Jubilant fans of actor Rajnikanth thronged cinema theatres since early hours as his much-awaited film Sivaji - The Boss hit the screens with a bang on Friday.

A wave of enthusiasm swept the State as Rajnikanth's die-hard fans burst crackers, performed pal abhishekams and distributed sweets to celebrate the film's release. Fans at theatres including AVM Rajeshwari, Kamala, Udhayam, Devi and Albert had a galatime.

Sivaji took 19 months to be completed and is said to be the most expensive movie ever produced in India. Huge banners and hoardings were erected in front of cinema halls where Sivaji was released.

Directed by Shankar, the story of the film is about the fight against black money in society, which the protagonist does in his own way.

Music director A R Rahman and national award-winning cinematographer K V Anand are also part of the Sivaji team.