Distributors believe the festive
season is an appropriate time to release big budget films with big stars
as Tamil Nadu enjoys an extended holiday of 10 days. Although makers
are hoping to rake in the moolah, trade pundits think otherwise. With
simultaneous releases, a major problem that arises is availability of
theatres. Adding to their woes is Mahesh Babu’s film ‘1 Nenokkadine’,
which will also see a world-wide release on Jan 10.
Sources say ‘1
Nenokkadine’ has already blocked multiplex screens in the UK, US and
Singapore where Tamil movies usually enjoy a good run.
With three
films fighting head-on, ‘1 Nenokkadine’ seems to be a few steps ahead of
the two Tamil films with aggressive promotions and theatre blocking.
However fans of Thala and Thalapathy seem to be unfazed and are ready to celebrate their matinee idols’ releases.
Surprisingly, the fans of the two stars, who are usually at
loggerheads with each other, seem to have joined hands this time.
According to TOI, Ajith fan clubs across the city are planning a special
mention about Vijay's ‘Jilla’ in their banners, while Ilayathalapathy's
fan club members are likely to wish ‘Veeram’ in their promotional
banners.
The duo’s films have previously clashed at the box office and here’s what happened:
Bhagavathi and Villain:
Bhagavathi
and Villain released on November 4, 2002. Both the films turned out to
be blockbusters, giving Vijay and Ajith’s then floundering career a big
boost.
Thirumalai and Anjaneya:
Both these
films released on Oct 24, 2003. Though Thirumalai did well and
transformed Vijay into a mass hero, Ajith’s Anjaneya only did average
business.
Aadhi and Paramasivam:
Aadhi and
Paramasivam which had similar plots, released on Jan 14, 2006, while
Vijay’s Aadhi turned out to be a dud, Ajith’s Paramasivam fared
averagely.
Pokkiri and Alwar:
Pokiri and Alwar both
released on Jan 12, 2007. Pokkiri which was Prabhu Deva’s directorial
debut in Tamil became a blockbuster hit, while Ajith’s Alwar tanked
without a trace.
The question now is who will win the epic clash
this time? Ajith, who is on a winning streak or Vijay, who needs a hit
to get his career back on track, or will Mahesh walk home with the
honours?
