Read the text below and after answer questions 20 to 22.

A new film in South India is so huge companies are giving workers a day off to watch it

By Rhea Mogul and Manveena Suri, CNN

Updated 3:04 AM EDT, Fri August 11, 2023

CNN — With people dancing on the streets and _______________firecrackers, the jubilant scenes wouldn’t have been out of place in an Indian movie. In fact, they were the real-life celebrations of thousands of cinema fans in South India as they welcomed the latest film release by one of the country’s biggest superstars.

“Jailer,” a Tamil-language action thriller by celebrated actor Rajinikanth, __________________ since hitting cinemas Thursday and is already expected _________________. The film is the first in two years to feature the actor, who enjoys a demigod-like status among his fans, and so great has the anticipation been that some companies ____________________ to watch it.

The Kerala-based education company Redbooks Abroad gifted its staff free tickets to the first showing, saying in a memo seen by CNN that it was a “day to relax, rejoice, and immerse yourselves in the magic of the silverscreen”. “We hope that this day off and movie experience will bring joy, relaxation, and renewed energy to you all. Let us cherish this moment and create memories together,” it said in the memo.

Another company, Le Hive, based in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, said they were giving staff half a day off to “avoid sudden sick leaves.” The companies’ actions are just one aspect of the feverish expectations surrounding the release, which local news channels have spared no detail in covering, running live blogs, interviewing fans and filming scenes outside theaters.

The film collected about $5 million at the box office on Thursday, based on early estimates, making it the highest opening for a Tamil-language film in 2023 so far, according to local reports.

Rajinikanth, 72, who has starred in more than 160 movies, is near synonymous with South Indian cinema. Known for elaborate action sequences and unique dance moves, he has the sort of box office appeal enjoyed by Tom Cruise in the West and is thought to be one of Asia’s highest paid actors. Born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad in the southern city of Bengaluru in 1950, Rajinikanth made his debut 25 years later in the movie “Apoorva Raagangal”, which became a commercial success.

The level of adoration among his fans has often been likened to that of a religious figure. Some of his fans have been known to celebrate his new releases by pouring milk on cardboard images of the actor, an act of veneration usually reserved for Hindu deities. Similar scenes of jubilation met his 2016 film “Kabali,” in which he donned stylish three-piece suits and John Lennon sunglasses to play a wrongfully convicted gangster recently released from jail.

Its release day became an unofficial public holiday for many with several companies in the cities of Bengaluru and Chennai giving their employees a day off to watch the film.

(https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/11/india/india-rajinikanth-jailer-movie-release-intl-hnk/index.html) – acesso em 04/09/23