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Fans of Indian superstar <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-why-Rajinikanth-is-The-Rajinikanth/articleshow/53321524.cms">Rajinikanth</a> lined up to watch his latest release <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword> for shows as early as 5 am in Chennai. Even though this isn’t usual for a movie to hold its first show this early in the day, but when it comes to <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>, who has almost achieved a godly status in the country especially in the southern parts, one can expect things to be unusual. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Believe-it-or-not-Rajinikanths-Kabali-has-already-earned-Rs-200-crores-even-before-its-release/articleshow/53321571.cms">Believe it or not, Rajinikanth’s Kabali has already earned Rs 200 crores even before its release</a> 
 
The 65-year-old plays a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/WATCH-The-making-of-Kabali-shows-how-Rajinikanth-transforms-into-the-Don-like-a-boss/articleshow/53318907.cms">Malaysia-based don</a> in his latest release, which has its tickets sold out a week in advance. In Chennai, even when the movie show was supposed to be started at 5 AM, fans reached the theatres at 4 in the morning, to cheer and celebrate the release. There were fireworks and live music outside the theatres, with the star’s life-size cut-outs adorning the walls of the cinemas. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/KABALI-LEAKED-ONLINE/articleshow/53280873.cms">KABALI LEAKED ONLINE</a> 
 
Talking of the reactions, one can only expect the movie to be a super hit, given the huge popularity that the star enjoys. The response to the movie included fans wishing for a sequel, yes, on the very first day of its release. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Four-offers-that-prove-that-Rajnikanths-Kabali-fever-has-spread-all-over-India/articleshow/53304213.cms">Four offers that prove that Rajnikanth’s Kabali fever has spread all over India</a> 
 
The roads are stranded in Chennai and Bengaluru, with people taking the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Kabali-fever-These-companies-just-gave-their-employees-a-day-off-to-watch-Rajnikanths-new-movie/articleshow/53300870.cms">day off </a>to watch the movie, or just celebrate the release in their own manner, like festivals. 
 
After all, Rajini sir's movie release is nothing less than a festival for his devotees (read fans).

Kabali at 5am, house full in Chennai theatre

(Image credit: Reuters) 
 
 
The highly anticipated <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Believe-it-or-not-Rajinikanths-Kabali-has-already-earned-Rs-200-crores-even-before-its-release/articleshow/53321571.cms">Kabali</a>, starring none other than superstar <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Four-offers-that-prove-that-Rajnikanths-Kabali-fever-has-spread-all-over-India/articleshow/53304213.cms">Rajinikanth </a>finally hit the theatres today and while fans have been going crazy celebrating seeing their idol on the screen today all across the country, they have also kept the <keyword id="3453547" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali-fever">Kabali fever</keyword> riding high in the weeks leading up to the film’s release. 
 It’s a known fact that Tamil actor <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword> has an almost cult following of fans- who are not only loyal to him and his movies, but also worship him as their god. 
 
Evidence of his popularity can be seen right from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Kabali-fever-These-companies-just-gave-their-employees-a-day-off-to-watch-Rajnikanths-new-movie/articleshow/53300870.cms">companies based in Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu declaring a holiday </a>on Friday so that their employees can enjoy the movie first day first show to bulk bookings for the movie by corporate and employees faking illness to go watch <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword>. 
 
And, then there’s the fact that Kabali’s first day first show was at 4 am and not the usual 8 am. Such was the impatience of the fans. Again, this only happens in a Rajinikanth movie, no doubt. 
 
Keeping this in mind, Business Insider dug around and found out five other crazy things that fans did in run-up to the release of Kabali. 
 
 
 (Image credit: Twitter) 
 
 
1. People are repainting themselves and their cars in Kabali body paints: The Kabali fever has reached high and low, and reportedly a car dealer in <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> is repainting brand new cars with the graphics from the film and imagery of Rajinikanth and claims that they are selling like hot cakes! 
 
