The release of superstar Rajinikanth's much-awaited film, "Kabali," is likely to get delayed as some Telugu distributors have filed a complaint against the Tamil superstar at the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC).
Rajinikanth is the most popular Tamil actor in the Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. All his movies are released in these areas and some of them have done superb business here. However, his recent films have failed to make it big at the Tollywood box office. His last outing, "Vikramasimha," the dubbed version of "Kochadiyaan," had, in fact, incurred huge losses to some Telugu distributors.
Rajini's wife Lata had reportedly assured Sobhan Babu, the distributor-cum-financier of Lakshmi Ganapathi Films, who was the main distributor of the film in these regions, to give him Rs. 7.60 crore in case of loss. But she failed to keep the promise after the movie bombed. Babu then filed a complaint against the makers of "Kochadiyaan," requesting the TFCC to get the losses compensated, according to Deccan Chronicle.
Now, reports suggest that the distributor is planning to stall the release of "Kabali," until the dues are settled. Rajinikanth's intervention is also being sought in the matter, reports 123 Telugu.
Written and directed by Pa. Ranjith, "Kabali" is an action thriller, which revolves around the story of an ageing gangster. Rajinikanth is playing the gangster, while Radhika Apte, Kishore, Kalaiyarasan, Dhansika and Dinesh Ravi appear in other important roles in the film, which is produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu under his banner, V. Creations.
"Kabali" has been creating ripples in the media since its announcement. Its first look posters and on-the-set photos have generated lot of attention for the film. Its recently-released teaser, which has been viewed over 10 million times on YouTube, lifted viewers' expectations to sky high levels. The movie is set to hit the screens soon, but the makers are yet to sell the theatrical rights of its Telugu version.
