Vikram starrer "I," which is currently in the post-production stage, is expected to hit screens for Christmas in December 2014.
"I" was initially slated to hit screens for Diwali, but the post-production work has delayed the film's release. There has been a lot of buzz regarding the release date and the latest we hear is that the Shankar directorial is on track for a Christmas release.
Producer NV Prasad, who has acquired the Telugu dubbing rights of "I," has confirmed to trade people in a private event that the Vikram starrer will hit the screens on 25 December, according to Andhraboxoffice.
"I" producer Aascar Ravichandran is reportedly planning to release the film in different versions including Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on the same day. However, an official announcement regarding the release date is still awaited.
If "I" is confirmed to hit the screens on 25 December, the Vikram starrer will be clashing with Aamir Khan's Hindi film "PK" which is slated to hit the screens on 19 December, a week ahead of "I" release.
"I" is a big budget entertainer and the makers are planning to have a huge worldwide release for the film. While the romantic thriller flick might get a good number of screens in south India, the film might face screen crunch in northern circuits as well as in overseas markets as "PK" will also have a huge release.
Big Hindi films are released in more than 4,000 screens worldwide, which also include huge screen counts in overseas markets. Aamir's last film "Dhoom 3" was released in more than 4,000 screens and "PK" is also expected to follow suit or possibly release in more number of screens than "Dhoom 3." The film might grab more screens than Shankar's "I" as Hindi biggies have a larger market than Tamil films in overseas markets.
On the other hand, "PK" might find it difficult to get enough number of screens in Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring states as Shankar's films have a good market in the southern states. The director's "Endhiran" ("Robot") is the all time highest grossing Tamil film, while the other versions of the film have also emerged hugely successful.
There are big expectations for "I" as Shankar has teamed up with Vikram for the second time after the 2006-release "Anniyan." The teaser and the audio of "I" has generated a huge buzz surrounding the film and it is expected to take grand openings on the first day of its release.
However, it will have to lock horns with "PK", which will already be running in theatres worldwide. If the Aamir Khan starrer manages to impress the audience, the film is likely to give a tough fight to "I." One needs to wait a little longer to see how these films fare at the box office.
