Veerasegar Thyagarajan, GM, DMY distributors, Malaysia
Rajini is a phenomenon in Malaysia. Kabali collected around 12 million ringgits two years ago. And, we expect Kaala to collect at least 20 million. We are also screening it with Malay subtitles. Around 145 screens are showing it here; at least 30 shows are organised a day at one location. In most theatres, four halls were allotted for Kaala and the other four for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. But, the shows have been dropped for the latter to accommodate more screen time for the former.
Rahul Jayasurya, IT professional, Singapore
It was an amazing experience to watch the world premiere of Kaala. Everyone was wearing black to stick to the theme. Although not as much as Chennai, Singapore had its fair share of fan moments. The theatre saw over 500 people teeming around the ticket counter.
It was just like watching a movie in Chennai, with people screaming and whistling. I haven’t missed a FDFS show of a Rajini film in the last 20 years. And, I enjoy it every time.
Roshan Jamrock, singer, Malaysia
The crowd cheered for every song, especially ‘Katravai Pattravai’, which I lent voice to. I would rate the ambience seven out of 10. The best moments were when the screen displayed the word ‘superstar’ and during thalaivar’s fight sequence in the rain. The loudest applause went for the punchline “Kya reh, setting ah?”
Ajit Kumar, revenue manager, Nigeria
There were around 30 people for the first show yesterday. The Tamil community in Abuja is small, so there were less numbers. The crowd was obviously thrilled to watch it before India and to post pictures on social media. It was largely family crowd and they were screaming their lungs out.
Naveena Vijayan, art enthusiast, US
As far as our theatre was concerned, since it is in Delaware, where nothing ever happens, the theatre was not full at all. We went for the 9.50 pm show, and in the interval we couldn’t even get a soda as all the machines were closed. It’s then that we missed the Sathyam popcorn. But through the film, people whistled, and during the action scenes, some threw pieces of paper in the air. Definitely not the vibe that you expect for a Rajini movie. No pal abhishegam, no archana.
Sandeep VS, Healthcare sector worker, Abu Dhabi
It was a little dull in Abu Dhabi because of the build up to Ramzan. There were just 12 of us in the theatre because it was located in an industrial area.
It could also be because they did not know the film was being showcased a day before the expected release date outside India. It took us all by surprise.
Take a fun photo with your friends watching Kaala and tweet to us @the_hindu.