RRR became the 31st highest-grossing film of 2022 once it hit international theaters. Above: Indian workers receive a day off to see the film – photo courtesy Getty Images
Workers in India Are Getting the Day off to See a New Hit Film
By Josh Rosenberg
Box office numbers can only tell you so much about a film's success. Sure, you get the hard dollar amounts. But ticket sales alone can't justify cultural movements. RRR , the South Indian film that rode an international wave of success to an Oscars win for best Original Song, could be seen in its home country for 75 rupees (just under one US dollar). With ticket prices like that, you're not going to top the worldwide box office. And yet, RRR still became the 31st highest-grossing film of 2022 once it hit international theaters.
Now, India has another massive success on their hands. Jailer , a Tamil-language action film starring legendary Indian actor Rajinikanth, is so popular that workers are being given the day off by their employers to go and see the film. According to CNN , an education company called Redbooks Abroad even bought their entire staff tickets. "We hope that this day off and movie experience will bring joy, relaxation, and renewed energy to you all. Let us cherish this moment and create memories together," an internal memo read. "Relax, rejoice, and immerse yourselves in the magic of the silver screen." Le Hive, a restaurant in Tamil Nadu, joked that they also gave their staff half the day off to, "avoid sudden sick leaves."
Since opening day this past Thursday (August 10), Jailer has earned $5 million at the box office. That number has already made the film the highest-earning Tamil-language production of the year, with actor Rajinikanth earning praise as the Tom Cruise of India. To celebrate their day off, many people took to the streets outside of the theater and lit fireworks. News broadcasts compared the sight of the events to the lavish dance numbers and action sequences likely seen on screen. Drumlines paraded in the streets, the loyal "Rajini fever" fans danced, and many workers treated Jailer 's opening day as an unofficial holiday.
"He is our favorite and wonderful actor whom we cannot ignore in any situation," one mega fan told New Dehli's Asian News International . "When his movie is released, no matter what time it is, no matter what day it is, we are here." – Esquire
Rhea Mogul and Manveena Suri of CNN add: With people dancing on the streets and setting off firecrackers, the jubilant scenes wouldn’t have been out of place in an Indian movie.
In fact, they were the real-life celebrations of thousands of cinema fans in South India as they welcomed the latest film release by one of the country’s biggest superstars.
“Jailer,” a Tamil-language action thriller by celebrated actor Rajinikanth, has taken the region by storm since hitting cinemas Thursday and is already expected to set box office records.
The film is the first in two years to feature the actor, who enjoys a demigod-like status among his fans, and so great has the anticipation been that some companies have given their staff a day off to watch it…
The companies’ actions are just one aspect of the feverish expectations surrounding the release, which local news channels have spared no detail in covering, running live blogs, interviewing fans and filming scenes outside theaters.
The film collected about $5 million at the box office on Thursday, based on early estimates, making it the highest opening for a Tamil-language film in 2023 so far, according to local reports.
Fans dance during the screening of Indian actor Rajinikanth's new Tamil-language movie 'Jailer' on the first day of its release in Mumbai on August 10 - Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images
A cult-like following
Rajinikanth, 72, who has starred in more than 160 movies, is near synonymous with South Indian cinema.
Known for elaborate action sequences and unique dance moves, he has the sort of box office appeal enjoyed by Tom Cruise in the West and is thought to be one of Asia’s highest paid actors.
Born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad in the southern city of Bengaluru in 1950, Rajinikanth made his debut 25 years later in the movie “Apoorva Raagangal,” which became a commercial success.
The level of adoration among his fans has often been likened to that of a religious figure. Some of his fans have been known to celebrate his new releases by pouring milk on cardboard images of the actor, an act of veneration usually reserved for Hindu deities.
Similar scenes of jubilation met his 2016 film “Kabali,” in which he donned stylish three-piece suits and John Lennon sunglasses to play a wrongfully convicted gangster recently released from jail.
Its release day became an unofficial public holiday for many with several companies in the cities of Bengaluru and Chennai giving their employees a day off to watch the film.
Rajinikanth is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, two of India’s highest civilian awards, for his contributions to the arts.
From Bollywood, to Tollywood and Kollywood
While India’s multibillion-dollar film industry may be most known abroad for its Hindi-language “Bollywood” productions, nearly half of the country’s 1.4 billion people don’t count Hindi as their primary language.
Within the country the “Tollywood” (Telugu language) and “Kollywood” (Tamil language) sectors of South India enjoy similar popularity to Bollywood.
Outside Bollywood, earnings from the South Indian media and entertainment industry have nearly doubled year on year and in 2022 contributed an estimated 52% to all of India’s film revenues, according to a report this year by the Confederation of Indian Industry …- CNN
