Rajinikanth bandwagon in full throttle as big bucks back in play

The Rajnikanth fever is back as his next film, Annatthe is set for a Diwali release. His last venture, Darbar was out in January 2020 and the pandemic hit soon after. No industry was spared, and the movie theatre business in particular witnessed a major downturn. Now, with some respite after 18 gruelling months, there is renewed hope that the audience will return to the movie halls.

There is never a shortage of drama around the superstar's release. Rajnikanth's health has been a cause of concern and his subsequent discharge from hospital remains a hot topic in Tamil Nadu. In fact, this is only expected to garner more audience interest for the big-budget Annatthe, which is scheduled for a November 4 release. Though nobody wants to talk numbers officially, the understanding is that around Rs 230 crore has gone into the project - star fee, production cost, promotion cost all included. A little more than 40 per cent of that is Rajinikanth's star fee. Big projects come with big risks but the star at 70 has never failed to disappoint. In fact, the money around him only seems to get bigger.

However, times are different and there is expected to be some impact on revenue because of COVID-19. Sreedhar Pillai, a trade analyst, maintains there is a lot of interest, as it always is, but overseas markets could be a worry. "Malaysia is one of the biggest markets abroad and it is not completely open," he says. No such issue in Tamil Nadu, where Pillai predicts "a Diwali bumper" for the film.

It has been a long wait for movie watchers and multiplexes will do anything for that big success. Annatthe could just be that answer to many fervent prayers. Produced by Sun Pictures, the satellite and digital rights remain with this large network; to that extent how the revenue structure is determined is left to them. Again, in the case of a bumper hit, there will be an overflow from the exhibitors ensuring the film is feasible. The revenue numbers are conservative given the tough situation but that could easily change leading to a windfall. "Getting to 80 per cent of the pre-COVID-19 scenario will be an achievement," says Pillai.

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