Days after the makers of ‘RRR’ put an end to rumours, assuring a theatrical experience for the period film, the producers have now confirmed the movie has been postponed indefinitely.
‘RRR’ is one of the most anticipated film releases of the year, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR in the lead, along with a Bollywood star-studded cast that also includes Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn. Being produced by Pen Movies, the studio issued a statement last week where they confirmed the film will releases in cinemas and not on a streaming platform. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of the project has been postponed indefinitely according to an update on social media.
“Post production nearly done to have #RRRMovie ready by October’21. But as known to many, we are postponing the release but cannot announce a new date with theatres indefinitely closed. We will release at the earliest possible date when the world cinema markets are up and running,” a statement from the makers was issued by the ‘RRR’ Twitter handle.
Directed by SS Rajamouli, the magnum opus is reportedly based on the lives of two freedom fighters and is slated to release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages.
On September 8, Pen Movies had issued a statement saying that three of its biggest movies, namely ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, ‘RRR’ and ‘Attack’ would only release in theatres.
“We would like to clarify that ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, ‘RRR’, and ‘Attack’ will release in cinemas. There have been several rumours doing rounds about these films releasing on OTT [over-the-top or web] platforms before cinemas which are untrue. These magnum opus films are made for the big screen experience and would be releasing in theatres,” read the statement by Pen Studios.
The statement by the production house comes at a volatile time in Bollywood with the pandemic forcing several studios to release their films on streaming platforms, even as multiplexes struggle to stay afloat due to lack of business. There has been talk in recent weeks that the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, which stars Bhatt in the lead, would release on Netflix, along with star’s ‘RRR’.
The other film that was rumoured to release on the small screen was Abraham’s ‘Attack’, which is also co-produced by the Bollywood actor and features Jacqueline Fernandez as the female lead.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who’s ‘Thalaivii’ is currently screening in UAE cinemas and has opened to rave reviews, has been facing a losing battle with the Indian state of Maharashtra with her appeals to have cinemas reopened to allow the Hindi version of the film to release there. Maharashtra, which is home to Mumbai and Bollywood, is one of the biggest movie markets in the country.
After several appeals, Ranaut was able to secure a release for the Tamil and Telugu versions of ‘Thalaivii’ in South India, where theatre capacity remains at 50 per cent. With cases still escalating across India, it remains unclear when cinemas will reopen in major markets.
