I am not the type who goes to a movie in the first week of its opening. But the hype created in the print media, FM and the TV created an urge to go to Sivaji.

Two days before the release of the movie TV Channels like CNN IBN and Headlines Today were having editions on Sivaji running for 2 hours with live coverage of interviews with the fans spread across the metros. I found Rajni also has fans in Lucknow who was arguing in favour of Rajni. A college student at Mumbai, in spite of not knowing Thamizh recited the dialogue “Naan oru thadavai sonna nooru thadavai sonna mathiri” from Basha

FM channels were interviewing the technicians and the actors who acted in Sivaji, who all in the same tone appreciated Rajni for his humility, courteous behaviour with fellow artists and technicians and his acting ability, while Shankar, director has gone on a holiday to Canada with his family. These channels also conducted SMS contest with questions like ” Who is the hero of Sivaji ? Rajni or Kamal. The lucky winners who gave the correct answers were given 2 free tickets for Sivaji on first day.

Newspapers like The Hindu, Economic Times and New Indian Express carried reports on “First Day, First Show”. ET covered in its Madras Plus edition the celebrity preview at Satyam Cinema with color photos of celebrities who had come to watch Sivaji at Satyam Cinema on Thursday which included Sridevi and her daughter. Photographs of Rajni fans doing Paalabhishekam to their Thalaivar cut outs and a Rajni rasikar kissing the cutout and police controlling the crowd at the theatres appeared in the print media.

When a cousin offered tickets for the night show on Sunday, June 17, 2007 at Devi Complex. I grabbed the opportunity inspite of Monday being a working day. After a long time, I am going to Devi Theatre which welcomed us with the sign board ” Renovation under progress and Patrons are requested to bear with the Management”. (What a well maintained theatre complex it was during the 70s and 80s . Presently the theatre is badly maintained).

There was a huge gathering in the theatre with excitement writ large in their faces to watch the much hyped film “Sivaji”. Once the main gate was opened everyone rushed to occupy their seat, giving little or no time for the theatre staff to clean the theatre.

The movie started with the trailer of Sultan, a forthcoming animation film featuring Rajni as the hero. The theatre claims to have Dolby Stereo – Surround EX system . But the sound system was bland without the sound effects that you experience in Satyam or Mayajaal.

As the movie started there was a mood of ecstasy in the theatre with the fans whistling and shouting and throwing papers towards the screen. One person sitting back of me was shouting for more sound which went unheeded. Everything in the movie was grand, the sets, the songs, the music and the photography. Sujatha has compromised to write dialogues like ” Panninga kootama varum, singam singleaa thaan varum” (The pigs come in group whereas the lion comes alone) in one scene where the villain’s errand boys attack Rajni and Rajni beats them all single handedly. When Rajni loses all his property and money, with one rupee in his hand, there was dead silence in the theatre.

When Rajni regains his riches, the crowd goes into rapture. The fans get elated when Rajni pops a chewing gum into his mouth, and swings the coin horizontally twice and makes it land in his shirt pocket or trouser pocket. The crowd cheers during the fight sequence in an Open Air Theatre screening KingKong and at the Binny Mills.

When Rajni dies in the jail of electric shock, the fans are not shocked as they are confident that he will rise like a phoenix from ashes. Though Rajni is dead for some time, Dr Raghuvaran revives him by using defibrillator in an ambulance. Sivaji dies and MGR , an NRI friend of Sivaji arrives in helicopter and also known as Mottai Boss. But the villain Aadiseshan and the audience knows that MGR is Sivaji.

Sivaji has all the ingredients of a Shankar movie and Rajni movie. Incidents happen so fast and it does not allow you to think on various events that take place in the movie. One gets engrossed in the movie till the end and you are taken by surprise on the scale of events that unfold during the three hours and five minutes. Rajni fans have got what they wanted and they will repeatedly see the movie and the distributors will rake in the profits.

When I came out, I asked my son how was the movie. He said any number of times this movie can be seen. That is the magic of Rajnikanth.

As we came out of the theatre at about 1.30 AM, there was drizzling and I could see people standing in queues for making current booking for the shows of next day and advance booking. I can’t imagine people standing in queues at 1.30 AM for purchase of ticket in the counter that opens at 08.30 A M or 9.00 A M. Then I remembered a report which said that the tickets for Sivaji are being sold in black at Rs 1500 to Rs 1700.