Workers in India are Getting the Day Off to See a New Hit Film

Box office numbers can only tell you so much about a film's success. Sure, you get the hard dollar amounts. But ticket sales alone can't justify cultural movements. RRR, the South Indian film that rode an international wave of success to an Oscars win for best Original Song, could be seen in its home country for 75 rupees (just under one US dollar). With ticket prices like that, you're not going to top the worldwide box office. And yet, RRR still became the 31st highest-grossing film of 2022 once it hit international theaters.

Now, India has another massive success on their hands. Jailer, a Tamil-language action film starring legendary Indian actor Rajinikanth, is so popular that workers are being given the day off by their employers to go and see the film. According to CNN, an education company called Redbooks Abroad even bought their entire staff tickets. "We hope that this day off and movie experience will bring joy, relaxation, and renewed energy to you all. Let us cherish this moment and create memories together," an internal memo read. "Relax, rejoice, and immerse yourselves in the magic of the silverscreen." Le Hive, a restaurant in Tamil Nadu, joked that they also gave their staff half the day off to, "avoid sudden sick leaves."

Since opening day this past Thursday (Aug. 10), Jailer has earned $5 million at the box office. That number has already made the film the highest-earning Tamil-language production of the year, with actor Rajinikanth earning praise as the Tom Cruise of India. To celebrate their day off, many people took to the streets outside of the theater and lit fireworks. News broadcasts compared the sight of the events to the lavish dance numbers and action sequences likely seen on screen. Drumlines paraded in the streets, the loyal "Rajini fever" fans danced, and many workers treated Jailer's opening day as an unofficial holiday.

"He is our favorite and wonderful actor whom we cannot ignore in any situation," one mega fan told New Dehli's Asian News International. "When his movie is released, no matter what time it is, no matter what day it is, we are here."

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