Vikram's 'Ai' Joins Diwali Race with Vijay's 'Kaththi', Vishal's 'Poojai'

"Ai" ("Manoharudu" in Telugu) producer Aascar Ravichandran reportedly met with Telugu journalists and confirmed that the Vikram starrer will be a Diwali treat for fans in October.

Ravichandran has also revealed that the audio launch of "Ai" will happen in a grand manner on 15 September in Chennai, while the music release of the Telugu version will take place on 22 September in Hyderabad, reported Indiaglitz. 

The producer is reportedly planning to bring in Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the chief guest for the Tamil version launch and Jackie Chan as the guest of honour for the Telugu version. It may be recalled that Chan was the chief guest for the audio launch of Kamal Haasan's "Dasavathaaram," which was also produced by Ravichandran.

"Ai", directed by Shankar, is one of the most-anticipated films of 2014. The big budget entertainer has Vikram and Amy Jackson in the lead roles.

"Ai", touted to be a romantic action thriller, has been in the making for around two years. Vikram has reportedly undergone several physical changes and the versatile actor will be seen in different looks in the film.

Oscar winner A. R. Rahman has composed the film's tracks. Its shooting is almost completed with only a song left to be shot, while the post-production work has already commenced and is expected to complete soon.

Diwali Race

"Ai" will join the Diwali race along with other biggies like Vijay's "Kaththi", Vishal's "Poojai" and Dhanush's "Anegan." While "Kaththi" and "Poojai" are confirmed for Diwali release, there have been reports claiming that "Anegan" might also hit the screens as the festive treat.

Moreover, Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film "Happy New Year" ("HNY") is also gearing up for a Diwali release. As SRK commands a huge fan following down south, the makers of "HNY" will be hoping to release it in a good number of screens.

According to trade experts, Diwali could accommodate two big releases. It is not feasible to release five biggies at the same time as they might not get enough number of screens.

"Ai" makers are reportedly planning to release the film in 4,000 screens in India, including in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi languages. They are also planning to dub the film in foreign languages like Chinese and English.

If a film has to release on such a large scale, it has to have a solo release. With so many biggies joining the Diwali race, it will not be possible for "Ai" to get the required screen count. Barring two films, the other biggies have to find a different date for their release. It needs to be seen as to which of these films backs out of the race.