AM Rathnam has started the pre-business activities of his forthcoming movie, which is presently referred to as "Thala 56", with a bang.

The producer has sold the distribution rights of "Thala 56" of most of the regions for fancy prices. Since the movie took off, many distributors had shown interest in procuring the rights of different regions. 

Ajith Starrer 'Thala 56' On the Sets
Ajith starrer "Thala 56" on the set.Ajith Fans Club Twitter Page

AM Rathnam did not sell the rights in a hurry and waited for right time. Now that the film has reached a crucial phase of shooting, the producer decided to sell the rights of some regions, says the buzz.

The theatrical rights of North and South Arcot regions have been acquired by Pondicherry Suresh and Sushma Cine Arts has bagged the rights of regions like Madurai, Coimbatore, Thirunelveli, Tuticorin, Pondicherry and Salem.

While the most-sought after rights of Chennai and Chengalpet regions have been purchased by MK Enterprises, it has to be noted that many of the rights might change hands in the coming days as distributors often break their territories into pieces and sell it to third parties.

The international theatrical rights of "Thala" has been acquired by Ayngaran International.

The competition for the rights of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions is still on. The producer is still negotiating the price with the interested parties and the deal is likely to be struck by the producer before the end of the month.

On the other hand, the shooting of "Thala 56" is almost complete and the filming of climax portion is underway. The talkie portion is likely to be completed in a couple of days and the pending two songs will be completed in a few weeks time.

"Thala 56", which has Ajith and Shruti Haasan in the lead roles, will be released on Diwali. The audio of the film directed by Siruthai Siva is likely to be released for Navaratri. The teaser, trailer and first look releases will be held in the next 30 days.