It is a battle royale! Sun TV Network and its boss the dynamic Kalanidhi Maran is going to release his Sun Pictures new Jeeva film Thenavattu on the same day as Surya's Gautham Menon masterpiece Vaaranam Aayiram on November 14.

On the face of it, two films releasing in different genre means nothing in Kollywood. But below the grease and paint there is tension in the atmosphere.

Remember how Kalanidhi Maran had to wage a lone battle to get his film Kathalil Vizhunthen released in Madurai, the citadel of his bête-noire Azhagiri?

Well this time around Vaaranam Aayiram is being distributed in Tamilnadu by Azhagiri's son Dayanidhi's film concern 'Cloud Nine'! Kala is determined that his Thenavattuwill release on the same day, leading to tension in the trade.

Sun TV has already started the Thenavattu campaign on the full blast, with its trailer being shown at regular intervals. The film has music by Srikanth Deva, had all its songs re-shot, though the audio is no patch on Harris Jayaraj's Vaaranam Aayiram which is already a huge hit! Kalaingar TV which holds the television rights of the movie too has whipped up a campaign.

Sun TV bosses are confident that Thenavattu with Jeeva and Poonam Bajwa has a unique treatment by director V.V Kathir, and it may upset the biggie. But Vaaranam Aayiram carries super reports and is expected to take the years biggest ever opening, as advance booking starts in Chennai city from November 10.

Fireworks of what is left over after Diwali can be expected on November 14 as the two films clash.