Huge relief for Vijay: Thalaivaa to finally release on 20 August

Was it threat of hunger strike, an appeasement of the political gods in Tamil Nadu or something else that has finally given Vijay’s film Thalaivaa the green light? The producers of the film are not saying yet, but whatever the reason, fans of the superstar will be thrilled to know that they will be able to finally watch their hero in action on 20 August (Tuesday) when the film finally releases in the state, says this report in The Hindu. [caption id=“attachment_1041699” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The film was scheduled to release on 9 August[/caption] Two days before its scheduled release on 9 August, Thalaivaa was stalled from being released in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry after a political outfit issued threats to theatre owners. Tickets were being sold like hot cakes since Monday (6 August, 2013) for the action-drama, but on Wednesday (7 August, 2013) afternoon most theatres, including multiplexes, stopped bookings following the threat calls. With the stalling of the film, the film’s unit announced that they would go on hunger strike to ensure its release. Thalaivaa, reportedly made on a budget of over Rs.70 crore, has garnered a good response after its release in other states and overseas. It is the story of a common man who is forced to take the law into his hands to protect a small section of Tamilians living in Mumbai and, according to those who have seen the film, there is nothing controversial in it. The film also features Amala Paul, Ragini Nandwani, Sathyaraj and Abhimanyu Singh in important roles. Vijay’s inability to release the film in the state has been seen as a near-repeat of the trauma that Kamal Haasan endured early this year with his film, Vishwaroopam. It’s also a clear indication that the political tightrope walk that film stars take in the state are fraught with huge uncertainties, says Firstpost editor, G Pramod Kumar. He says, “In the case of Kamal Haasan, the lukewarm response or the displeasure of the government was not surprising because the actor was perceived to be close to DMK president Karunanidhi and he had even made some public appearances that could have been politically interpreted against him. However, what is surprising in Vijay’s case is that he is an ardent AIADMK supporter and it was purely the return of the party to power that saw his resurrection in 2011-12” ( Read more ) With inputs from agencies