Bengalureans across age groups, in their early 20s to early 60s, are eager to watch SS Rajamouli's Baahubali - The Conclusion. There might have been online leaks and spoiler WhatsApp messages but they can't wait to know why Kattappa killed Baahubali.
Arun Narasimhan, who mans the counter at one of the mall screens, is glad that he managed to get a ticket. “I am curious why Baahubali was killed,” he says, adding, “This movie has a lot of passionate fans, shows for the remaining shows are already booked.”
Arjun Reddy, a self-proclaimed “hard-core Baahubali fan”, had been to the premier show at 10 pm, at PVR Bangalore Central in Bellandur, with eight of his friends. “Everyone came hours before the show, they couldn’t wait to know how the story progresses. There were plenty of families and children there as well.” For that show, he paid ` 600 per ticket.
29-year-old Lakshmi Swathi says that she has been saving up for months to watch the movie. “I am going today,” she says.
Pratik Kumar, 32, claims to be “a huge fan of both Prabhas and Rana”. “I am definitely going to go for this movie as soon as I can get a ticket,” he says.
Mahesh Naidu cannot be happier that he has a friend who stood in a line at Balaji Theatre for several hours, and got both of them tickets. “I got to watch the movie on the very first day,” he says, grinning. Meenakshi Ram had waited for her friend for two hours, with their tickets in hand, but was not the least bit peeved. Meenakshi was just glad that she could watch the movie. “One hour prior to the show, the hall seemed like it was filling up,” she says.
Back rows in theatres are booked within one or two hours – even for Rs 500 and Rs 800 per ticket – but the front seats are left empty. Nobody wants to miss out on the VFX.
In his 50s, Cleetus Vaz, was hoping to watch the movie along with his family on the first day. But, he could not get tickets at multiplexes. “I was planning to take my family,” he says, “but only seats available are in the front row... that's won't fun, with all the visual effects.”
Sanjeev Reddy, 18, says, “I am willing to pay anything for the ticket... I was blown away by the graphics in the first movie. Good seats are very heard to get at convenient timing.”
Night shows seems to be the most popular and early morning shows (around 6 am) still have plenty of seats to spare. Even on online forums that exchange and sell spare tickets, queries are for later shows.
There are the practical-minded fans who are willing to wait for the craze to die down and the prices to fall.
Sivananda, a shopkeeper outside Rex Theatre, says, “I will wait for the third week... Here the tickets are usually priced much lower, but for this movie they are charging Rs 400 and Rs 550. I wait out this rush, it means good business too.”
55-year-old Chaitra Iyer says, “As much as I want to watch the movie, I will wait for ticket to get cheaper. It will be more peaceful also then.” Yogish Rao, 42, says that he wants to take his family of six.
“They are all looking forward to it. We will go in the third week when we can afford good seats.”