Rajini’s ‘Darbar’ releases to a full house

Actor Rajinikanth's fans celebrate the release of his film 'Darbar', in Chennai , Thursday , Jan. 9 ,2020. (PTI Photo)

A fan throws flower petals on a billboard displaying the picture of Bollywood star Rajinikanth, in a celebratory gesture intended to bless his favourite film star's new movie, before attending the show of the new Tamil-language film 'Darbar' in Chennai on January 9, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

Actor Rajinikanth's fans celebrate the release of his film 'Darbar', in Chennai , Thursday , Jan. 9 ,2020. (PTI Photo)

Fans of actor Rajinikanth celebrate the release of his film Darbar in Mumbai, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. (PTI Photo)

Giant balloons were let in the sky, hundreds of fans danced to the drumbeats and the mandatory ritual of bathing their Thalaivar cut-out with milk – Tamil superstar Rajinikanth stormed into cinema theatres in his quintessential style on Thursday through his latest flick Darbar.

Celebrations that continued through the night culminated at 4 am as several screens opened for the First Day First Show (FDFS) of Darbar on the outskirts of Chennai and other cities.

At the Rohini Silver Screens in Koyambedu here, hundreds of Rajinikanth fans celebrated the FDFS by beating drums and letting giant balloons in the sky as they were joined by Yasuda and Satsuki, a Japanese couple, who are die-hard fans of the superstar.

Over 7,000 screens, including 4,000 in Tamil Nadu and 250 plus in Karnataka, released Darbar on Thursday in which the superstar plays a ‘bad cop’. In the US alone, the movie was released in 350 locations, while the screens that screened Darbar in Malaysia is 135.

Over 650 screens in Chennai city released the movie – a record-breaking number if even one goes by the high standards set by Rajinikanth. This is the second consecutive year a Rajinikanth movie is releasing during Pongal – the harvest festival, this year, will be celebrated between January 14 to January 17.

Reports of fans indulging in ruckus were reported from a few districts due to delays in screening of the movie. As the Pongal holidays are set to begin next week, the movie is expected to do better as reviews said it is all the way a Rajinikanth movie.

The Tamil Nadu government has also allowed theatre owners to screen special shows on Friday, Monday and Tuesday next week. Darbar, in which Nayantara plays Rajinikanth’s lady love, has evoked unprecedented expectations from fans as the superstar is donning the khaki uniform for the first time in 28 years – the last was in Pandiyan released in 1992.