2. One fan has proclaimed to watch 10 back-to-back shows of Kabali: To honour his idol, superstar Rajinikanth, Srinivasan Jayaseelean, a self-confessed ‘super fan’ from Chennai has announced his plan of spending all of 22 and 23 July inside a cinema hall watching 10 back-to-back shows of Kabali. 
 
 
(Image credit: Twitter) 
 
 
3. In Karnataka, a Rajini fan has gotten a customised KABALI number plate for his car: The owner of the vehicle is a die-hard Rajinikanth fan and much to the envy of others- has managed to procure the number (KA 8 AL 1) at a high price and changed the font to make it look like "Kabali.” 
 
4. There is a designer sari with Rajinikanth’s face on it: In Bangalore, the original hometown of the Thalaivaa, entrepreneur Smitha Sarma Ranganathan has specially designed a sari with Rajinikanth’s Don Kabali face on it. 
 
 
(Image credit: AFP) 
 
5. Fans have crossed countries to watch Kabali: You know the Kabali fever is at an all-time high when a group of fans have flown down to Chennai, all the way from Japan to catch the ‘first day first show’ of Kabali.

Five crazy things Rajinikanth fans have done
to celebrate Kabali’s release

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajinikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajinikanth</a>’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/WATCH-The-making-of-Kabali-shows-how-Rajinikanth-transforms-into-the-Don-like-a-boss/articleshow/53318907.cms">Kabali</a> may still have one day to go before it releases in the theatres, allowing umpteen Thailava fans to watch their idol on the big screen, but when it comes to numbers- the movie has already managed to earn Rs 200 crores, in the weeks leading up to its July 22 release, even as there exists widespread speculation about its box office fate. 
 
Incase you’re wondering how did the movie manage to earn a whopping Rs 200 crores even before it hits the big screens, allow us to give you a breakdown. 
 For starters, the producers have gotten an easy Rs 30 crore from selling the overseas rights of <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword>, the Telugu language rights brought them another Rs 30 crore. Apart from this, they’ve managed to sell the Hindi satellite rights for Rs 16 crore, the Hindi theatrical rights for Rs 15 crore and last, but not the least, the rights for Kerala and Karnataka for Rs 15 crore. 
 Then there’s <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, the biggest base for <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword> fans, where the producers have done a business of Rs 65 crores besides earning Rs 30 crores from satellite rights. 
 
The music rights for the movie- which have been exclusively bagged by Think Music (for Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions) have raked in another Rs 5 crore. 
 
To sum up, the film’s already made a smart Rs 206 crores- and this doesn’t include the various brand tie-ups. Isn't that insane? 
 Kabali, directed by Pa Ranjith and starring Rajinikanth and <keyword id="133292" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Radhika-Apte">Radhika Apte</keyword> among others releases tomorrow.

Believe it or not,
Rajinikanth’s Kabali has already earned Rs 200 crores even before its release

Days before it was supposed to hit the theatres and take the country by storm, as one can expect from a movie that stars superstar <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>, the upcoming movie <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/This-is-how-people-reacted-to-superstar-Rajinikanths-Kabali-teaser/articleshow/52094618.cms">Kabali </a>has reportedly been leaked online. 
 
The leaked movie is available on the internet in parts, says a report by <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-kabali-leaked-online-2235804">DNA</a>. 
 
With this leak, the movie follows a list of other Indian movies that have suffered the piracy issue in the recent past, ranging from Shahid Kapoor starrer Udta Punjab, Salman Khan’s Sultan to last week’s release Great Grand Masti, starring Viveik Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh and Aftab Shivdasani. 
 
It was on July 15 that the Madras High Court has banned 169 service providers from leaking the film on the internet. Moreover, a <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword>-themed flash mob also recently performed in a Chennai mall, with several anti-piracy messages. 
 The film has been directed by Pa Ranjith, and stars Winston Chao and <keyword id="133292" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Radhika-Apte">Radhika Apte</keyword> alongside <keyword id="1527407" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="thalaiva">Thalaiva</keyword> Rajinikanth. 
 
