A Thalapathy release in Tamil Nadu is nothing short of a mega festival. As fans throng theatres at the break of dawn, the first day first show frenzy always sets the cash registers ringing. Tamil superstar Vijay is currently awaiting the release of his upcoming film Master.
This release on January 13 is definitely special as it marks
the actor’s first movie release ever since the advent of the coronavirus
pandemic. What was supposed to be an April release in 2020 was postponed due to
the lockdown.
Vijay’s movies are meant for the 70mm screen, with fans
hooting and whistling in mad fervour. It is no wonder, the crew decided not to
follow in the footsteps of Suriya’s Soorarai Pottru and opted against an OTT
release.
Health concerns during the release of the film weren’t the
only challenge that confronted Vijay. The actor faced Income Tax heat during
the making of this film. He was shooting in Neyveli, when his home in Chennai
was raided. When the Bigil hero got back to shooting after handling the chaos
surrounding the raids, a sea of fans gathered. The selfie of Vijay with
thousands of fans created history by being the most retweeted tweet of the
year, according to Twitter trends in 2020.
However, the question is whether the face-off with the Centre continues even now.
Based on Master team’s request, chief minister of Tamil Nadu
Edappadi K Palaniswamy (EPS) increased the occupancy of film theatres from 50%
(introduced due to COVID protocol) to 100%. In fact, theatre owners in
neighbouring Karnataka, who have suffered huge losses due to the deadly virus,
approached Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa to go the Tamil Nadu way.
Posters of Thalapathy thanking EPS flooded the lengths and
breadths of the state. However, the joys of Vaathi (as he is called in the film
Master) didn’t last long.
The Centre rapped the AIADMK government for the decision taken regarding theatre occupancy while diluting the COVID guidelines set by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“Only a Vijay’s movie can increase footfall in theatres,
which are running out of business already. Even if it is 100%, we will follow
protocol with masks and sanitisers. Aren’t buses open to public? Are people
visiting temples? Is there a cap on occupancy there?” asked Raviraj, a Vijay
fan.
“When BJP takes out an election rally in Tamil Nadu, they do
not worry about COVID guidelines. This a political ploy that the party has been
playing against our hero ever since the I-T sleuths knocked on the door of
Vijay’s residence a few months ago. They are threatened by the popularity of
our hero in the state,” said Vijay, another ardent fan.
In a latest development, a PIL filed by lawyer Muthukumar
contesting the 100% occupancy of theatres was heard by the Madras High Court.
Theatre occupancy in Tamil Nadu will remain at 50% till January 11, the court
said. The Tamil Nadu government has also been asked to respond to the occupancy
issue by then. If not, the court said that it will be forced to issue an order.
BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said, “Health security
is a national issue. Every state has been fighting for 100% occupancy. And we
care for people’s health and do not want to become partisans.”
During the audio launch of Master, the Mersal hero said, “Unmaiya irukka, oomaiya irukka vendi irukku (If you need to remain honest, you need to remain mute).” From Mersal to Master, the Sarkar remains with the BJP.
No comments:
Post a Comment