In Karnataka, 'Sivaji' is a runaway blockbuster

Bangalore, June 16 (IANS) Despite all the disputes the two neighbouring states of Karanataka and Tamil Nadu may continue to have, for superstar Rajnikant they are game to patch up.

On the second day of the film's screening in the tech city Bangalore, the euphoria of "Sivaji: The Boss" is showing no signs to fizz out. The audience's verdict states the film is a blockbuster.

Hundreds of people thronged multiplexes and single screen theatres in the state and police had to resort to a mild baton charge to disperse the crowd from the Ajantha theatre Friday.

Bangalore liked everything about "Sivaji", though it is a Tamil film, and not a Kannada film.

"The white Rajni or Mottai Rajni, everything is fresh for us. What a great film it is," was the instant reaction of a Kannadiga who does not see any film other than Rajni's.

It looks like the pre-release jitter for "Sivaji" and the protest by the Karantaka Rakshana Vedike, which opposed the simultaneous release of the film in KArnataka, will have no bearing on the collections.

Volunteers of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, the strongest pro-Kannada organisation here, Thursday staged a protest in front of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, demanding that Tamil version of "Sivaji" should not be allowed to release simultaneously, and that a four-week moratorium has to be fixed.

This is how all non-Kannadiga films are released in Karnataka.

Since Tamil Nadu has not cooperated with Karnataka over sharing of Cauvery water, some pro-Kannada groups have also been arguing that Tamil films should not be released on the same day they were released in that state.

But H.D.Gangaraj, the distributor of the film, who is also the former president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, says that there is no link between the Cauvery dispute and the release of "Sivaji".

"Rajni is being seen as a Kannadiga, who has made it big in the film industry and is an internationally acclaimed star," he told IANS.

"Rajni is looked upon more as an actor who had a humble beginning in Bangalore. And Rajni always speaks in Kannada, whenever he attends any functions here. He has always encouraged many talents in the Kannada film industry.

"I think people will see it as Rajni's film than a Tamil film."

The first day report has never been crucial for a Rajni film as all his previous films received mixed response on day one.

The collections at the end have always proved that all Rajni's films, except for "Baba", has turned out to be blockbusters in Karnataka. Even in the case of "Baba", the collections were much higher than the other Tamil films.

Influential people and Rajni's fans had bought most of the tickets of "Sivaji", which were sold out as soon as bookings opened in the state.

Tickets are also being blacked in the state and they are being sold between Rs.1000 to Rs.3000 per ticket.

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Sivaji - The Boss