The closing of theatres in many states due to a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country has put a dampener on upcoming big-ticket theatrical releases this
Sankranthi
.
Just days after the makers of SS Rajamouli’s pan-India film
RRR
announced that they will not be postponing the release of their film, they have backtracked their decision. On Saturday, the makers of the mega-budget historical film that features Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, announced that they will be postponing the film which was scheduled to release on January 7, 2022.
“Keeping the best interests of all the involved parties in mind, we are forced to postpone our film. Our sincere thanks to all the fans and audience for their unconditional love. Inspite of our relentless efforts, some situations are beyond our control. As many Indian states are closing theatres, we are left with no choice but to ask you to hold on to your excitement. We promised to bring back the glory of Indian cinema and at the right time, we will,” the makers revealed in a statement.
According to DVV Danayya, the film’s producer, the Delhi government’s decision to shut down cinema halls owing to the threat of the Omicron variant and the spike in cases across the country, left them with no choice. “We were aiming for a Sankranthi release and promotions were in full swing as well. But at a time like this, with Covid cases rising again and governments ordering a shutdown of cinemas, we had no choice but to postpone the release. We want people across the length and breadth of India to watch our film, so we will release it only when everyone can watch it,” he said.
Tollywood producers to adopt a ‘wait and watch’ approachHaving been dealt another blow due to the Omicron threat, producers feel that it’s going to take a while for the industry to get back on track. P
Ram Mohan Rao
, Chairman, Telangana Film Development Corporation, says, “There is an atmosphere of fear again due to the new variant and rise in cases. Leave aside the restrictions put in place, as an audience member, nobody is confident about going to cinema halls and watching a film on the big screen. There is no choice but to hold back and return after the situation improves.”
Sunil Narang
, member of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, adds, “At this time, it’s important for us to support each other and ensure the industry braves this crisis. The recent GO issued by the Telangana government gives us flexibility with ticket prices. Even if a big budget film is released, the producers have the option of reducing ticket rates after a couple of weeks. If prices are too high, the audience will not come to the theatres and we must do everything we can to ensure that does not happen”
Despite RRR postponement, Radhe Shyam
to continue with release as plannedAlthough RRR has decided to shift its release date, the makers of Prabhas and Pooja Hegde-starrer Radhe Shyam reiterate that they will proceed with a pan-India release on January 14 as planned. In a statement issued on Saturday, the makers said, “There is no change in the release plans of Radhe Shyam. The Prabhas-starrer is gearing up to hit the screens on 14 January. Don’t believe rumours.” A source from the film’s unit reveals that the makers have no plans to postpone the film as of now. “The promotions have been going on in full swing and the entire team is prepared to release the film on schedule. Unless a lockdown is announced and theatres are shut across India, we will continue as planned.”
Nagarjuna’s Bangarraju joins the fray this SankranthiWith RRR opting out of the Sankranthi race, the makers of Nagarjuna’s Bangarraju have decided to release their film during the festive box-office window. Directed by Kalyan Krishna, the film is a sequel to the film Soggade Chinni Nayana, that also released for Sankranthi. “Nagarjuna was always keen on releasing this film for Sankranthi since it’s a festive kind of film. Now that RRR is no longer releasing this week, it opens up an opportunity for Bangarraju to release for the festival. The makers are yet to decide whether they should release it on January 14 or 15, but Bangarraju will be arriving on theatres this Sankranthi,” reveals a source from the film’s unit.
Bheemla Naayak opts out of Sankranthi raceMeanwhile, the Pawan Kalyan-starrer Bheemla Naayak, which was initially scheduled for a Sankranthi release, has opted out of the race for the festive weekend. Last month, the makers of Bheemla Naayak announced that they decided to postpone the film’s release to avoid clashing with RRR during Sankranthi. However, since then, news of postponement of Rajamouli’s magnum opus broke speculation that the Pawan Kalyan-Rana starrer might now be back in the Sankranthi race began doing the rounds. Director Saagar K Chandra, however, ruled out any such possibility. “The cinema industry has been hugely affected by this latest wave of the pandemic. In some states, theatres have shut down and in many states, they are operating at a 50% capacity. So releasing our film at this time is not a viable option for us. We will wait and watch and once the situation improves, we will be back to entertain the audiences,” he said.
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