While Pongal festivities brought cheer to Kollywood fans across the world with the release of two Tamil movies, fans and film distributors in Malaysia are upset that the movies could not be released in their country due to an unprecedented lockdown. Movie distributors Lotus Five Star announced that Vijay’s Master and Silambarasan’s Eeswaran will not hit the screens in Malaysia.
In a letter shared on their Twitter account, Lotus Five Star said, “It has been a tumultuous journey for all Malaysians, facing a war against Covid 19 for almost a year. Bracing wave after wave of upsets and uncertainties, the entertainment industry takes another blow. Unfortunately, Vijay's Master and Silambarasan's Eeswaran will not be playing in Malaysian cinemas scheduled, abiding the law of nation.”
“Stress management is as vital a defense in any pandemic. Entertainment offers solace and importantly cinema provides such escapism. But these small luxuries we can't seem to afford at this moment,” it further said.
Lotus Five Star also said that they tried SOPs and public awareness on safety but the movie cannot be released. "So, we will be back. Our curtains have lowered but they will rise again,” the statement said.
— Lotus FiveStar (@LotusFivestarAV) January 11, 2021
Many fans of actor Vijay from Malaysia have posted videos and tweets expressing regret for being unable to watch the FDFS of the movie. Vijay Sethupathi and Simbu fans have also expressed their disappointment over the stalled release of the movie.
Malaysia announced a targeted lockdown to control COVID-19 spread for the next two weeks from January 13. The Malaysian government has permitted only five sectors to function including agriculture, manufacturing and construction. The government has also banned interstate travel in the country.