Chennai: Pongal festival arrived five days early for the fans of Superstar Rajinikanth. This is because his latest flick Petta released today and led to wild celebrations all over the State.
At Sumathi theatre in Sholingur in Vellore district, fans celebrated the release by cooking sweet pongal at 5.30 am. Many women also participated in the festivities. A number of pumpkins, coconuts and lemons were crushed to ward off the evil eye. What is a celebration without crackers? So, they also burst crackers and announced to the world their joy at their Thalaivar’s latest release.
Many theatres saw shows starting as early as 3 am. Fans burst crackers, arranged for drumbeats and danced in front of the cinema halls where the movie was being screened. 
Another group of fans went a step ahead: they performed marriages at the cinema halls where Petta was being screened. A couple in love entered the wedlock at a theatre in Chennai. It was a pucca wedding with the priest chanting the mantras and senior members of Rajini mandram handing out the thali.
The same happened in a theatre in Thanjavur.