However, Rajini-starrer gets tepid welcome in Madurai; fans attribute mixed response to film’s midweek release, widespread screening

Understated marketing notwithstanding, actor Rajinikanth’s Kaala opened to packed houses in Chennai. Almost all the opening day shows were full in the city even though the film was screened as early as 4 a.m.

Kaala opened in close to 30 theatres across Chennai.

Madurai, however, saw a fair number of seats in many theatres going vacant in early shows, even as fans hailed the the film as typical Rajini movie. A theatre in Alanganallur had over 300 seats vacant in the opening show.

People were seen buying tickets at city theatres for evening shows on Thursday, a marked contrast to Rajini’s last movie Kabali, for which tickets were sold out in advance for the entire first week. Online booking sites showed chunks of unsold seats for evening shows on Friday as well.

V. Anbu, 29, of Alanganallur said that despite Kaala being a better film than Kabali, the timing of its release could be a reason for the somewhat tepid response.

“Thursday being a working day for offices and schools and even colleges, the crowd was less,” he said. Bala Thamburaj, 54, a fan of Rajinikanth, said that Kaala was a “complete Rajini movie”.

He attributed the vacant seats in theatres to the screening of the film in as many as 13 theatres in Madurai district.

In Tiruchi, fans danced to drum beats and showered petals on hoardings of Rajinikanth put up in front of the theatres. Hundreds watched the first show at 4.30 a.m.

“Going by the positive feedback for the film, it should turn out to be a big success. The film is doing well in Tiruchi,” said A. Loganathan, proprietor, Oorvasi Theatre.