India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson booked an entire cinema hall on October 20, 2026, to watch Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, bringing along his wife, friends, and select India teammates and support staff members who understand Tamil.
Samson, who holds 77 T20I caps for India as of October 17, 2026, missed the first-day-first-show of the film because of a cricket event in Delhi on October 19, 2026. He made the theatre booking five days after Jailer 2 was released on October 15, 2026. The film is a Tamil-language action comedy directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Sun Pictures.
"I love watching Rajini sir's movies, and I always look forward to his next film. So, I'm actually a day late. I try to watch as many of his movies as possible. Yesterday, we had an event in Delhi, which is why I couldn't watch it," Samson was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
Samson was part of the India squad playing the T20I series against West Indies around this period, with the fourth T20I having taken place on October 17, 2026, which adds further context to why his schedule was constrained in the days immediately following the film's release.
Why did Samson book the entire theatre rather than individual seats?
Samson chose to reserve the full cinema hall so that his family, friends, and a group of India team members and support staff could watch the film together in one organised outing. Booking the entire hall ensured the group could attend without interruption and without the constraints of limited individual seat availability for a large party.
He described the occasion with clear enthusiasm.
"But today, fortunately, I was lucky enough to book the entire theatre. I've invited my friends, and my wife is here too. I'm very excited to watch Rajini sir on the big screen," Samson said.
Which India team members and support staff joined Samson for the screening?
Samson extended the invitation specifically to those within the Indian team setup who are familiar with Tamil, making the screening a language-based gathering rather than an open invitation to the full squad. The exact number of players and support staff who attended has not been confirmed.
"Everyone in the team and the support staff who knows Tamil is coming," he said.
The theatre booking reflects Samson's well-documented enthusiasm for Rajinikanth's films. His decision to organise a group screening, despite a packed international schedule, underlines how closely he follows the actor's releases.
