With "Thalaivaa" confirmed for a 9 August release, some theatres in Chennai have begun advance bookings for the film.

Theatres including Kasi, Rakki, Sri Ganga, SSR Pankajam, Sri Brindha, Nadhamuni, Vetri and Vetrivel have started planning for the screening of "Thalaivaa". City's multiplexes are also expected to begin advance bookings in another two days, reported Behindwoods.com.

The Vijay starrer received a "U" certificate from the revising committee subject to two minor cuts in the film. Following clearance from the censor board, the makers have begun giving advertisements in newspapers, confirming the release date as 9 August.

Confirming the news, senior journalist Sreedhar Pillai tweeted, "#Thalaivaa release date ad - Aug 9 in today's papers. @VENDHAR_MOVIES starts aggressive promotions as theater bookings get confirmed."

"Thalaivaa" is getting ready for a massive release worldwide. The film will target the Eid weekend to score big at the box office. While it will be the solo Tamil film to have a big release, "Thalaivaa" will be facing stiff competition from films in other languages.

Vijay will be locking horns with two other big stars, whose films are releasing on the same day. "Thalaivaa" is all set for a full-on battle with Shah Rukh Khan's "Chennai Express" and Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan's "Atharintiki Daaredi" at the southern box office as well as overseas markets.

"This is probably the first time in Indian cinema that films of superstars from different languages are going to vie for the top spot at the box office. It's tough to predict the winner because expectations are riding high on all the three films," trade analyst Trinath was quoted as saying by Indo Asian News Service.

"Chennai Express", which has a strong south flavor, is targeting larger sections of the audience across the globe. According to reports, the film will be releasing in countries such as Germany, Morocco and Israel. The other two southern language films - "Thalaivaa" and "Atharintiki Daaredi", will be targeting key markets like US, UK and Australia.

All the three stars have a huge market in India as well as overseas markets. Their films are expected to have a 100 percent occupancy in theatres during the weekend.

"Chennai Express" will reportedly release in more than 3,000 screens worldwide, whereas "Thalaivaa" and "Atharintiki Daaredi" might release in over 1,000 screens. According to experts, the opening weekend of these three films will be the deciding factor.