Thalai takes on Boss!

Ajit's Kireedam is releasing on Friday, July 20 worldwide, with around 185 prints.It is only one third, the number of prints deployed for Rajnikanth's Sivaji! Still trade pundits are saying it is the first big film, to take on the behemoth and everybody is saying a silent prayer for its success.

The battle is basically confined to Tamilnadu, as Kireedam has no Telugu dubbed version, and is not releasing in Kerala and has limited release overseas and five prints in Mumbai multiplexes. Ajit better known as "King of opening" is taking on Rajnikanth, the "Sultan of box-office", who is going great guns in his sixth week!

In Chennai city, it is not a level playing field. KIreedam is opening in only five screens- Santham, Inox, Sangam,Jayaprada, Agasthya with a combined seating capacity of approximately 4100 seats. Sivaji in its sixth weekend will still have 14 screens, and three times more capacity and definitely better gross collections!

Clearly Thalaivan rules, and Thalai will not be able to get the Kireedam (Crown) at the Chennai Box-Office (CBO), in the opening week. In NSC area,Thalai has a better chance of getting the crown, as Kireedam is releasing in 31 screens and in some complexes like Chrompet Vetri, it is releasing in the bigger screen.

Kireedam is also releasing in NSC border theatres like Kasi in Jaffarkhanpet, Jyanthi in Thiruvanmayoor, SSR Pankajam in Saligramam,and Rohini in Koyambedu, which are all part of greater Chennai.

Meanwhile Kireedam overseas prints have left Adlabs in Chennai on Monday evening. The advance booking which opened on Tuesday in Chennai city has been brisk, and the weather forecast for this weekend July 20 to 22, is sunny though cloudy. Thalai needs the crown badly, for his own survival at the top.