Omicron impact: After Radhe Shyam, Dulquer Salmaan’s Salute stands postponed

After Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam and Thala Ajith’s Valimai, release of Dulquer Salmaan’s ‘Salute’ has been put on hold due to the worsening coronavirus situation in India and the Omicron threat. Salmaan confirmed this development in an Instagram post. 
 
“We at Wayfarer films are bound to show social responsibility ahead of our personal interests. Just like all of you, we were most excited and eagerly awaiting our next release. Owing to recent developments and the spike in COVID-19 and Omicron cases, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the release of ‘Salute’. We apologise if we’ve disappointed you. But in times like this we must prioritise health and safety.” He also urged people to stay safe. 

Salute is directed by Rosshan Andrrews and marks Diana Penty’s debut in the Malayalam industry. Salmaan can be seen playing the role of SI Aravind Karunakaran in the trailer of the film. Bankrolled by Dulquer’s home production Wayfarer Films, this film features actors like Manoj K Jayan, Alencier Ley and Binu Pappu in pivotal roles. 
 
Salute is not the only movie whose release has been impacted due to the emergence of the Omicron variant and the rising coronavirus cases. Other movies that have been impacted are Thala Ajith’s Valimai and the Vivek Agnihotri directorial The Kashmir Files. The producers of all these movies cited Omicron variant as the main reason behind their delayed plans and also urged people to mask up, get vaccinated and stay safe. 
 
The makers of The Kashmir Files posted an update on the same. “Due to the significant spike in COVID cases in the country and the current scenario on theatres being partially or fully shut down in many states, we have decided to postpone the release of our movie The Kashmir Files. Let’s fight the pandemic together, wear mask and stay safe,” the makers of the film said. 
 
Valimai makers also updated the audience about the same last week. They said, “At the same time, the safety and well-being of our audiences has always been at the forefront of all out decisions. Given the steep rise in coronavirus infections across the globe, and abiding by the regulations of the authorities, we have decided to postpone the release of our film ‘Valimai’ until the situation normalizes. Get vaccinated, wear a mask and stay safe. See you in theatres very soon!”

Also read: Omicron threat: After RRR and Jersey, Prabhas-starrer RadheShyam postponed

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