A 25-year-old youth was killed in a clash that happened in a theatre in Udumalaipet on January 12, where he was allegedly attacked by a fellow movie-goer. Manikanda Prabhu, who worked as a labourer in Udumalaipet, Tirupur district was watching Petta when he was hit with a wooden plank by Thirumoorthy in a fit of fan rage at Lathangi theater. Manikanda Prabhu reportedly went home soon after, and was rushed to the Tirupur Government hospital when he didn’t respond to his mother’s calls. The youth was later shifted to Coimbatore Medical college hospital where he died without responding to treatment.
With the autopsy report stating severe head injury as the reason for death, the Udumalaipet police headed by Om Prakash launched an inquiry into the incident and found a CCTV footage at the theatre in which Thirumoorthy is seen hitting Manikandan. A case against Thirumoorthy was filed soon after, and he was arrested.
In other instances, at a leading theatre in Koyambedu, Chennai, Ajith fans reportedly asked the theater management to screen Viswasam at 4 am, instead of showing Petta in all six screens. When the management refused, an angry mob attacked cutouts and banners of Rajinikanth outside the theater. Things got worse when two fans were stabbed while fighting to get through the crowd. 20-year-old Prasanth and his 30-year-old uncle Ramesh, from Kalinjur in Katpadi taluk, were trying to get seats for the 3 am show.
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In another instance in Katpadi taluk, Pandian, a beedi worker from Dharapadavedu, was allegedly set on fire by his 20-year-old son Ajith Kumar as he didn’t give him money for a special show of Viswasam.
The Karthik Subbaraj-Rajinikanth film Petta and the Ajith Kumar-starrer Viswasam released to much fanfare during Pongal. Early reports pegged the Siva directorial Viswasam to be ahead of Petta, which had collected Rs 125 crore in eight days. Petta’s collections amounted to Rs 100 crore in 11 days.