The cut-out had been erected for the release of his latest film, Viswasam.
It was a case of star worship gone wrong in a literal sense. Five fans of Tamil movie star Ajith who had climbed to the top of a 30-foot poster to bathe it in milk were injured when the scaffolding collapsed under their weight. The incident happened in Tamil Nadu's Tirukoilur.
The 30-foot poster of Ajith, or 'cut-out' as it is referred to in Tamil Nadu, had been erected for the release of his latest film, Viswasam. The fans had climbed on the wooden scaffolding to reach the head of the poster to perform 'abhishekam', or sprinkling, with milk.
A video clip of the incident shows at least five men perched on top of the wooden scaffolding and pouring milk on it. Even as they are doing that, some other men can be seen climbing up on the sides.
The scaffolding can be seen swaying slightly under the weight of the men before falling forward. Some of the men can be seen trying to evasively move to safer spots on the scaffolding, with one even jumping off on the side.
The bathing of stars' posters with milk on the release of their films has become a custom in Tamil Nadu in recent decades. The practice has curbed somewhat in recent times after criticism over the wastage of milk and appeal from the stars themselves that fans give up the act.
Ajith's Viswasam has released to raving reviews from fans and largely positive reviews from critics. The movie has released alongside superstar Rajnikanth's Petta. The simultaneous release of movies by two major Tamil stars is uncommon in the Tamil film industry, wary as they ae about cannibalising viewership. When it does happen however, it can be reason for fans to descend into competitive shows of devotion for their stars.
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 "The cut-out collapsed in Tamil Nadu's Tirukoilur.")
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