Rajinikanth's upcoming movie "Lingaa" is all set for release on the superstar's birthday, which falls on 12 December. The makers of the film and others who are closely associated with this magnum opus are now making sure that everything goes right. With expectations from the film being sky high, a minute glitch too might be pointed out as a disaster for this big budget movie.
Though some of the reports claim that the film has already earned 200 crore for the makers, the big "Lingaa" day is still giving makers a lot of anxious moments. "Lingaa" might have 100 different reasons to attract audience to the theatres, but let us have a look at things, which might turn the future of "Lingaa" upside down.
"Lingaa" directed by KS Ravikumar also has Sonakshi Sinha and Anushka Shetty in the lead
Over Expectation
Considering expectations from the film are extremely high, audiences might end up being disappointed even for a small issue. Yes, it is true that the film is all and everything about the mighty Rajinikanth, but the superstar's last release "Kochadaiiyan", which had the latest technology, proved to be a disaster.
The film also had similar hype as that of "Lingaa" but the its failure is still talked about. The "Kochadaiyyan" effect came to focus again, when Kerala distributors were reluctant to take "Lingaa" after the loss they faced from the superstar's last film.
Legal Hurdles
Since the teaser and trailer release of the film, "Lingaa" has been haunted by cases of plagiarism and controversies. The first case came from upcoming filmmaker KR Ravirathnam, who claimed the film's story to be a copy of his unreleased film. The second petition came from an aspiring scriptwriter, who claimed that the story of "Lingaa" is based on the script of his film "Uyir Anai". Though both the petitioners sought a stay on "Lingaa" release, the court dismissed their pleas.
However, looks like the legal hurdle for the film will continue till the last minute. The producer of Balaji Studios Private Ltd, Saligramam, Chennai has now approached the Madras High Court claiming the movie to be an unauthorised copy of Chiranjeevi starrer Telugu film "Indra". He had claimed that his production company has rights to remake the movie in all languages including Tamil.
The petitioner has now demanded that the film be stayed until the copyright infringement case is cleared in the court. However, reports suggest that the makers have refuted these claims and have said that the case has been filed for mere publicity.
High Competition
"Lingaa" is releasing during one of the busiest times for cinema industry in terms of film releases. The film might be able to beat other South Indian movies, but the release of Bollywood film "PK" is expected to affect its box office collection. Aamir Khan's "PK" is currently scheduled to release on 19 December, which means "Lingaa" will have only one free week to rule the box office.
Music By AR Rahman
While AR Rahman might have delivered some massive hits during his career, the music of "Lingaa" has received just average reviews from critics as well as listeners. The music by the maestro has even been trashed, which remains a major drawback for the film. Audiences are now waiting to see if the visuals of the film will be able to cover up so called "average" music from Rahman.
Duration
"Lingaa" is 2 hours 55 minutes long, which is quite lengthy compared to the present day short formats of film making. This long duration might prove to be a major disaster for the film as it might result in slow narration. If the filmmakers fail to pack this long duration with the right elements of entertainment, which engages the audience, "Lingaa" might go for a toss.
However, if things go as planned for KS Ravikumar and Rajinikanth, the film for sure will head to be the biggest blockbuster of the year
