Despite AIADMK protests, Tamil film Sarkar gets biggest box-office hit
Tamil Nadu : While Bollywood's big budget film 'Thugs of Hindostan' failed to reach meet viewers expectations, Tamil film Sarkar emerged as big hit this Diwali. The Tamil political action film has done just in this festive season by crossing the Rs 150 crore marks worldwide in less than a week. Despite of trouble faced within the realm of ruling AIADMK party in Tamil Nadu over the depiction of their late leader Jayalalithaa and her welfare schemes, the film made Rs 30 crore in Tamil Nadu on its opening day and around Rs 6.45 crore in Chennai city alone over its first four days.
Following the big success, the AIADMK workers who vandalized Sarkar posters, might be feeling pressure. Sources confirmed that protesters created chaos in the theatres, Sun Pictures, the producer of the film, deleted certain controversial scenes and re-censored it for theatrical screening in Tamil Nadu.
In the meantime, director AR Murugadoss has asked for anticipatory bail following which the Madras High Court has restrained the police from arresting him till 27 November.
“Political protest against Sarkar has stirred curiosity and given it further muscle at the box-office,” tweeted independent trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai. “A drop (was witnessed) on Thursday and Friday due to “fear psychosis” created by raging political controversies, otherwise would have crossed Rs 7 crore (in Chennai).”
If reports are to be believed then the film is creating waves in the overseas box office. It has earned $839,256 in the United States and is inching towards the $1 million mark. To remind, lead actor Vijay's last release Mersal had earned $1,830,866 in the country where it remains the fourth highest Tamil grosser of all-time after Rajinikanth’s Kabali ($4,585,808), Endhiran ($2,021,465) and Kaala ($1,913,110). Vijay’s Theri had collected $1,128,975 in the US in 2016.
Sources confirmed that Sarkar had also made £ 386,182 (Rs 3.63 crore) in the United Kingdom, AS$ 420,020 (Rs. 2.21 crore) in Australia and NZ$ 40,879 (Rs. 20.05 lakh) in New Zealand , taking one of the biggest openings for an Indian film in all three territories.
As of now, the AIADMK leaders are after actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan who had supported Vijay’s film and said that a movie that was certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) should not be re-censored so as to satisfy the notions of a political party.
