Around two years back, a film was on the threshold of a release. Holidays were being announced, rocket high demand for tickets led to exorbitant prices, planes were getting a makeover with the film's face. It wasn’t about the money they spent - everyone wanted to be part of the jubilant atmosphere. Watching the film FDFS (first day, first show) was an elite privilege. The name of the film was Kabali and the men headlining the film were Superstar Rajinikanth and Pa Ranjith. June 2018 is seeing another Rajinikanth film on the brink of a release. However, the scene is vastly different. Usually, a Rajinikanth film translates to audiences burning the midnight oil to lay their hands on those precious tickets, preparing themselves for ‘server crashed’ messages. But as of today, ticketing platforms are functioning properly. Several hours after the ticket counters opened, it was shocking to see that Kaala tickets are still available. For Kochadaiyaan, I remember furiously hitting the keyboard two minutes after bookings opened, only to get a ticket on the second day. Rajini’s political plunge, the timing of the release, the Kabali hangover - several reasons have been cited for this drastic change in scenario. But one thing is certain - Kaala will determine how we see Rajinikanth on screen and off-screen. Kya re, weak bookings ah? What could be the reasons behind the muted buzz around Kaala? Let’s start with the obvious ones. The film is hitting the screens on June 7, a working Thursday, followed by a non-holiday weekend. The new educational year has barely begun. Furthermore, a festival Eid is falling on June 15 - families are bound to plan around the holiday and the long weekend. There is also a shift in the consuming sensibilities of the Tamil Nadu audience due to several incidents that have happened in the past few months. The price hike has led to a ticket costing around Rs 200 (including net booking charges). Adding to this, the 48-day Tamil Film Producer Strike had pushed the audience to find alternative sources of entertainment. Trade pundits had speculated that footfalls will take a hit even after the strike and the industry needed a big release like Kaala to bring back people to the theatres. However, the void still seems to be there. The makers haven't walked the extra mile to fill this gap. Kaala hasn’t been promoted aggressively like its predecessor Kabali. This could mean two things - either they are confident with what they have or they don’t want to scale up expectations that could backfire. Also read | From script to shoot: The story of how Kaala came into being Thus, after a very long time, the fate of a Rajini film is going to depend heavily on word of mouth to decide its financial success. If Kaala doesn’t succeed as a film, it would be a watershed moment in Rajinikanth’s career. In a climate where a film’s fate is decided in the first three days, Kaala’s booking logs have shown that even the Superstar isn’t an exception. With an undeniable Kabali hangover, viewers seem to be content in waiting to see if the film is worth spending their money. The Thalaivar Rajinikanth: Much has been said about Tamil Nadu’s affinity for actors turned politicians. Rajinikanth is the last addition (preceded by Kamal Haasan) to the list of Anna, Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa. Of these stories, Rajini’s tale is probably the closest to MG Ramachandran. With origins from other states, their stylised approach to acting, a clean image on-screen and palpable overspills between their film and political career - the similarities are plenty. However, MGR had political experience as MLA before aiming for the top post. And even he felt the need for a film that would help him measure his political acceptance. The film that acted as MGR's springboard was the 1969 film Nam Nadu. “A remake of a Telugu film, shows MGR, a municipal clerk, running successfully for elections in order to serve the people. MGR’s name in the movie is Durai (after Annadurai). Comments on MGR, such as ‘If there is a man like this one, the country will be all right,’ and another comparing MGR to the almighty made Nam Nadu a special movie, even for the MGR genre of image-making films that showed him as a handsome do-gooder, who is also generous, virtuous, valiant, successful, strong, chivalrous, a teetotaler, etc,” reads an excerpt in The Hindu from R. Kannan’s 2017 biography MGR: A Life. And the film was a success. On seeing the ecstatic reactions from the audience, MGR is said to have hugged the producer, exclaiming that he has gained the people’s acceptance. Also read | Before Kaala, here are films where Rajinikanth was the ‘Otha Thala Ravan’ Kaala has to pull the same feat that Nam Naadu did for MGR. It has to act as that one film that catapults Rajini to political significance. But here is where it gets difficult for Rajini. Unlike MGR’s Nam Naadu, Kaala is helmed by Pa Ranjith, whose political voice contradicts Rajini’s school of politics. The clash this has created has already unfolded in Tuticorin, where Rajini’s comments have created a backlash against the film. Thus, the significance of the kind of politics in Kaala is of dire significance. If it works, it could lead the audience to question Rajini’s political perspectives in real life. If it doesn’t, it could translate to the audience being disillusioned with their favourite star as a leader. The verdict is awaited on June 7.
