Against All Odds, Vijay's 'Leo' Gears Up For Big Release

In the midst of uncertainties surrounding the release of Vijay's film 'Leo' in Telugu states and Tamil Nadu, the advance booking of Lokesh Kanagaraj's action-packed movie has met with a fantastic response from the fans.

According to Sacnilk's report, 16 lakh tickets of 'Leo' have been already sold through advance bookings and could reach 20 lakh tickets by the opening day. As the countdown for its release has started, let's take a look at the issues the movie faced from day one.

Trisha's Walking Out Of 'Leo'
Days after the shooting of 'Leo' was kicked off in Kashmir, there were reports which claimed that Trisha had walked out of the movie over creative differences with the makers. However, her mother Uma Krishnan, later, shot down the speculations. Similarly, there were a lot of baseless speculations around the flick.

Audio Launch
Audio launch functions have remained a key aspect of Vijay's movie promotion strategy. His fans eagerly wait to hear him speak and especially 'Kutty Kadhai'. This time, the makers of 'Leo' cancelled the audio launch of the movie over "safety constraints."

In an official statement, the Seven Screen Studio said, "Considering overflowing passes requests & safety constraints, we have decided not to conduct the Audio Launch. In respect of the fans' wishes, we will keep you engaged with frequent updates. P.S. As many would imagine, this is not due to political pressure or any other reasons."

However, the fans believe that the event was cancelled due to political pressure. The event was scheduled to take place on September 30 at Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

Rumours were doing rounds that that Red Giant Movies, a production house owned by DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, was exerting pressure on the makers of 'Leo' to secure distribution rights in Tamil Nadu.

The fans of Vijay vented out their anger at the ruling DMK, blaming the party for the cancellation of 'Leo' audio launch. They targeted the government using the hashtag - #DMKFearsThalapathyVIJAY - on X.

Release Issues
Usually for A-list actors, single screens will have 4 am shows. However, the Tamil Nadu government has refused to grant permission for the early morning shows for 'Leo' Although the government has granted permission to have one special show between October 19 and 24, the fans are upset with the government accusing it of targeting the Vijay film.

Well, the movie will have its first show in Tamil Nadu at only 9 am while the fans in Karnataka and Kerala will have much early, before the Tamil audience.

If it was not enough, the movie has run into trouble in Andhra. In Hyderabad, a civil court directed theaters to postpone the release of the film "Leo" until October 20. This directive follows a case filed by Naga Vamsi of Sithara Entertainment, who alleges ownership of the title 'Leo' and requested the filmmakers to alter the name in his petition.

However, the issue has been sorted out and the Vijay-starrer will be released as per the schedule.

On the other hand, the movie will reportedly not release in multiplex chains in North India. A source close to the distributors told ETimes: "This week has many South Indian films releasing due to the build up to Dussehra and Leo is one of the most awaited films. The reason that the National chains are not releasing it is due to the four-week hold over period, therefore it may not release in the National chains. But the feedback from the film is extraordinary and therefore, the makers are confident that the film will garner big numbers.''

Despite facing many issues, Lokesh Kangaraj's film has generated huge buzz and is set for a great opening at the box office.