<a href="http://quintype-01.imgix.net/thequint/2016-01/ddd2f219-8a04-4c4a-bf9b-729d185ae4cc/Kabali1.jpg">Image source</a>

KABALI LEAKED ONLINE

With just one day for superstar <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajnikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajnikanth’</a>s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Four-offers-that-prove-that-Rajnikanths-Kabali-fever-has-spread-all-over-India/articleshow/53304213.cms">Kabali </a>to release, excitement and expectations are at an all-time high. 
 Fans are paying tributes with <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword> style car plates, theatres have sold out tickets and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Kabali-fever-These-companies-just-gave-their-employees-a-day-off-to-watch-Rajnikanths-new-movie/articleshow/53300870.cms">companies are offering a holiday so that their employees can watch Kabali in peace.</a> That is the power of <keyword id="16227" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajnikanth">Rajnikanth</keyword>. 
 
And, to ensure that the excitement remains at an all-time high, the makers have now released a behind-the-scenes video about the making of the movie, which gives one a sneak-peek of what actually went down during the shooting of Kabali. 
 
In the film, Rajnikanth essays the role of a Malaysian don named Kabali, or rather Kabaleeshwaran. He plays both the younger and older versions of the character with aplomb. 
 The footage in the video is set to <keyword id="3504017" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Neruppa-da">Neruppa Da</keyword>, the title song of the film, which has already become an anthem for Rajnikanth fans. In the video, Rajnikanth exudes charm and simplicity and can be seen in his salt and pepper look, interacting with director <keyword id="1163705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pa-Ranjith">Pa Ranjith</keyword> and producer Kalaipuli S Thanu on the sets. 
 
It’s very easy to understand why this man has such a cult following after watching this behind-the-scenes video as it shows how the superstar enacts every scene and how he delivers his lines with ease. There is a certain style in everything he does in front of the camera. The transformation from Rajnikanth to Kabali is worth a watch. 
 
Watch the video while you wait for the first day first show-

WATCH: The making of
Kabali shows how Rajinikanth transforms into the Don like a boss

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kabali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kabali</a> may be a Tamil movie but the obsession with the movie or with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajnikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajnikanth</a> is hardly restricted to geographical boundaries. It doesn’t matter which part of the country you’re living in, it’s safe to say that the <keyword id="3453547" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali-fever">Kabali fever</keyword> has caught on. 
 Tamil superstar <keyword id="16227" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajnikanth">Rajnikanth</keyword>’s latest movie, <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword> is finally releasing on the big screen on July 22, and considering this is the 65-year old’s first film after KS Ravikumar’s Lingaa that realised in 2014, the excitement and expectations from the movie and the star are at an all time high. 
 
The weeks leading up to the release have been nothing short of a rollercoaster, with the Kabali fever continuing to spread in every different form. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Kabali-fever-These-companies-just-gave-their-employees-a-day-off-to-watch-Rajnikanths-new-movie/articleshow/53300870.cms">From companies giving their employees a day off on Friday to watch Kabali </a>to numerous fans already planning to fake sickness to catch the first day first show, people have shown that they will go to any lengths for their superstar. 
 
And, this craze is not just limited to fans. Brands, companies and even the government is doing all it can to cash in on the popularity of Rajnikanth and the excitement for Kabali. 
 
Business Insider lists five crazy offers that prove that the Kabali fever has spread all across the country: 
 
1. <keyword id="86568" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Air-Asia">Air Asia</keyword> has introduced ‘Rajni class’: 
 
 
 
Yep, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. It all started when <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=air+asia&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Air-Asia</a>, the low-cost carrier signed an agreement to become the airline partner for Kabali and then announced a special flight to Chennai from Bengaluru, in which they would fly a fan who wants to watch the film first day first show.This package, which costs Rs 7860 is inclusive of a flight ticket, amovie ticket, an audio CD, breakfast, Kabali merchandise, lunch and snacks. 
 
2. Airtel launches special Kabali packages: 
 
 
 
Jumping in the bandwagon, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=airtel&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Airtel</a> has announced special packages to promote Kabali in Chennai. The telecom giant has introduced a host of services around the film- including Kabali recharge packs with unlimited 2G internet, Kabali Hello Tune s and even new Kabali branded SIM packs. Airtel users also have the option of wishing the superstar directly via Airtel exclusive SMS channel. Messages received from customers will be compiled into a coffee table book along with their names and presented to the superstar as a memorabilia. 
 
