Rajni's 'Sivaji' delayed in Kerala

The release of Rajnikanth's much-awaited "Sivaji" might be delayed in Kerala due to distribution problems.

An agreement between the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce and 48 of the state's theatre owners has proved to be a stumbling block. According to the agreement, new films will be released in these theatre owners' cinema halls against an advance payment by film producers.

In the event of films failing at the box office, the theatre owners' loss is to be compensated by the producers' next film being released in the same halls.

The chamber, however, has decided to release "Sivaji" in a far larger number of theatres in the state to give the film maximum exposure.

The 48 theatre owners have now strongly opposed this decision. They fail to hear the chamber's pleas that the agreement applied only to Malayalam films.

The biggest losers of this confusion will be Rajnikanth fans in Kerala, who may have to wait it out a while for the film's release.