"Lingaa", which is touted as the biggest film of year, has opened in theatres in much galore. The film, which is directed by KS Ravikumar, has been received as a typical Rajinikanth film. However, it seems that the magnum opus did not garner the required response from the fans in Kerala.
"Lingaa" has reportedly opened in 217 theatres in the state, which is highest ever for a Tamil film. The last biggest Tamil film in Kerala was Vijay-Mohanlal starrer "Jilla". Also, there were no Malayalam releases this week, owing to the huge release of "Lingaa".
However, the latest reports suggest that the record release of "Lingaa" has bounced back as the movie is reviewed as "enjoyable" by Rajini fans, but below average by general audience.
In terms of theatre occupancy, the film ran house-full in most theatres in morning shows, but lowered towards the afternoon and reports suggest that some of the theatres ran only with 50% occupancy.
The posters, songs and trailer of "Lingaa" had created a lot of buzz in Kerala. However, most of the viewers in the state feel that the film did not meet the expectations in terms of script, but can be watched as it's Rajinikanth's film.
If "Lingaa" fails to deliver as expected in Kerala box office, it will mark yet another blow for Rajinkanth's market in the state.
Superstar's last movie "Kochadaiiyaan" was a disaster at the box office. As a result of this, "Lingaa" makers were reportedly facing problems to release the film in the state.
Reports were that Kerala Distributors' Association has told all its members not to buy the rights until the dues of "Kochadaiiyaan" are cleared by the concerned people. The distribution rights of "Kochadaiiyaan" were bagged by The Plaza Group for a whopping amount, but the film failed to make a mark in the theatres, which led to huge loss.
The distributors and exhibitors are now eagerly waiting to see how the first day report of "Lingaa' comes out in terms of business as initial word of mouth reports does not look promising. The Kerala distribution rights of the film are bagged by Vedhaar Movies.
