<p>Last year, Rajinikanth gave strong proof of his star power when <em>Petta</em> opened to a good response at the Tamil Nadu box office and emerged as a runaway hit. Now, 'Superstar' is back with the eagerly-awaited <em>Darbar</em>, slated to hit screens on January 9, 2020.</p>.<p>The film, helmed by mass director AR Murugadoss, will release simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, making it a grand affair. While Hindi-dubbed versions of South flicks normally do not make much of an impact, <em>Darbar</em> might prove to be an exception and exceed expectations 'up North'.</p>.<p>To begin with, the actioner is set in Mumbai, which might make it easier for a pan-India audience to relate to it. The flick also features Bollywood stars Sunil Shetty and Prateik Babbar in key roles, which is an added bonus.</p>.<p>Another factor that might work in its favour is Rajinikanth's pan-India appeal. The star's 2018 release <em>2.0 </em>was a clean hit in Hindi. Similarly, <em>Kabali</em> too had opened well despite not being a typical 'Thalaivar' starrer. As <em>Darbar</em> is being promoted reasonably well, it is likely to open better than the poorly promoted <em>Kaala</em> and <em>Petta</em>.</p>.<p>Interestingly, 'Boss' played a cop in popular flicks such as <em>John Jani Janardhan</em>, <em>Phool Bane Angaarey</em> and <em>Geraftaar </em>and entertained movie buffs with his antics. As such, <em>Darbar </em>-- which sees him donning the khaki after 25 years -- might prove to be a nostalgia trip for Gen X fans.</p>.<p>The Lyca Productions-backed flick is releasing a day before <em>Tanhaji </em>and <em>Chhapaak</em>. However, Bollywood movies are unlikely to affect Darbar as they are not mass entertainers. Deepika Padukone's drama revolves around the struggles of Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor.</p>.<p>On the other hand, Ajay Devgn's magnum opus is a period-drama dealing with the rise of the Maratha empire. All in all, <em>Darbar </em>might just prove to be the proverbial dark horse and spring a surprise.</p>
<p>Last year, Rajinikanth gave strong proof of his star power when <em>Petta</em> opened to a good response at the Tamil Nadu box office and emerged as a runaway hit. Now, 'Superstar' is back with the eagerly-awaited <em>Darbar</em>, slated to hit screens on January 9, 2020.</p>.<p>The film, helmed by mass director AR Murugadoss, will release simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, making it a grand affair. While Hindi-dubbed versions of South flicks normally do not make much of an impact, <em>Darbar</em> might prove to be an exception and exceed expectations 'up North'.</p>.<p>To begin with, the actioner is set in Mumbai, which might make it easier for a pan-India audience to relate to it. The flick also features Bollywood stars Sunil Shetty and Prateik Babbar in key roles, which is an added bonus.</p>.<p>Another factor that might work in its favour is Rajinikanth's pan-India appeal. The star's 2018 release <em>2.0 </em>was a clean hit in Hindi. Similarly, <em>Kabali</em> too had opened well despite not being a typical 'Thalaivar' starrer. As <em>Darbar</em> is being promoted reasonably well, it is likely to open better than the poorly promoted <em>Kaala</em> and <em>Petta</em>.</p>.<p>Interestingly, 'Boss' played a cop in popular flicks such as <em>John Jani Janardhan</em>, <em>Phool Bane Angaarey</em> and <em>Geraftaar </em>and entertained movie buffs with his antics. As such, <em>Darbar </em>-- which sees him donning the khaki after 25 years -- might prove to be a nostalgia trip for Gen X fans.</p>.<p>The Lyca Productions-backed flick is releasing a day before <em>Tanhaji </em>and <em>Chhapaak</em>. However, Bollywood movies are unlikely to affect Darbar as they are not mass entertainers. Deepika Padukone's drama revolves around the struggles of Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor.</p>.<p>On the other hand, Ajay Devgn's magnum opus is a period-drama dealing with the rise of the Maratha empire. All in all, <em>Darbar </em>might just prove to be the proverbial dark horse and spring a surprise.</p>