Idhu Eppadi Irukku!

It���s Kabali time in the state ��� everyone is in a state of frenzy to see the Thalaivar say ���Thirumbi Vanduttenu Sollu���. For the Superstar, as we all know, this line is more than just a dialogue from his latest movie��� And while the man himself has been absent from all the action, his fans are gearing up for a celebration of a lifetime. Kabali is the talk at the boardrooms and bedrooms, at lunch tables, at tea stalls, over a drink, at conversations over dinner��� Rajini is everywhere, on autos, on the radio, as posters, and even as memes and emoticons! Kids are even trading ���Neruppu Da��� and ���Magizhchi��� for cool quotient.No Tamil film has managed to generate such a frenzy in the recent past��� and as the D-Day approaches, see how people have started organizing their lives around the coming Friday (and the excuses they���ve planned to bunk work!). Idukku peru thaan Thalaivar athiradi��� What say?
Film crews declare ���Kabali-day���
Quite a few film crews have declared holiday this Friday. Venkat Prabhu���s Chennai 28 II, Arivazhagan���s Kuttram 23, Adhik���s AAA and Jai and Anjali-starrer Balloon, are taking a break. ���Enakku konjam tension jaasthi, as Ranjith is my assistant director,��� says Venkat, whose production house has put up this notice on Twitter: ���Our management has decided to declare a special holiday... on July 22, on account of our own superstar Rajini���s Kabali directed by our own product Pa Ranjith to avoid sick leaves, mass bunks, movie switch offs, etc. Also, it's our duty to take the privilege and support anti-piracy by providing FDFS (First Day First Show) free tickets to our employees.��� (sic)

Arivazhagan declares, ���I am a huge Rajini fan. The FDFS of a Rajini film is actually a festival, and it is a magical experience. So, we really didn���t want to miss it. We had originally got permission to shoot in an apartment in Padur from July 22, but we moved our schedule ahead. The plan is to finish our shoot by Thursday and watch the FDFS of the film.���
Balloon director Sinish says, ���Nobody is in a mood to work this Friday as everyone���s focus is on watching this film FDFS. So, there was no point in holding a shoot that day.���
Rajini on the menu!
J.Hind at GRT Grand Hotels has come up with a special degustation (tasting) menu dedicated to the man of the moment. The restaurant, in a tribute to Thalaivar, has come up with eight dishes, all based on the principles of modern cooking ��� using techniques like flamb��ing, etc. Vikram Cotah, the COO, says, ���Everyone here is a crazy fan of Rajinikanth and that is why we decided to come up with a special Rajini menu. So, we have dishes named after his movies ��� right from Apoorva Raagangal to Endhiran, all with their own Rajini twist. For instance, we have a dish named after aadu puli aatam, and it is essentially a play of mutton paya and tiger prawns served with ragi idiyappam. Similarly, Annamalai is curd rice tempered three different ways, and served in milk cans, because Rajini���s character was a milkman in that film. For Baasha, we serve smoked mutton biryani that comes with a toy auto, because Rajini played an auto driver, who smoked and loved mutton biryani in that film."

Simbu books FDFS tickets for AAA���s crew
Simbu, who is currently shooting in Dindigul for AAA, directed by Adhik, has booked FDFS tickets for the entire crew of the film, which is close to 250 members. Adhik says, ���Simbu is a huge Rajini fan and he wanted to celebrate the film���s release with all of us. So, he booked for the entire team. We all will be watching the film in the morning and are planning to shoot in the evening.���

From co-star to superfan
Shylaja Chetlur, socialite and actress, has acted in Rajini���s Enthiran, says, ���At that time, it didn���t even strike me to take a picture with him. But this time, I���m determined to show how staunch a fan I���m of Rajini sir. So, four of us, myself, my husband and two friends, decided to go to the annual women���s car rally as the ���Kabali team���. We dressed up in grey business suits; I also went to a sticker shop on Mount Road, and had posters of the movie stuck onto my car. My favourite is on the left door, it is the one in which Rajini is seen sitting on a sofa with skyscrapers in the background. So many onlookers wanted to take photographs standing next to the car! It was embarrassing in the beginning, later I was like, ���If I didn���t do at least this, what���s the use of being a fan?������

