“I am busy making preparations for it,” says Karthikeyan, a die-hard Rajini fan who can’t wait to watch the Tamil trailer of 'Enthiran'. Delirious with excitement, he will march the roads of Ashok Nagar, along with hundreds of fans en-route to Kasi Theatre, to celebrate the release of the trailer today. Rajini’s fans are making elaborate arrangements for the release of 'Enthiran' on September 24, but they are not alone.
Even distributors and theatre managers are eagerly waiting for the D-day. Around 30 screens across Chennai will screen 'Enthiran', which will be the highest paid and the actor’s biggest film to date.
“The numbers are mind boggling,” says Abirami Ramanathan, a veteran in the business of film distribution. “'Sivaji' released with 18 prints and Enthiran has managed to surpass it and is releasing with 30 prints,” he adds. Ramanathan feels that the superstar is all set to break his own record with 'Enthiran'. His multiplex, Abirami Mega Mall will play the film on three screens.
The official ads that are already out do not include theatres like Chrompet’s Vetri, Ambattur’s Rakki , Koyembedu’s Rohini et.al., as these theatres do not fall under the Chennai region.
This means that the actual number of screens playing the film will be bigger and the number will only grow as the date gets closer. Mohan, the manager of Udhayam Cinemas is gung-ho about 'Enthiran'. “We will screen the film on three of our four screens and will make the most of it,” he says. “We are planning four shows each on all three screens,” he excitedly adds. In an unofficial statement, a representative of the Rohini theatre says, “We might show the film on all the six screens.”
All these facts point to one thing: when it comes to business, the Superstar is still the undisputed king.