,” the distributor said.

Sources in the film industry said the production house had made it clear that it cannot compensate since it had already paid a whopping amount to Rajinikanth. Insiders say the production and distribution model is to be blamed as a majority of the cost goes in paying the lead actor, be it Rajinikanth or Ajith Kumar or Vijay.

“In this movie, Rajinikanth is understood to have received above Rs 100 crore as his fees for the movie. If the producer has paid so much, how can he compensate?” asked a cinema theatre owner.

The film did not do well at the box office despite being a solo release ahead of Pongal festivities in January. The star's diehard fans, however, welcomed the movie and praised Rajinikanth for his dashing looks in spite of nearing age 70.