From Ajith's 'Yennai Arindhaal' to Vikram's 'I': Release Dates of Upcoming Biggies

It has been an eventful week for Tamil filmbuffs as the makers of several biggies have confirmed release dates of the most-awaited movies.

From Ajith's "Yennai Arindhaal" to Vikram's "I", check out the release dates of the upcoming Tamil biggies:

Ajith's 'Yennai Arindhaal' (Thala 55)

After months of speculations, it has been officially confirmed that Ajith's "Yennai Arindhaal" will be a Pongal 2015 release.

On Saturday, the makers of "Yennai Arindhaal" released an official poster confirming the Pongal release. In a press release, Ajith's PR Suresh Chandra has confirmed that "Yennai Arindhaal" will be the first major release of 2015. The film is expected to hit the screens on 8/9 January 2015 and is likely to enjoy 11/10-day opening at the box office.

The press release also states that the film's shooting is fast nearing completion and the promotions will be unleashed from this weekend.

According to latest reports, the official teaser of "Yennai Arindhaal" is likely to be released on 27 November, followed by audio launch on 11 December. The trailer of the Ajith starrer is expected to be unveiled on 1 January. However, an official announcement on the release dates is still awaited.

Directed by Gautham Menon, "Yennai Arindhaal" is an action thriller flick with Ajith, Anushka and Trisha playing the lead roles. Arun Vijay, Vivek and Rajasimman are also part of the film's cast. Harris Jayaraj has composed the tracks, while Sri Sai Ram Creations banner has produced the Ajith starrer.

Rajinikanth's 'Lingaa'

Rajinikanth's "Lingaa" is on track for 12 December release. The film's shooting was wrapped up and it is going for the censors on 24 October.

The film's release date is expected to be confirmed once the censor formalities are done.

"Lingaa" teaser, trailer and the songs have already generated a huge buzz for the film. The Rajini starrer is expected to take grand openings upon its release. The film's business is likely to commence after the censor is done.

"#Lingaa business will start after it is censored. As of now @VENDHAR_MOVIES front runners 4 TN & Kerala theatricals but not finalised," entertainment industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai tweeted.

Directed by KS Ravikumar, "Lingaa" is a commercial potboiler set in two different eras. Rajinikanth, Sonakshi Sinha and Anushka Shetty play the lead roles, while Dev Gill, Jagapathi Babu and Vijayakumar are also part of the cast.

AR Rahman has worked on the soundtracks, while the film is produced under Rockline Entertainments banner.

Vikram's 'I'

Vikram's "I" is also confirmed to release for Pongal 2015. The Shankar directorial is expected to release on 14 January and is likely to clash with Ajith's "Yennai Arindhaal", which is releasing a few days ahead on 8/9 January 2015.

Earlier, "I" was expected to clash with Vijay's "Kaththi" during Diwali this year. But, the post-production work has reportedly delayed the film's release. It is now evident that the magnum opus will be locking horns with "Yennai Arindhaal".

"I" is a romantic thriller with Vikram and Amy Jackson in lead roles. The film also has Suresh Gopi and Upen Patel in pivotal characters. AR Rahman is the music composer, while Aascar Ravichandran is the producer for the big-budget entertainer.

Simbu's 'Vaalu'

Simbu's much-delayed "Vaalu" has finally got a release date. The film will be hitting screens on 24 December as a Christmas treat for the fans.

"Dec12th #Lingaa , Dec24th #Vaalu and for Pongal #YennaiArindhaal :) super happy .... #Thaarumaaru," tweeted Simbu.

"Vaalu", directed by Vijayachander, has been in the making for nearly two years. The film's producer was apparently going through financial troubles, which had delayed its release. Now, the issues are apparently sorted out and the film is set for release on 24 December, 12 days after "Lingaa" hits theatres.

The romantic action entertainer has Hansika, Santhanam, Aadukalam Naren, VTV Ganesh and Brahmanandam in supporting roles. Thaman has composed the music of the film, which has already received positive response from the fans.

'Aambala', 'Anegan' and 'Komban'

Vishal's"Aambala" and Karthi's "Komban" are also expected to release for Pongal. The shooting of both the films are progressing and is expected to be wrapped up soon. There is also a buzz that Dhanush's "Anegan" might hit the screens for the festival.

Going by the latest reports, at least four films are set for a huge clash at the box office. A festival like Pongal might accommodate two films.

According to trade experts, there should be at least two-week gap for big releases to get enough revenue. With so many films setting their sight for Pongal release, there is going to be dearth of screens for some of them.

It remains to be seen as to which of these films will finally hit the screens for Pongal and which will back out of the race.