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August 1, 2016 A.C.E. THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13 Holiday in parts of India as fans revel in Rajinikanth film The By Aijaz Rahi The Associated Press C HENNAI, India — Private companies declared a holiday and parents kept children out of school as an air of celebration swept southern India for the premiere of Indian superstar Rajinikanth’s latest film. Hundreds of thousands of Rajinikanth fans thronged cinemas across Tamil-language India and Malaysia to catch the pre- dawn showing of Kabali, a gangster movie that left patrons jumping from their seats and dancing in the aisles at the sight of their hero. Crowds waited outside theaters all night before the first showing, and in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, Rajinikanth enthusiasts burst firecrackers and distributed sweets outside cinemas. Inside the Woodlands theater, one of the city’s oldest, fans rose to their feet, danced, and sang along as the superstar made his first appearance. When Rajinikanth landed punches on the villain in the two-hour-long film, he was egged on with cheers and whistles. Huge cutouts of the star and gigantic posters loomed large in the street outside the theater. In several places, fans poured big cans of milk over the cutouts in a Hindu ritual to bless the star and wish him a long life. Sixty-five-year-old Ra- jinikanth is one of India’s most popular stars and counts millions of fans who speak the Tamil language and even those who don’t. The film, also starring Taiwanese actor Winston Chao, was shot in Malaysia and southern India. Kabali was released on more than 12,000 screens across India, as well as in the U.K. and Malaysia, which has a sizeable Tamil-speaking population and millions of Rajinikanth fans. It also premiered in 400 U.S. theaters. Rajinikanth and fans attended a special screening in San Francisco. The action star has a huge following in Japan too, where his subtitled films are big box-office earners. For Alandur P. Sridhar, an insurance company employee, the long wait for his hero’s new film is over. “I’ve been waiting since two years for this film,” said Sridhar, who came to watch the film in a group of 30 fans, all dressed in identical white t-shirts with Rajinikanth’s picture JEWELRY SEPTEMBER 2, 3, 4 HILLSBORO Washington County Fairgrounds { 873 NE 34th Ave., Hillsboro, OR } FAN FAVORITE. Fans of Indian superstar Rajinikanth stand in front of his poster outside a cinema hall to celebrate the screening of Kabali in Chennai, India. Hundreds of thousands of fans of Rajinikanth thronged cinemas across India and Malaysia for the premiere of his latest film — a gangster flick — jumping from their seats and dancing in the aisles as their hero fought enemies. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) on the chest. The group, There’s an aspirational mostly employees of pri- connect that people make vate companies and the with him,” Gupta said. Several private compa- government, was enthu- siastically taking pictures nies gave their employees with a selfie-stick near a the day off to enable them poster of their favorite star. to catch the film on its first “He’s a terrific actor. But day. Fyndus, a Chennai- what I love about him is: He may be India’s biggest star, based data-processing com- but he remains a simple pany, gave away free man at heart. He hasn’t tickets to employees and changed one bit,” said said it decided to declare a Sridhar, referring to holiday Friday to “avoid Rajinikanth’s humble piled-up leave requests to its human-resources beginnings. Born Shivaji Rao department.” The Malaysia-based Gaekwad, the megastar worked as a bus conductor AirAsia budget carrier a special for three years in Banga- organized lore before he joined an round-trip flight from the acting school in Chennai. southern city of Bangalore Starting out playing small to Chennai for the movie roles as a villain in Tamil premiere. An AirAsia plane cinema, he worked his way dedicated to Rajinikanth up, landing roles even in and painted with his Bollywood, India’s Hindi picture was flying to 10 language film industry destinations in India. The opening scenes from based in the country’s entertainment hub of the film show a grey- Mumbai. Since his debut in bearded Rajinikanth being 1975, Rajinikanth has released from a prison, acted in more than 150 swearing to avenge his films, many of which have enemies. In his search for revenge, he is reunited broken box-office records. “This film is a celebra- with his family and rains tion. This day is a cele- destruction on his foes. Rajinikanth merchan- bration,” said Sridhar, as dise sold briskly outside he rearranged the group for theaters in Tamil Nadu. yet another selfie outside T-shirts and jackets Chennai’s historic Albert sporting the superhero’s Theater. Sandhya Ramani, a face and his trademark graduate student at the dark glasses were hot fa- University of Colorado, vorites. One finance com- Denver, said she had timed pany in southern India also her vacation to be in Chen- minted special silver coins with Rajinikanth’s visage nai for the film’s release. “It’s something that can’t and priced the five-gram be explained in words. It’s coin at $5.30 each. Associated Press writer Nirmala just Rajinikanth. He’s George in New Delhi contributed mind blowing,” Ramani to this report. To learn more, said, as she came out from visit <www.kabalifilm.com>. the theater with friends. q Shubhra Gupta, one of Flight info screens at India’s leading film critics, Vietnam’s two major said the Rajinikanth airports hacked phenomenon was not easy Continued from page 16 to explain. “There is no logic to how The hacking came after and why Rajinikanth has China condemned an inci- become the superstar of dent in which a border superstars,” Gupta said. agent at the Ho Chi Minh But she referred to his City airport allegedly de- impoverished background faced a Chinese passport as appealing to the masses. after images showed the “People see themselves words “f--- you” scribbled in Rajinikanth and the fact twice over maps of the con- that he has made it so big. tested South China Sea. 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