Sooryavanshi, 83 releases to be pushed as Coronavirus cases rise

Ranveer Singh in 83; Akshay Kumar in Sooryavanshi

Only last week, the makers of No Time To Die announced that the film's release was being pushed from April 10 to November, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Like James Bond, the bigwigs of Bollywood too are apparently rethinking the release dates of upcoming films - including Sooryavanshi and 83 - to avoid losses.

mid-day has learnt that Akshay Kumar, filmmaker Rohit Shetty and the head honchos of Reliance Entertainment are expected to meet later this week to decide if the release of Sooryavanshi, that was to hit the marquee on March 24, should be postponed. A source informs, "Rohit Shetty's last offering, Simmba, had opened at approximately Rs 20.7 crore. But the tracking shows that Sooryavanshi may open at a lower figure. It is obvious that the projection has dipped due to the ongoing COVID-19 scare. More importantly, Maharashtra is an important centre for Hindi films, and with new cases in Nashik and Pune, the footfalls are bound to drop in the coming days. So, they are toying with the idea of delaying the release by a few weeks."

With 12 coronavirus cases in Kerala, the government has announced that theatres across the state will remain shut until March 31. If the move is replicated in other states, more and more films will have to rework their release dates. Sources suggest that Ranveer Singh's 83 is already looking at an alternative. "The trailer launch, which was originally scheduled to take place today, has been moved to a later date. It's possible that 83 will release post IPL in the first week of June. Karan Johar's production Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl too may be pushed from its April 24 date."

Trade analyst Amod Mehra believes that the possible postponing of films may have an adverse effect on theatres. "Rumours are rife that both Sooryavanshi and 83 will be pushed ahead. Right now, it's a wait-and-watch scenario. If they are indeed delayed, the theatres will be affected; the movies won't suffer."

Dharma Productions, Reliance Entertainment, Kabir Khan and Rohit Shetty refused to comment for this report.

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