source

JOHOR BARU: Sivaji the Boss has broken the box office record for being the highest grossing Indian film in Malaysia with RM8 million collected.

Ever since its opening in 56 theatres across the country on June 14, with angry fans breaking furniture in a handful of theatres, the film has registered double the amount of ticket sales compared with previous record holder Chandramukhi at RM4 million.

The owner of the movie rights in Malaysia, Pyramid Saimira Theatre Chain (M) Sdn Bhd, expects Sivaji the Boss to collect even more.

"The movie is still being screened in many theatres in Malaysia.

"The collection has proved to be the highest grossing Indian film in Malaysia.
"But the overwhelming response from Rajnikanth fans will definitely see the collection going up," said the company's head of distribution, Boban Balakrishnan.

Pyramid Saimira Group had paid AVM Productions in India RM15 million for the rights to distribute and screen the movie in Malaysia, and in Coimbatore and Hyderabad in India.

It is learnt that the sum is the highest so far paid by any Malaysian company for distribution rights for an Indian film, after the rights to Chandramukhi was bought for RM1.7 million by Lotus Five Star AV (M) Sdn Bhd in 2 005.

Star Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd manager B. Raaj said its 16 theatres nationwide were screening the movie.

"Although our cinemas in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Klang were badly affected due to the riots, we collected about RM4 million," Raaj added.

Raaj said that the riots by patrons at its cinemas had caused them almost RM500,000 in damages.

Angry fans in those cinemas had broken furniture and display cases after technical glitches marred the screening of the film on opening night.

Raaj claimed that the distributor had never apologised or visited their premises although they were supposed to have been responsible for technical glitches.

The movie has been screened in Japan, China, the US, Britain and Australia

JOHOR BARU: V. Thirumaran cannot do many things that most people take for granted.

He cannot get a job, open a bank account, apply for a drivers' licence or get treatment at a clinic.

Even his "marriage" in 2005 could not be registered at the civil registry.

The 24-year-old's problems lie in the fact that he does not have an identity card.

The woes of the son of a Singaporean father and Indian national mother began at 12 when he applied for an identity card.

Despite a birth certificate indicating that he was born in Malaysia in 1982, he was issued a temporary resident pass that was valid until May 2004.

However, he could not get it renewed at the Johor Baru National Registration Department after that.

More than 30 visits and a lot of heartache later, Thirumaran is at his wits' end.

In March, a staff member told him to "wait until the government releases a new policy for temporary resident pass holders".

Thirumaran said: "When I had the temporary pass, I was at least able to find a job in a factory. But now I can't even get a job to support my family."

Thirumaran, whose son was born five months ago, does not have his citizenship stated on his birth certificate.

"I have been forced to become a barber, which brings me about RM30 a day.

"I am confused. I do not know what else to do. I cannot find a better job. I hope someone can help me."

He is not alone.

There are at least 20,000 Mal-aysians of Indian origin who do not have MyKads, birth certificates and marriage registration certificates.

The Johor National Registration Department declined to comment.