Superstar Rajinikanth’s Kabali, directed by Pa. Ranjith and produced by Kalaipuli Thanu of V Creations, is the hottest film now in Indian film trade. The film has touched nearly 20 million views on YouTube and the its audio rights have been picked up by Think Music India
Thanu’s office is always flooded with people, armed with recommendation letters from VIPs, to procure an area’s distribution rights. As per industry sources, Kabali is likely to do pre-release business of over Rs. 200 crore from the sale of theatrical, . Now, the big question is: When will Kabali release? The film is in the last stages awaiting censor board certification. As per the rules of CBFC, the producer cannot announce the release date of his film before it is issued a censor certificate.
The film was first announced to release in May or June, following the Tamil Nadu elections. Then there was a rumour that it would be a Ramzan release, coinciding with the release of Salman Khan’s Sultan. Now, the latest trade buzz is that Kabali’s release has been advanced by a week for a worldwide release on July 1 in four languages: Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Malay. The producers of the film say it will be the biggest-ever worldwide release for an Indian film, with the numbers expected to touch 5000 screens. However, there are the sceptics in the trade who say it is not a good date, as it’s during the last days of Ramzan. Traditionally, big films avoid a release during the fasting days. But those in favour of July 1 say that it does not matter, as a Rajinikanth film will always have a good opening, irrespective of its release date. They also point out that Baahubali released a week before Eid and it still went on to become a blockbuster.
Producer Kalaipuli Thanu says, I will announce the release date of Kabali only after the film is censored. As of now, all that I can say is that we are gearing up for a July release. The audio launch of the film will take place in a grand manner on or before June 10.