3. Now, Rajnikanth’s face is also money: 
 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=muthoot+finance&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Muthoot Finance</a>, a Kerala-based company went a step ahead and launched a series of limited-edition silver coins with the superstars' face etched on them. Available in denominations of five grams, 10 grams, 20 gram coin and a 10 gram pendant, they are priced between Rs 300 to Rs 1400. 
 
4. Puducherry government is also making the most of Kabali: 
 
It speak volumes of the loyalty people have towards Rajnikanth when you can get them to do almost anything in his name. Taking a leaf out of that book, the Puducherry government had offered residents of Sellipet panchayat free tickets or Kabali if they construct toilets in their homes. After finding that almost 58 percent of the residents in Sellipet village were defecating in open space, the state government decided to come up with this incentive. And, if BJP leader <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kiran+bedi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kiran </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kiran+bedi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bedi’</a>s tweet is to be believed, the government’s plan seems to be working.

Four offers that prove that Rajnikanth’s Kabali
fever has spread all over India

The D-Day is finally upon us. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajnikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajinikanth’s</a> much-awaited next <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kabali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kabali</a> will release tomorrow and like all <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword> movies, this time too, the frenzy has gripped everyone, especially those in Tamil Nadu. 
 Even before <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword>’s release, movie theatres in down south are packed to their capacity and you never know if they start selling popcorn in his name as well. 
 
Such is the craze for Kabali that if you plan to visit Chennai or any part in Tamil Nadu on July 22 and onwards, you will probably find everything shut, even corporates for that matter, and if you want to find them, you will know where to find them. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Four-offers-that-prove-that-Rajnikanths-Kabalifever-has-spread-all-over-India/articleshow/53304213.cms">Four offers that prove that Rajinikanth’s Kabali fever has spread all over India</a> 
 
Ticket prices in the multiplexes have doubled to Rs 500, big brands are riding high on Rajinikanth’s fan following and bringing in creative stuff to advertise and campaign for their brands. 
 
Every Rajni fan (which means entire south) is humming the ‘Neruppu Daa’ song, which means fire and those who did not get a ticket are trying their luck to win a free one through promotional SMSes, radio quizzes, etc. This means, everyone is making a killing in the process. 
 
This maddening frenzy for Rajinikanth is not new. People have been praying for him, even him, in several households. He is superstar for several reasons. For one, he is a people’s man. But, one point in his life, he had decided to quit his acting career but changed his decision (thank god for that). 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Kabali-fever-These-companies-just-gave-theiremployees-a-day-off-to-watch-Rajnikanths-new-movie/articleshow/53300870.cms">Kabali fever: These companies just gave their employees a day off to watch Rajinikanth’s new movie</a> 
 
If you are watching Kabali, this means you are his die-hard fan and know him better than a Wikipedia page. 
 
But, in case you are looking for some more juice, here are fun facts about him and what makes Rajinikanth, the Rajinikanth

Here’s why Rajinikanth is, The Rajinikanth

Superstar <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajnikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajnikanth</a> is back with a new movie- <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kabali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kabali</a>, that’s finally releasing on July 22. And, as expected, people all around the country are treating the day as an auspicious occasion, one that warrants complete and utmost attention. 
 
And, making the lives of their employees easier are a few<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups&amp;sortorder=effectivedate"> start-ups</a> that have done the unimaginable- giving them a day off to enjoy <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword> on the big screen. 
 
This measure is indeed a win-win for companies, as one hand they do earn the goodwill of their employees with a little publicity on the side and on the other hand, prevent the mass-sick leaves or bunks that the employees would have otherwise gone on to watch Rajnikanth’s new movie, if they didn’t have a day off. 
 
The two companies known to issue notices declaring Friday as a holiday for Kabali’s release include <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bangalore&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bangalore</a>-based Opus Waterproofing and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=chennai&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Chennai’s</a> data management firm, Fyndus India Pvt Ltd. 
 
