Fans dress in cloaks, hats to theatres for Potter farewell

New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) The final adieu to 'Harry Potter' has turned out to be as expected - special! Fanatical fans are queuing up for the last movie of the multi-billion dollar franchise, and literally living up the spirit of wizardry by sporting black cloaks, witch hats, and magic wands.

A group of seven college girls were spotted with black hats and a wand each at a multiplex here while a group of boys, oblivious to the sweltering heat and humidity, wore black cloaks to the hall to celebrate the magic of 'Harry Potter' as the last of the lot released Friday.

'We have been waiting for this so long. It is an emotional moment for us to come and see the final movie. It is unbelievable that there will no Potter to look forward to after this. But we wanted to do something special our way, and give Harry Potter a special farewell that it so rightly deserves,' said 21-year-old Samridhi Mathur, who attracted a lot of attention with her pointy hat.

The fans sat on the edge of their seats during action sequences, and boy wizard Harry's victory called for cheers galore.

'We love you Harry!' viewers cheered and hooted in the hall. Emotions or celebrations - whatever it was - the craze for it was alive and kicking.

The Harry Potter phenomenon, which came straight out of struggling single mother J.K. Rowling's imagination, cast its first magical spell on Indian fans in 2001. A decade later, that magic has increased manifold.

Disappointment had set in among fans as the advance bookings did not open until Thursday evening due to a reported rift between multiplex owners and the film's distributors over revenue-sharing. But the script ran as per schedule thereafter.

Multiplex owners admit that all shows for 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2', which has set a new box office record in the US by amassing $43.5 million from midnight screenings alone, are currently houseful.

'All the shows are full. The response is phenomenal. People of all age groups - young, middle-aged and old are coming to watch the film and enjoying it,' Punit Sahay of Spice Cinemas told IANS.

According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, Friday's early estimates for the movie in India is Rs.4.75 crore - including all four versions - English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

The movie has opened in a 2D and a 3D format, but if Munish Sharma of Satyam Cineplexes is to be believed, Indian viewers are lapping up the 3D version. However, any official figures are yet to be received.

The last movie of the over $6 billion franchise ends as tradition - with the victory of good over evil as Harry Potter, with his friends, manages to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes and the evil Lord Voldemort's ashes fly up in the air.

The movie just doesn't end at that - it 'pleasantly' surprises by fast forwarding 20 years ahead and showing Harry, his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley married, with children, says Prachi Khanna, a 25-year-old Potter enthusiast, without hitting on the spoiler alert button.

'Of course, the books end on a happy note, with Harry married to Ginny, and Hermione and Ron settled together with kids. But I didn't expect that they would show it in the film.

'It was a little weird to see these young, 20-something actors in an avatar of being 40, but the inclusion of that track was a pleasant surprise. It was nice that they ended it the way the book ends - completing the franchise in every sense,' said Khanna.