Even Karnataka joins the celebration!
Yes, Rajinikanth shares a special connection with Karnataka and Kannada audiences. But the latest buzz is that no Kannada films will be releasing on July 22 owing to Kabali���s release. SV Rajendra Singh Babu, chairman of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, says, ���The film is getting screened in over 300 screens. So, we are not releasing any Kannada films this week. Obviously, it is a big-budget film and no one wants to burn their fingers by releasing on that day. So, we have pushed a few Kannada films by a week.���

The Neruppuda auto
Saidai Ravi���s has admired Rajinikanth since he was a student. The 46-year-old auto driver has so much veneration for Rajini that the Superstar is a God-like figure for him. So, Ravi has got his auto fully done with posters from Kabali. ���I spent `40,000 to get everything done. This includes stickers and special lighting inside the auto. It���s all for someone whom I look up to with so much reverence,��� says Ravi. On July 21, I, along with many other fans, will be organising a ���mega function��� at Udhayam theatre. ���Like my auto, there will be many other vehicles done up with the film���s posters lined up at the event. It will surely be a ���Neruppuda��� moment. We���ve also placed special orders for firecrackers for this function.���

Rajini Tattoo
His name is Rajesh Prabhakaran, but he has changed his name officially to Rajini Prabhakaran to show his love for his idol. ���I even thought of holding my wedding on Thalaivar���s birthday (December 12), but unfortunately, I got married on July 12. I haven���t met my Thalaivar in person yet, and I���m waiting for it to happen on its own. The film���s release is being celebrated like a festival all over Tamil Nadu, and I���m glad that Thalaivar is back with Kabali to give a strong and powerful message after the Lingaa controversy,��� says this ardent fan. Now, he has tattooed Rajini���s character from the film, on his arm. ���I first tattooed Superstar���s name in Japanese on my left hand years ago. To celebrate the new film, I have tattooed his face on my forearm,��� he says.

You can also be Kabali!
Santhosh Raj, who owns a photo studio at Chetpet, is cashing in on the craze around the film by having a floor in his studio where anyone can pose for pictures, attired in the ���Kabali look���. ���All you need to bring is a white shirt, and grey pants. We will provide the coolers, pistol, the blazer, a pair of shoes, and other accessories similar to what Thalaivar sports in the film���s posters. We also have a sofa that is similar to the one that Rajini sits on in the movie. We have one makeup person to design the look, two photographers and three designers. Even the Malaysian background, which has been used in the film���s official stills, will be added to give the stills an authentic look. It takes two hours to complete the photo shoot. We give away three pictures ��� all of them similar to Rajini���s poses in the film.��� Santhosh adds that he has spent around `70,000 to purchase products like wig, sofa, etc.

Corporates go gaga
A city-based digital advertising platform, Fyndus has granted leave on July 22 for all its employees (numbering more than 50) after one of them convinced their boss about the ���importance��� of the day. Says Goutham Manoharan, business development manager at the firm, ���We had a casual discussion among ourselves on how to bunk work on the release date. Though many of us decided to inform our boss about taking leave, we were not sure whether it would be approved. However, to our surprise and delight, we were granted leave, and guess what, our boss is also a fan of Superstar.���
Meanwhile, GoBumpr, a start-up, is cashing in on Rajini mania by offering sweet deals to both, its employees and customers. Karthik Venkateswaran, co-founder of the firm, says, ���In addition to booking FDFS tickets for all our employees and our 12 interns, we have also got them Kabali merchandise (T-shirts) to wear to the movie. For our customers, we have a ���Kabali-fy your vehicle��� offer ��� they can get their bike or car designed with the film���s artwork. And on the day of the film���s release, we are providing free priority roadside assistance.���