Last week, Bollywood Hungama had reported that Sooryavanshi, the much awaited film starring Akshay Kumar and directed by Rohit Shetty, might not be able to release on April 30, as scheduled, due to the rising Coronavirus cases. The second wave has been quite extreme and cases in Maharashtra especially are at a record high, inching close to the 60,000 mark. As a result, the state government last week decided to impose a night curfew in the state, from 8:00 pm to 7:00 am. When the cases kept increasing despite this new rule, the authorities then decided to take the harsh decision of declaring a lockdown-like situation till April 30.
Even when the night curfew was in place in Maharashtra, it had become clear that releasing a film in such circumstances would be suicidal as post 6 pm shows were ruled out. Hence, it was no surprise that films like Chehre and Bunty Aur Babli 2 were indefinitely postponed. Now with a lockdown in place and cinema halls shut till the end of month, the cinema sector is going to be extremely affected and hence, it has come to light that Sooryavanshi has been pushed ahead.
A source claims, “It was given even last week that Sooryavanshi won’t release as scheduled. The lockdown has further made it clear. It will be in place till April 30, the day Sooryavanshi was supposed to release. And there’s no guarantee that the lockdown won’t be extended, especially if cases haven’t reduced. Meanwhile, the other states might also follow Maharashtra’s example and introduce curbs. Sooryavanshi is a big film and it’ll be suicidal if it releases in such unpredictable circumstances. Hence, it stands postponed.”
Bollywood Hungama had reported earlier in the day that Rohit Shetty had a virtual discussion with Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. In this meeting, a source confirmed that Uddhav Thackeray appreciated Rohit Shetty as he took the brave and difficult decision of postponing Sooryavanshi.
For cinema fans, exhibitors and the industry at large, the postponement of Sooryavanshi will be a huge blow. It is one of the most awaited films of the year and is one film that is expected to resurrect the business which has been affected heavily since March 2020.
Interestingly, Sooryavanshi was initially slated to release on March 24, 2020. It was then pushed as the nationwide lockdown came into force. In June 2020, it was decided to bring this film on Diwali. However, the situation didn’t seem conducive during the Festival of Lights. Finally, in February 2021, when the central government allowed 100% occupancy in theatres, the makers decided to bring the film on April 2. Later, they postponed it to April 30 and on Rohit Shetty’s birthday on March 14, they even made a formal announcement.
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