Kochi, Sep 28 (IANS): Even as the judicial custody of arrested superstar Dileep was extended on Thursday till October 12, his latest film "Ram Leela" was also released and saw fans arriving to watch it at nearly 130 theatres across the state.

Earlier, the release of "Ram Leela", produced at a cost of over Rs 20 crore, was scheduled for July.

But following the unexpected arrest of Dileep in the actress abduction case on July 10, the producer and his well wishers decided to defer the release.

With four bail applications of the actor being turned down and the fifth one's verdict to come next week, it was decided to go ahead and release the film.

On Thursday, Dileep's remand period was extended by the trial court near here, through a video conference with the sub-jail near here where the actor has been kept since his arrest.

"Ram Leela" is Dileep's first film to be released since his arrest. Across the state, the audience comprised his fans, with his traditional audience - families and women - keeping away for obvious reasons.

In Kerala, all the leading stars in the Malayalam film industry have their own fans association, which ensures that irrespective of what happens, the opening day of the film is a sell out.