In its bid to become a Pongal release, Rajinikanth's Darbar is clashing with two Bollywood big-ticket releases — Chhapaak and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior — at the marquee. Knowing that the Hindi projects are likely to dominate the screens in North and central India on their release tomorrow, the makers of the multi-lingual are making the most of the one-day advantage over its competitors. Distributor Reliance Entertainment, which has acquired 4,000 screens across the country, has procured 500 more screens only for today.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says it is a wise move as the actioner will get a jumpstart. "Theatre owners will [happily] accommodate the film for one day. After all, the film boasts the jodi of Rajinikanth and AR Murugadoss [director]. Most importantly, besides Good Newwz, no film has brought in footfalls. So, this will also work [to the advantage of] exhibitors."