By: Kritika Bobal

Fans of superstar Rajinikanth in Mumbai showed up early in the morning to see the ‘first day, first screening’ of his film ‘Annaatthe,’ which is slated to be released today, ie, 4th of November. On Friday morning, it was 4 a.m. in Mumbai, but the lane outside Sion’s PVR theatre had already woken up to Rajinikanth’s Diwali release ‘Annaatthe’, with fans racing to the movie hall to catch one of the Thalaiva’s most awaited blockbusters.

The multiplex was vibrating with so much energy that it felt like it belonged in a different time zone. Not just adults, but also children as young as four years old, were dressed to the nines for the film’s premiere. A gigantic cut-out of Rajinikanth took the spotlight as a priest conducted a Satyanarayan puja in his honor for long life. Soon after the puja was completed, the drums and banjo began playing, and crowds hurried inside to take photographs with Rajinikanth’s cutouts.

While the film’s initial screening was set for 8 a.m., Dr. Thalapathi SK Athimoolam, president of the Maharashtra State Head Rajini Fans Welfare Association (MSHRFWA), a renowned Thalaiva fan organization located in Chembur, planned a special screening for 5.00 a.m. The multiplex’s three screens were completely occupied with fans dressed in clean white shirts and Mundus eagerly waiting to see the superstar’s latest film.

The action-drama release has been postponed owing to the COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, fans around the country welcomed the film’s premiere. People gathered in front of Chennai’s Rohini theatre to dance to the rhythms of drums. Karnan, the proprietor of a restaurant in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, is selling dosas for Re 1 as a symbol of prayer for the film.

Rajguru Prakash, a mechanic by profession, has been awaiting the release of Rajinikanth’s film for the past two years. “Rajinikanth is even greater than God for me,” he said as he carried a bag loaded with flowers and garlands to be placed on Thalaiva posters. I was furious with Coronavirus since we couldn’t see any of his new movies. It’s a momentous day since Thalaiva’s film finally comes out today.”

Ramya, a local, who was also in the queue to watch Rajnikanth’s film, says, “We’ve arrived for the 6 a.m. show. Diwali or no Diwali, Thalaiva’s film is a celebration in and of itself. It’s a special Diwali treat for us.”

Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Prakash Raj, Khushboo, and others feature in the Tamil action drama written and directed by Siva. Rajinikanth was recently honored with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contributions to cinema. The 70-year-old actor has appeared in South Indian and Bollywood films and has a massive fan base.

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