According to an official working at Opus Waterproofing, the decision to circulate the news of the day off on Friday stemmed from the excitement that the employees had shown in the weeks leading to the release. 
 
 
 
“Instead of dealing with mass bunks and mobile switch offs, we came up with the idea of declaring a holiday on July 22 and instead be a part of the celebration. It would also serve as a motivation to our employees. Just like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=diwali+bonus&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Diwali bonus</a>, we treated them to Kabali bonus.” 
 
Additionally, apart from giving the day off, Fyndus is also arranging free tickets for the movie to give out to its employees. 
 
 
 
Following its move is Coimbatore-based software company Payoda, which is giving out free ‘first day first show’ tickets for 300 lucky employees. 
 
 
 
 The Kabali frenzy is so high that there’s also an online petition that has been launched which requests Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to declare July 22 as an official holiday. 
 
“We humbly request our <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=jayalalithaa&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">CM Jayalalithaa</a> to declare Friday as a public holiday, which will enable people to watch the movie in comfort, without the hassle of taking leave," goes the petition. 
 Kabali directed by <keyword id="1163705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pa-Ranjith">Pa Ranjith</keyword>, stars <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword> as a Malaysian mob boss. The cast includes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=radhika+apte&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Radhika Apte</a> and Taiwanese actor Winston Chao.

Kabali fever: These companies just gave their
employees a day off to watch Rajnikanth’s new movie

As was predicted by almost everyone,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kabali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate"> Kabali</a> was a blockbuster hit and saw people lining up to the theatres from every part of the country- and in some cases even from abroad to catch not only the first day first show of the movie, but also numerous shows after. 
 
As a result, the movie not only earned <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Believe-it-or-not-Rajinikanths-Kabali-has-already-earned-Rs-200-crores-even-before-its-release/articleshow/53321571.cms">Rs 200 crore even before its release</a>, but also managed to break multiple records after it hit the big screen. 
 But this also gets us wondering- how much did the Thalaiva earn from <keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword>, the biggest movie of his career? 
 
We won’t keep you wondering for long and give you the lowdown. 
 
For Kabali, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Five-crazy-things-Rajinikanth-fans-have-done-to-celebrate-Kabalis-release/articleshow/53339277.cms">Rajinikanth</a> reportedly picked up what could probably be the highest remuneration for an actor in the country. 
 
The superstar was paid Rs 35 crore as remuneration, out of the budget of Rs 110 crore that Kabali was made on. 
 
Granted that’s a lot of money, but it’s definitely not the end of it. 
 Additionally, the actor also gets a share from the profits his movies make at the box office- which means in this case, <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword> would also be getting an additional Rs 45 crore as his share of the movie’s profits. 
 
And, thus the total remuneration Rajinikanth earned from Kabali stands at a whopping Rs 80 crore. 
 
Yep, definitely the most any actor had been paid for a movie. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

This is how much superstar Rajinikanth
was paid for Kabali

The media has been buzzing with news of leaked copies of '<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Udta+Punjab&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Udta Punjab</a>' and 'Great Grand Masti'. Both FCAT copies, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Rajinikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajinikanth</a>'s blockbuster <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kabali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kabali</a> met the same fate. Several websites had full links that could be used to view and download a pirate’s copy. India’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bollywood&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bollywood</a> film industry, the largest producer of films, is severely threatened by physical and <keyword id="577158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="online-piracy">online piracy</keyword>. 
 
Believe it or not, 2015’s big release <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Baahubali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Baahubali</a> took the maximum hit. With 1,485 active piracy links of the SS Rajamouli film available, the film has been downloaded illegally 24.76 lakh times. The total revenue loss in these 17 months to the Telugu film industry stands at a whopping Rs. 1,064 Crores. To expect these guys to face such losses and still tell us why Katappa killed <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Baahubali&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Baahubali</a> is crazy. 
 
The numbers are mind-boggling to say the least. "Some unofficial estimates show that the overall revenue loss to the Indian Media and Entertainment industry is close to $ 2.5 billion”, Rajkmar Akela, Chairman, Anti Video Piracy Cell, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce said. 
 
