Release of Kangana Ranaut’s 'Thalaivi' postponed amid covid-led disruptions
Premium- The film, based on the life of actor-politician J. Jayalalithaa was to hit screens on 23 April
Kangana Ranaut-starrer Thalaivi, the sole Hindi film that was slated for release in April, will now be premiered later owing to the rise in covid-19 infections and curbs in various states. The film, based on the life of actor-politician J. Jayalalithaa was to hit screens on 23 April.
“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 23 April, we want to extend all the support to the government rules and regulations and have decided to postpone the release of Thalaivi," the makers said in a statement.
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Trade analysts had earlier pointed out that while the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film may still find an audience, its Hindi version would take a hit owing to restrictions and curbs in north India.
To be sure, south Indian cinema is fast rolling out money-spinners as big films stick to their release dates in contrast with the Mumbai film industry which has been deferring releases as covid cases rise and restrictions are imposed in the Hindi speaking markets, adding to its losses.
Recent curbs in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan will see April notch up a Rs200 crore loss at the box office.
While the Maharashtra government has ordered movie theatres to remain shut for April, Rajasthan will have them closed on weekends and Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi have revised occupancies to 50%. With key territory Mumbai now off the radar, it is not surprising that big Bollywood titles such as Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi, Yash Raj Films’ Bunty Aur Babli 2 and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Chehre, all scheduled for April, have pushed back release dates.
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