| RAJNIKANTH
VS. RAJNIKANTH FOR DIWALI |
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| We
have talked about the battle between films
for supremacy at the box office during
the Diwali season. But, there is another
battle, perhaps bigger, than the one in
theaters that does not get talked about
too often. That is the channel wars that
are waged between media houses for the
maximum eyeballs during the festival holidays,
especially during the all important Diwali
day. Ever since the advent of cable television
it has been customary to screen a new
movie on the evening of Diwali (India
Tholaikkatchi varallarril mudhal muraiyaga)
and this event, for years, has been the
most eagerly viewed annual feature, especially
if the movie being telecast stars any
of the big
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names in the industry. If the big name in question
happens to be Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan, then it
is almost celebration in front of the TV for all cinema
fans; notwithstanding the huge breaks for advertisements.
Just a few years back, it was just one channel which
held unquestioned supremacy, especially on big days
such as Diwali, with its financial and political abilities
to snare the telecast rights of all big movies that
were up for grabs. Almost every big movie was telecast
for the first time only through this network. But,
times have changed and now there is some serious competition,
with the arrival of scores of channels which also
have multi-sphere influence to gain hold of big movies
for festive occasions.
So, what’s the battle this Diwali. Well, one
channel delivered the knockout punch almost a fortnight
before the festival, announcing that they were going
to telecast Superstar’s Sivaji –The Boss
on Diwali day. Now, in terms of Tamil TV TRPs, a Rajinikanth
blockbuster is almost like a trump card; something
that cannot be easily bested by anything else. ‘If
it is Superstar on TV, then there is nothing else
worth watching’, is the general attitude of
the average Tamil audience; even if the movie has
been watched by them in theaters. A couple of years
back, there was a statistic in a newspaper which said
that more than 12 years after its release,
Rajnikanth’s Basha still fetched phenomenal
TRPs whenever telecast on television. Now, that is
something.
So, one channel has already used the ‘Baanasthram’
by announcing Sivaji for Diwali. There is almost nothing
that the opposing channel has to equal this one. There
is only one man who can attract enough attention even
in the presence of a Superstar flick; Kamal Haasan.
But, even his last big movie has been shown multiple
times on television. The channel is left with no option
but to go in for a meek surrender against the Superstar
dominance on television and wait for next Diwali to
settle scores. In spite of being connected to the
biggest production house in Tamil cinema at the moment,
the channel refuses to unleash any of its other blockbusters
against Sivaji because it knows only too well that
it could be just short of ‘Hara Kiri’.
But, the channel in question is not known to give
up that easily. It is not for nothing that they have
dominated the southern TV circuits for more than 15
years now. They know which card to play at the right
time and they seem to have come up with a potent counter-measure
to the Sivaji ‘Baanastra’. What is it?
Yes, there is no doubt that the popularity of Rajnikanth
is above TV networks and cannot be rivaled. Knowing
that fully well the channel has decided to counter
Rajnikanth with Rajnikanth himself. Yes, the channel
has gone in for an unprecedented move by deciding
not to telecast a movie on Diwali day; instead they
have gone in for a four hour show on the making of
Endhiran to be followed up by an exclusive interview
of Superstar; the timings expectedly coinciding with
the telecast of Sivaji on the other channel.
It will be a battle royale between Rajnikanth and
Rajnikanth for supremacy in TRPs. Everyone will want
to enjoy the energy and fun of Sivaji-The Boss, but
will not want to miss out on the specially packaged
show on Endhiran and the interview (a Superstar interview
is a very rare occasion on TV; can’t remember
the last time he gave one).
So, make your choice; enjoy Diwali with the Superstar
phenomenon firing on all cylinders. Who’s going
to be the winner; Sivaji or The Making of Endhiran?
One thing is for sure; Superstar dominance on TV has
been taken to a new level. Happy Diwali. |