In 2014, India was listed in the International Piracy Watch List by the US. This is a list of four countries where piracy is rampant. However, few seem to care. The number of piracy cases registered in India reduced by just 10% this year as compared to 16% in the Asia-Pacific region. 
 "India's film industry - the economic contribution of the creative economy and creative sectors in India is limited. Issues like copyright infringement, <keyword id="54502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Film-piracy">film piracy</keyword>, cam cording and content leakage weaken the industry by hampering the deserved revenue production. Economies with supportive copyright protection are at least 30% more likely to have larger and more dynamic content and media sectors than are countries with less favorable IP regime", Mr. Patrick Kilbride, Executive Director, International IP, Global Intellectual Property Center, U S Chamber of Commerce said. 
 With increased penetration of technology and internet in India, piracy through online distribution is expected to continue to be a major source of revenue leakage if immediate steps are not taken to stem this flow of cash. Part of the issue is that legitimate means of digital viewing are still emerging in India. <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> came in late, and with not many Tier II and Tier III enjoying quality 4G coverage, downloading it using torrents or buying from a local DVD seller just seems easier. 
 “How to grow movie-goer base in the face of growing satellite penetration and piracy remains the bigger and more fundamental challenge”, Ajit Andhare, COO, <keyword id="1194637" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Viacom18-Motion-Pictures">Viacom18 Motion Pictures</keyword> observes. 
 
This parallel black economy is also hampering innovation. Flipkart’s online music store, Flyte had to shut down a little more than a year of its launch due to music piracy. Another website Dhingana had to shut down after a long struggle. Music Store, a chain of over 100 stores in India was also shut this year due to the effects of piracy. 
 
Truth is, even with the improvements in technology, not many business models and payment mechanisms have evolved to compete effectively with the ‘free’ illegal option. The Indian film industry is waking up to the prospect of optimizing the release window only now, and making it available across platforms. Not to mention the laggard implementation of existing anti-piracy rules. 
 
“We acknowledge the National IPR Policy as a step in the right direction to protect copyright as it envisages a creative and innovative India. However, thousands of rogue websites threaten the lifeline of a film, as soon as it is released in theatres. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Film+piracy&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Film piracy</a> creates financial loss to our business and to the exchequer”, Mr. Uday Singh, Managing Director at Motion Picture Association said. 
 
While the economic impacts of piracy are difficult to quantify, a recent market study by FICCI looked at seven industry sectors most impacted by counterfeiting, piracy and smuggling, and found almost Rs. 73,000 Crores in lost sales in 2012 across just these seven sectors. 
 
As a saving grace, select Premium HD Channels are offering TV content to the Indian audience 24 hours of its US telecast, but are getting few takers. Hungama offers Indian film content to 47 countries through partnerships with other companies. Free online music streaming sites like Gaana and Saavn are trying their best with branding exercises. 
 
However, till expediting blocking rogue sites, tracing locations, owners, release groups involved in copyright theft and cracking down on criminal syndicates involving notorious camcorders are not considered ‘first-aid’ to any case of copyright violation, it’s difficult. 
Till then, it’s plain madness out there. 
 
<a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/all-the-piracy1.jpg">Image Source</a>

India loses $2.5 Bn to Online Movie Piracy every year

The much-awaited teaser of superstar <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajnikanth&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajinikanth’s</a> next ‘<keyword id="283584" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabali">Kabali</keyword>’ was launched on Sunday and as expected it took the internet by storm. Within minutes of hitting YouTube, the one-minute seven second video-clip went viral on almost all social networking sites, emerging as one of the fastest viewed teasers. 
 
It didn’t just stop there. Within an hour of the teaser’s release, it also managed to cross a whopping 1 million views on YouTube, making it the highest so for a South Indian film. After 24 hours, that count stood at over 6 million views. 
 
