Delhi, India

The periya thalaivar (the big boss) of Tamil cinema Rajnikant has created a record of sorts, his phenomenal popularity spilling out from the southern belt and sweeping the capital if the number of theatres screening his latest blockbuster is any indication.

`Sivaji-the boss` which was released in only two multiplexes in Delhi and one in Gurgaon last week is now being screened in more than 12 halls across the capital.

Shalu Sabharwal, Vice President, sales and marketing, PVR cinemas says "it is the huge demand from the audience that prompted us to release ‘Sivaji’ in more halls. The film is really good. I watched the film and liked it very much."

Produced at a whopping 90 crores, ‘Sivaji’, the most expensive Indian film was in news for quite some time and analysts point out that the coverage given to the film by the north Indian media has played a pivotal role in its huge success here.

Cutting across language barrier north Indians too are coming in large numbers to catch the action. Even though the film is being screened without subtitles the non-Tamilian audience is not missing much.

Some scenes of the film were shot in Chhattarpur and R K Puram areas. "I remember Rajnikant fans flocking in from different parts of the capital during the film`s shooting here," says M Natesan, General Secretary of the Tamil Youth Cultural Association, a wing of Delhi Tamil Sangam.

"Almost all of the 11 lakh Tamilians in Delhi have watched the film in the first week itself" he adds.

King of style, Rajnikant seems to have gone down well with the north audience.

"Rajnikant is a phenomenon. There is a sizeable chunk of fan following for the star in north India too" says PVR`s Shalu.

Moreover the lackluster performance of the much-anticipated film `Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom` has added to the success of ‘Sivaji’, she adds.......
 

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