Is Super Star Rajini coming on Diwali?

If he comes on Diwali, there will be a three-way fight between Rajini, SRK and Ajay Devgn…

It is preposterous to even suggest that down South and in some of the overseas markets like Singapore, the Gulf and Japan; there is any Indian star bigger than Rajinikanth.

Naturally as and when he arrives with his next release Kochadaiyaan, the decks will be cleared for his grand entry. But a segment of the media went to town over the past weekend suggesting that Kochadaiyaan was being postponed from its original release date; that is Diwali 2012 to accommodate Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardar (SOS).

A source from the film corporation bankrolling Kochadaiyaan says, “We haven’t set an official release date for Rajini Sir’s film. We are going very wide with this film and it will have versions in Tamil Telugu, Hindi, German and some other foreign languages. Everything that is said/written about on the release date is speculation. If the film is ready in time, we may even release it around Diwali.”
The film’s producer Dr Murli Manohar reportedly admitted to some media members that Kochadaiyaan may not come on Diwali.

The Bollywood trade pundits aver that this is in the best interests of the Rajini-Deepika Padukone film. Says a leading distributor-exhibitor, “Diwali (November 13, 2012) is going to be a tightly contested period with two mega releases Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardar and Shah Rukh Khan’s untitled venture directed by Yash Chopra taking away the key shows across most parts of India. Even in the overseas markets where Hindi cinema has a strong fan base; there is a clear division. SRK is big in Dubai, Malaysia, Germany and central London, but Ajay’s SOS is being looked forward to in Toronto, New York, Birmingham, and other parts of the US, where the Sikh community has a strong-hold.

If Kochadaiyaan comes in the same period, it will only mean that shows will be very badly divided. If Rajini Sir comes on Diwali, he will make a clean sweep down South. But up North and in Central India, the equation will be skewed. It is therefore in the best interest of all parties concerned that three-big films don’t come on the same date.