Whacked Out Media, the Hyderabad based digital marketing company that has been tasked with optimizing the promotional material of the movie on Youtube claims that the hashtag “<a href="https://goo.gl/kZvAmo" target="_blank">#KabaliTeaser</a>" was a worldwide trend on Sunday, with over 6.6 million people tweeting about it. 
Once the makers unveiled a new poster of Rajaniknath before the release of the teaser, Kabali was one among one of the top trends on Facebook. 
 Among other things, <keyword id="16227" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajnikanth">Rajnikanth</keyword>’s look has been the talk of the town with the internet going gaga over the superstar’s smart beard and powerful dialogue delivery as Kabali, the gangster. 
 
Kabali is produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu under the banner V Creations and also stars <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=radhika+apte&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Radhika Apte</a>, Attakathi Dinesh, Kalaiarasan, Dhansika, John Vijay and Kishore. Written and directed by Pa. Ranjith, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=tamil+film&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Tamil film's</a> release is slated for later this year. 
 
Watch the teaser here:

This is how people reacted to superstar
Rajinikanth’s ‘Kabali’ teaser

That even the biggest names in the industry can’t escape piracy was proved again, some weeks ago, when the big budget Rajinikanth starrer Kabali saw its hero’s opening scene leak into the online world a couple of days before its release. The fact that this and other spoilers, including a partial copy which had been filmed by a mobile phone, did not stop the film from having a box office collection Rs 350 crores in the first two weeks, was in part thanks to fact that 15,000 <keyword id="3704432" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pirated-links">pirated links</keyword> were brought down within a period of one week. 
 In the case of Kabali and many other films, these <keyword id="3039670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="pirated-copies">pirated copies</keyword> on the internet, stem usually from fans who want to put up a link for the heck of it rather than with any monetizing intent. Yet the other part of the equation also holds true as well and it brings to surface the real problem of <keyword id="577158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="online-piracy">online piracy</keyword> that production houses face, which is believed to be causing a loss of Rs 18,000 crore to the Indian film industry and around Rs 1000 crore to the Tamil Nadu film industry. 
 Piracy has been an issue since the time of double tape decks but its infiltration and its ability to cause stress to production houses has grown exponentially in the digital age. Before <keyword id="124571" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital-media">digital media</keyword>, majority of people did not have access to pirated goods and pirated products were generally of an inferior quality. Piracy online began with Napster, which was the pioneer in peer-to-peer file sharing. While Napster finally did shut down, file-sharing technologies such as Torrent continue to prevail in the digital world and make it possible and practically unstoppable for people to distribute and view pirated files online. The technology acts as a throughput, making it hard to catch people engaging in piracy, until of course the pirated file is put on a public website. 
 
In our experience we have found two main kinds of entities who upload pirated files online. First and the simpler to catch and deal with of the two, are the ones who out of sheer bravado or wanting to prove their fanatical enthusiasm about their idol, post a pirated clip or song from the movie, to showoff if they have gotten to see a Benefit Show or a Premiere or first show, as the case may be. This could also be an inside job done by someone from the production unit. They usually do not have a mercantile interest unlike the second category. This category wants to monetize the pirated copy on video-sharing websites such as YouTube or Dailymotion and is more problematic because while a claimed link can be shut down in a matter of minutes on a platform such as YouTube; Dailymotion and other websites can take hours to take down a link, making it impossible for an urgent treatment of piracy the situation which is required. 
 
Nipping piracy in the bud 
 
Whatever might be the intent, at the end of the day, leakages affect the bottom line of the investment fraternity, which has put in the money into the creative process. Our tips therefore to companies affected by piracy would be: 
 
Shut them down or partner: The vast majority of pirated links are put up by individuals or casual set-ups and a defensive strategy involves bringing them down either through algorithms or by physically scouring the web. This is exactly what we did for the producers of Kabali where in addition to amplifying and promoting the film in the digital world, our claims team took on the task of bringing down pirated links. Separately and in other cases, our team has also recommended partnering, if it is evident that the source is a recognized company and is generating a large number of views and revenue. 
 
