Ahead of the release of Rajinikanth-starrer Kabali on July 22, several companies in Bangalore and Chennai declared Friday a holiday so employees could go catch a show on the first day. Bangalore-based Opus Waterproofing and Chennai-based Fyndus India Pvt Ltd, among others, took the step after they found that most of their employees were planning to take sick leave to watch the film, reported Hindustan Times. Some of these companies have even proposed to sponsor tickets.

On Tuesday, Manoj Pushparaj of Opus Waterproofing said, “This was an internal company circulation that was sent out on Sunday. I could feel the eagerness in my employees, so instead of dealing with mass bunks and mobile switch offs, I came up with the idea of declaring a holiday on July 22 and be a part of the celebration. It would also serve as a motivation to my employees. Like Diwali bonus, we treated them to Kabali bonus.”

On the same day, reports emerged suggesting that the film has been leaked online, and is available for download on many websites, according to The Indian Express. Earlier, the makers of the gangster drama had moved the Madras High Court for legal aid to stop pirated version of the film from being leaked online.

However, none of this has stopped Thalaiva fans from prepping for the big release. Theatres in the southern capital that opened for advance booking on Sunday and Monday, sold out tickets within only a few hours, The Hindu reported.