'Chennai Express' breaking records, racing towards 100-cr mark

'Chennai Express' has taken off on the fast track on the very first day, it seems. The film made Rs 6.75 crores by way of paid reviews and Rs 33 crores through regular screening on Friday itself. It broke the '3 Idiots' paid preview record (of Rs 2.75 crores) and 'Ek Tha Tiger''s first day collection record (close to Rs 33 crores).

The film continued to make Rs 28 crores on Saturday followed by Rs 30 crores on Sunday. As a result, the film has already made close to Rs 98 crores, even before it has entered weekdays.

The only film to have made Rs 100 crores within five days of its release was Salman Khan’s 'Ek Tha Tiger'.

But if the numbers are anything to go by, 'Chennai Express' might just overtake that. Given the smooth run that the film has had so far, trade analysts believe that the film will make Rs 150 crores at a minimum, but the real challenge for the film now is to cross the Rs 200 crore mark. Given the fact that it will face competition from 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbai' next week, the collections are expected to dwindle a bit.

Bomb threat to Thalaivaa theatres

Chennai: With nine prominent theatres of the city receiving bomb threats on Tuesday night warning them against screening the Vijay starrer, Thalaivaa, advanced bookings were stopped by all theatres for the film slated for release on Friday.

The manager of Inox Cinemas approached the Mylapore police station Wednesday morning with a threat letter from an organisation which called itself the Oppressed Students’ Revolutionary Union.

The letter alleged that Vaendhar Movies, one of the producers of the film, had cheated students of Tamil Nadu and other states of money and was pumping it into the movie business. It warned against screening the film Thalaivaa as it too had been made with such money.

Representatives of Satyam Cinemas and Devi Cineplex also approached the police with similar letters later in the afternoon, according to sources.

When contacted, the Mylapore police confirmed that cinema houses in the city had received threats and the matter was under investigation. But pointing out that there was no such group as the Oppressed Students Revolutionary Union , some police officers felt the letters could be a hoax.