Communicate with audiences: Having had experience of about two decades in dealing with piracy, I reiterate our advice to production houses, that piracy almost certainly is not preventable and at best can be controlled with a strong communication and execution strategy. This is a more proactive approach and involves understanding the psyche of people, existing piracy patterns, and preempting the challenges. Inform audiences of the distribution plans of the film, which will discourage them from watching pirated content. This means planning for the film to be made available online, on subscription-fee platforms such as Mango Mobile TV, which offer audiences the convenience of watching films anywhere on any device within weeks of its release. Usually films are released on platforms such as Mango Mobile TV and many more platforms to join this monetizing model, within weeks of releasing in theatres and are available for viewership at a fraction of the cost. This feeds into the need of most audiences who are price and time sensitive. The next level of dissemination is making the film available on Direct-to-Home service providers and digital cable TV providers, and again informing audiences of the same. 
 There is a never-ending charade of <keyword id="736868" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital-piracy">digital piracy</keyword> cases. The faster companies recognize this, the more they can do to be on top of it. 
 
(Image Source: Thinkstock) 
 
(About the Author: This article has been contributed by Rama Krishna Veerapaneni. He is the Managing Director of Whacked Out Media.)

What can companies do to protect themselves against online piracy?

As we’re getting ready to bid 2016 goodbye, <keyword id="45395" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google-India">Google India</keyword> released a recap of 2016’s trending stories. From biggest moments, major events to most searched actor and actress, the recap is based on trillions of searches made by Indians on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=GOOGLE&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Google</a> this year. 
 
Extending unprecedented support to the Indian contingent this year, the sprawling nation of 1.3 billion moved beyond Cricket, as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=RIO+OLYMPICS&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rio Olympics 2016</a> emerged as the top trending search query on <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> in 2016. Following up close was a game that took the world by storm, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=POKEMON+GO&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Pokemon Go</a>. 
 
The US presidential elections have always been closely watched in India but this year the interest was further heightened. US President <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=DONALD+TRUMP&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Donald Trump</a> topped the list of trending personalities. Following him was Indian badminton star and olympic medalist, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/PV-Sindhu-looks-absolutely-gorgeous-on-the-cover-of-this-magazine/articleshow/55223130.cms">P.V.Sindhu</a> took the second spot in the overall trending personality searches. The latest social media obsession <keyword id="3847533" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonam-gupta">Sonam Gupta</keyword>, made a surprise entry at third position while Indian gymnast <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=dipa+karmakar&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Dipa Karmakar</a> taking the fourth spot followed by <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> actress <keyword id="1515554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="disha-patani">Disha Patani</keyword> who recently made her Bollywood debut in a biopic on Indian cricketing star M S Dhoni. Indian female wrestler and Olympic champion <keyword id="6356003" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sakshi-Malik">Sakshi Malik</keyword> also featured among the Top 10 trending personalities on Google. 
 A quick look at the year’s top news moments that captured India’s attention reveals that even though Olympics topped the charts, the historic win for <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> in US elections and Britain's withdrawal from the <keyword id="6355110" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="European-Union">European Union</keyword> (<keyword id="6355333" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Brexit">Brexit</keyword>) reflected on India’s rising involvement and interest around global issues. The 7th Pay commission, Demonetization, and the strategic surgical strike on terror groups caught everyone's attention and generated a great deal of search curiosity among Indian users. 
 Among the Bollywood leads, power packed performance by <keyword id="6356062" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushant-Singh-Rajput">Sushant Singh Rajput</keyword> and Disha Patani not just won them accolades but the duo also emerged on the top trending charts of male and female bollywood stars. When it comes to movies and entertainment, Bollywood Superstar <keyword id="6354583" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Salman-Khan">Salman Khan</keyword> with his blockbuster film 'Sultan' captured the peak position among top trending movies followed closely by Thalaiva Rajinikanth's blockbuster film 'Kabali'. <keyword id="6355887" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shahid-Kapoor">Shahid Kapoor</keyword> starrer Udta Punjab, Akshay Kumar’s Airlift and Ranbir and <keyword id="6357860" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anushka-Sharma">Anushka Sharma</keyword> starrer ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ also made it to the Top 5.

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