Express News Service
For stars who have carved an everlasting place in our collective memories with their stunning performances and captivating films, there are simply no limits to the profundity of fans’ celebration and adoration. Particularly, on momentous occasions–actor’s birthdays or landmark anniversaries–the celebrations are extra special.
Actor Vijay turns 49 this Thursday, and the fan shows are making a triumphant return. A number of theatres across Chennai have organised fan shows from the eve of the actor’s birthday to the next night. Interestingly, Rohini Silver Screens has come up with an exciting plan of hosting a surprise fan show called ‘Blind Date with Thalapathy’. While the fan show culture has been around for years together, Rhevanth Charan, the director of Rohini Silver Screens, shares that they have been doing this Blind Date event since last year. “There are only a handful of films that are remastered to the digital version. So the choices for screening too are limited and most of them have been screened over the years. That’s when we thought of a surprise screening. The fans will know the film only when the lights dim and the curtains are drawn up. And believe me, the euphoria and sheer enthusiasm is unfathomable. Fans are emotionally attached to such celebrations,” he says, adding that there will be six shows this time. The first show will mark a grand celebration at the stroke of midnight on the premises. The shows will continue until Thursday night.
Over the years, the exhibitors have evolved with the variety of services they offer their patrons to ensure they are the preferred option for an audience spoilt for choices. One of the exemplars of using innovative methods to bring in the audience, GK Cinemas, recently retrieved an old projector to screen Vijay’s Thirumalai (2003) and Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999) at their Devi Karumari theatre on Thursday. “Though we had an old projector with us, we had to source a few parts to fit the entire system. We spent around six months on that. It was also a task to procure the film reel. Even the producers did not have it. We managed to get them from a person in Coimbatore. So I am sure, the screening of these two classic films will be really special for us and of course, the audiences, as many of them might have not watched these films on the big screens,” says Ruban, the Managing director of GK Cinemas. Meanwhile, they are also screening Master (2021) and Mersal (2017) in their other theatre in Porur. “Master is one of the most anticipated films in the list of special shows as it had a short theatrical window in the wake of Covid-19 induced lockdown.”
The exhibitors unanimously contend that such fan shows not only appease the fans looking for a reason to celebrate, it also puts them on the map and helps to stay afloat during a lull period when there are no big festival releases. Rakesh, the proprietor of Vettri Theatres, said that usually in June and December, during Vijay and Rajinikanth’s birthdays, respectively, there are no big-ticket releases. “So we plan to organise fan shows during this time. For instance, in May, on Ajith Kumar’s birthday, there will be several other big releases. So it might be difficult to accommodate a fan show. However, we will try and organise one such show for their fans on a later date,” he adds. While Vetri will also screen Master on Thursday, they are planning to have a showing of Pokkiri on Wednesday night.
Recalling how this trend of fan shows began, Rakesh shares that following Puli’s underwhelming response when it was released in 2015 and subsequently Vijay not having a Pongal release in 2016, fans requested a special screening of any hit film from the recent past. “That’s when we screened Kaththi (2014), and it had a tremendous reception. We have since organised special shows for many top stars every year.”
Rhevanth notes that many other theatres, including major multiplexes, have jumped on this bandwagon. “Such initiatives result in a win-win situation for both the exhibitors and the fans. I remember, in 2016, when we renovated our theatres, we had screenings to mark 100 days of Kabali and 200 days of Theri. They were super hits. Likewise, we also had a special screening of Vedalam, and all 12 shows were booked.”
The exhibitors also observe that the humongous response to fan shows is encouraging the producers to re-release some cult classic films. For instance, when Rajinikanth’s Baba was re-released recently, many youngsters thronged the theatres to watch it for the first time on the big screen. It is also a reflection of the growing audience base for such films and their stars. “In the past, the re-release of Pudhupettai, Anbe Sivam, and Aayirathil Oruvan emerged successful. And now, the fans are anticipating the screening of Rajini’s Padayappa, Vijay’s Ghilli, and Ajith’s Mankatha. Besides, there are also plans for re-releasing Kamal Haasan’s Aalavandhan. So films like these, when released in the theatres, will see a huge reception as they are not available on any OTT platforms,” shares Rakesh. He further adds that in 2019, before the OTT platforms became a common household commodity, they used to screen some English titles like Gravity and a bunch of MCU films on their screens equipped with the then-newly installed laser projection facility.
On the other hand, Ruben states that now that they have resorted to the old-school movie projector, they are planning to source more old films for the special screening. He also observes that, like any other fad, this fan show streak can get monotonous. “It is essential to understand fans’ expectations and update agendas accordingly. Exciting and innovative events like the Blind Date, Cracker Shows and much more, can pave the way for some memorable experiences for fans and big screen patrons,” signs off Rhevanth.
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