No Rajinikanth magic in Matunga tomorrow; Here's why

Rajini in a still from Kaala

A day away from the release of Rajinikanth's much-anticipated Kaala, Aurora Talkies in Matunga wears a muted look. For Mumbai-based fans of the megastar, the journey of homage usually begins at Aurora Talkies, one of the last surviving single-screen theatres in the city. But this time around, the story is different.

mid-day has learnt that members of the Maharashtra State Rajini Makkal Mandram (MSRMM) - one of the leading fan clubs of Thalaiva in the city - have moved the celebrations from the single screen theatre to Carnival Cinemas in Wadala.

Fans during the release of Robot in 2010

Talking to mid-day, SK Athimoolam, president of MSRMM, accused Aurora Talkies owner, Nambi Rajan, of not issuing adequate tickets to them. "Nambi offered only 150 tickets of his 700-seater for the 6 am show tomorrow. I refused it as 1,500 of us intended to attend it," said Athimoolam. He further insinuated that Rajinikanth's plunge into politics has a role to play in Rajan's change of plans this year. "Nambi's son, Ganesh Kumar, is the president of Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress. Since Rajini sir has formed his own political party, there is a clash of interest."

Fan frenzy outside Aurora Talkies during the Robot release. Pic/ Sameer Markande

Athimoolam added that the die-hard fans will continue with the celebrations, albeit at a different venue. "We have booked the morning shows of Carnival Cinema in Wadala. We will begin with a small puja at a local temple at 4 am. About 200 ladies will walk to the theatre with pots filled with turmeric water that will be poured on Rajini sir's posters. We are avoiding the pal abhishekam [milk offering] this year as we don't want to waste milk. We are also erecting a 67-foot tall poster of Rajini sir," he said, adding that Nana Patekar, Vidya Balan and director Pa.Ranjith will be present at the screening.

The cinema wears a deserted look before Kaala's release

On his part, Rajan claimed that the decision had little to do with his son's political leanings. "So what if my son is part of Congress? He [Athimoolam] is trying to gain publicity. During the last few releases of Rajini sir, Athimoolam would put up his personal banners. When Kabali released, he arranged a blood donation drive. But members of his fan club came drunk and created a ruckus inside my theatre. I clearly told him that I won't allow such misdemeanours."

Rajinikanth from Kaala

Rajan added that his cinema will have a toned-down celebration with members of Rajinikanth Public Welfare Association (RPWA), another fan club, headed by S Nityanand. "We'll put up a giant cutout of the superstar. We won't be putting up too many billboards as ultimately, I have to pay the fine to the BMC. We'll have a peaceful procession and an aarti, followed by the traditional dhol and dance by the fans before the 6am show," he said.

Kaala's release was banned in Karnataka owing to Rajinikanth's comments on the Cauvery row. However, the Karnataka High Court yesterday directed the state government to provide necessary security for the film's peaceful screening.

Also Read: Film Federation seeks steps to release Rajinikanth's Kaala in Karnataka

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