'Sooryavanshi', 'Thalaivi', 'Chehre': Films postponed due to the second wave of coronavirus

It’s been over a year since the world has been battling the coronavirus outbreak. Just when Bollywood was getting back on track after a year of very few theatrical releases, the second wave of Covid-19 bought everything to a screeching halt again. Everything is back to square one now with theatres are shut over the weekend and at night, and rest of the shows running with limited occupancy. In such a scenario, filmmakers who had optimistically announced the release dates for their film, are left with no choice but to postpone their plans. Let’s take a look at films that have been rescheduled due to the second wave of coronavirus...

The makers of Kangana Ranaut-starrer ‘Thalaivi', released an official statement announcing the postponement of their film. The statement reads, "As a team, we have sacrificed a lot in making this film and thank every member of the cast and crew who supported us in this challenging but remarkable journey. Since the film has been made in multiple languages, we would like to release it in all languages on the same day. But with an alarming rise in COVID 19 cases, subsequent precautions and lockdowns, even though our film is ready for release on 23rd April, we want to extend all the support towards the government rules and regulations and have decided to postpone the release of ‘Thalaivi’." The film was earlier scheduled to release in theatres on April 23, 2021, and now has been pushed indefinitely.

It seems like ‘Sooryavanshi’ will have to wait a little longer before the film hits the screens. The film, which was ready for release a year ago, had to be once again postponed due to the second wave. The makers released an official statement confirming the same. “The Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Uddhav Thackeray, had a discussion with director Rohit Shetty yesterday. In the meeting, Mr Uddhav Thackeray appreciated Rohit Shetty as he took the brave and difficult decision of postponing Sooryavanshi owing to the current COVID situation in the state," the statement read. The film was earlier slated to hit the screens on April 30. ‘Sooryavanshi’ stars Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif in pivotal roles.

Last month, the makers of Rana Daggubati’s ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, the Hindi version of his multilingual action-drama had been put on hold due to rising Covid-19 cases in the country. The film’s producer issued an official statement that read as, “Dear viewers, It pains us to share this news, but given the Covid-19 situation in the Hindi markets, the team of ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’ has decided to hold on to the release of the film. We shall keep you posted on further developments. However, we will be releasing Aranya and Kaadan in the South markets on the 26th of March”. Apart from Rana Daggubati, the film also stars Pulkit Samrat, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Zoya Hussain. ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’ was supposed to arrive in theatres on March 26, along with Tamil and Telugu versions.

Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer, ‘Chehre’, which was scheduled to release on April 9, has been pushed ahead until further notice. The makers released an official statement which was shared by the star cast. The statement read as, “Due to the rising cases of Covid-19 and new guidelines for cinemas, we are unable to release our movie ‘Chehre’ on 9th April and have decided to postpone until further notice. We have decided to bring Chehre to the audience theatrically when the environment is more conducive for the experience. See you in cinemas very soon, until then stay safe and healthy! Cover your ‘Chehre’ with a mask, and don’t forget to use sanitise.” Besides, Big B and Emraan Hashmi, the film also stars Rhea Chakraborty, Annu Kapoor, Krystle D’Souza, Drithiman Chakroborthy, Raghubir Yadav, and Siddhanth Kapoor.

Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Sharvari-starrer ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’’s release date has also been pushed due to a rise in the number of novel coronavirus cases across the country. The film was earlier slated to hit theatres on April 23. A new release date for the film has not been announced.