Whether the heroes are friends or rivals, the fans are certainly rivals when a new film of their icon hits the screens. Groups of one hero vie with the groups of the other in outdoing be it cutting out posters or performing paal abishekams. However, of late, they have been going hi-tech, sending messages on the mobile phones.

When Aathi hit the screen this season, the mobiles of moviegoers and fans went beeping. Rat poison Rs 35. Sleeping pills Rs 30. Aathi Rs 25 per ticket—if you want to commit suicide. The message is certainly malicious. While Vijay’s camp says that it is Ajith’s fan group behind the mischief, Ajith’s fans issue a spontaneous denial. Believe it or not, there are messages even on Arya’s flicks.

Who is the mischief-monger? You can’t blame the fan groups categorically. Why don’t you take into account movie cynics who are simply vexed with the way movies are being churned out? One more thing to be remembered is the number of such messages sent is simply multiplied down the network of receivers at the bottom. One man may have sent, but at the end of the day there may be several thousand receivers.

But it cannot be denied that the messages do carry a certain element of fact, humour, sarcasm and dig at the dream merchants.