For theatres, especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sankranthi/Pongal 2022 was celebrated on a quiet note. Most of the star-studded releases that were scheduled to hit theatres, were postponed due to peak in the Covid-19 pandemic, in January. On Monday, the Tamil and Telugu film industries bounced back, by announcing the release dates of many big projects, in the coming months.
While films like Ajith’s Valimai, pan-Indian romantic drama Radhe Shyam and Etharkkum Thunindhavan starring Suriya, still yet to disclose their plans for release, multiple sources confirmed to Silverscreen India that Radhe Shyam is eyeing for a March 11 release, and Pandiraj, director of the Suriya-starrer, shared a poster that the film will be “coming soon in theatres”. Previously, Tamil Nadu theatre owners stated that Valimai will be one of the early releases, sometime in early March.
On that note, here is a list of films, compiled by Silverscreen India, that will release in the upcoming months, on the big screens.
Veerame Vaagai Soodhum: February 4
The film marks Thu Pa Saravanan‘s directorial debut, and will be the first in the line-up of big-budget films in 2022. It will see actor Vishal in the lead role, as an aspiring police officer. While the film was scheduled for a theatrical release on the occasion of Republic Day, it was later postponed, owing to the prior lockdown restrictions in Tamil Nadu. Apart from Vishal, the film will feature actors Dimple Hayathi, Yogi Babu, Babu Raj, Raveena Ravi, among others. It will be released as Saamanyudu, in Telugu.
Directed by M Manikandan, known for the award-winning film Kaaka Muttai, earlier said to Silverscreen India that the film will look into agriculture and the ways in which it is ignored by mainstream society. Featuring an aged farmer, Nallandi, in the lead role, the film will see Vijay Sethupathi appearing in an extended cameo. Yogi Babu will also essay a supporting role. “Farmers are the backbone of our community, and yet we find it too easy to ignore their plight. They see only rejection from us, and yet they continue to feed us. I wanted to address all these issues in my next. I am working on the script right now, and hope to come out with it soon,” said Manikandan.
Khiladi: February 11
This Telugu film led by Ravi Teja and directed by Ramesh Varma, will mark the actor’s next appearance onscreen, after one year. Ravi Teja was last seen in Krack, released in January 2021. According to the makers, Khiladi will be an action entertainer and will be the highest budgeted film in the actor’s career. Meenakshi Chaudhary and Dimple Hayathi will be seen as female leads in the film.
FIR: February 11
Starring Vishnu Vishal, the film is written and directed by Manu Anand. Earlier speaking to us, the director had said that FIR is an emotional action thriller, revolving around a Muslim protagonist from the Triplicane area in Chennai. “The incidents that happen in his life and how the world looks at him is the core of the story. When two people of different faiths, of which one is Islam, go to a certain place and some wrong incidents take place, the society will only look at the Muslim with doubt. This message is conveyed in the film in a humane way without being preachy,” he had added. The film has a supporting cast which includes filmmaker-actor Gautham Vasudev Menon and actors Manjima Mohan, Raiza Wilson, and Reba Monica John. FIR will be released by Red Giant Movies in Tamil Nadu, and by Ravi Teja in Telugu.
Hey Sinamika: February 25
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While the team has started to release their songs as part of the promotions, the Dulquer Salmaan starrer is slated for a theatrical release on February 25. The Tamil film marks the directorial debut of choreographer Brindha Gopal and also stars Kajal Aggarwal and Aditi Rao Hydari as female protagonists. The script is written by lyricist Madhan Karky and is expected to be a romantic comedy.
RRR: March 25
RRR is a big-budget film by SS Rajamouli that has been experimenting with its release dates. While it was initially supposed to release in January, they had later, announced two tentative dates, March 18 or April 28, citing the pandemic situation and capacity in theatres. However, on Monday, the makers announced a new release date, March 25. Produced by DVV Entertainment, RRR (aka Roudhram Ranam Rudhiram) is a pan-Indian film featuring an ensemble cast, which includes Ram Charan, Junior NTR, Hindi actors Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, Irish actor Alison Doody, as well as Shriya Saran, Ray Stevenson, and Olivia Morris, among others. It will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam.
Don: March 25
After Sivakarthikeyan’s last film, Doctor, became a commercially successful comedy thriller, the actor will next be seen in Don. Directed by debutant Cibi Chakravarthy, the actor is to pair up with his Doctor co-star, Priyanka Arul Mohan. The Tamil film will also feature filmmaker-actor SJ Suryah, Munishkanth, Soori, Kaali Venkat, Bala Saravanan and Sivaangi Krishnakumar. It is produced by Lyca Productions, in association with the actor’s home banner, Sivakarthikeyan Productions.
Bheemla Nayak: February 25 or April 1
Bheemla Nayak, the upcoming Telugu remake of Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum, features actors Rana Daggubati and Pawan Kalyan. While the former will play Prithviraj Sukumaran’s role, Pawan Kalyan will essay Biju Menon’s character. The remake is helmed by Saagar K Chandra, with a screenplay by Trivikram Srinivas. Besides the lead actors, Nithya Menen will also be seen in the film. While it was said to premiere on January 12, it was postponed. On Monday, reaffirming that the film will have a theatrical release, the makers locked two dates, February 25 and April 1, intending to release it when the “situation improves” and “pandemic subsides”.
F3: April 28
Starring Venkatesh Daggubati and Varun Tej, and directed by Anil Ravipudi, F3 is produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations. The film is expected to be a comedy drama and is set for a summer release, on April 28. Recently, the makers said that the film’s entire talkie part has been wrapped up, with only one song left pending. The post-production works are also underway. F3 is a standalone sequel to the 2019 film F2: Fun and Frustration, from the same makers. While Tamannaah Bhatia and Mehreen Pirzada are the female leads opposite Venkatesh and Varun Tej respectively, Rajendra Prasad will be seen in a comic role.
Acharya: April 29
Written and directed by filmmaker Koratala Siva, Acharya stars Chiranjeevi and is produced by his home banner Konidela Production Company and Matinee Entertainments. It also stars the actor’s son, Ram Charan, Kajal Agarwal, and Pooja Hegde. On Monday, the makers of the film announced the release date after a “healthy discussion and on mutual understanding”, taking into account that RRR will be releasing on March 25, which also stars Ram Charan.
Sarkaru Vaari Paata: May 12
A Mahesh Babu-starrer, this Telugu film will be an action entertainer, directed by Parasuram, with Keerthy Suresh playing Mahesh Babu’s love interest. According to the makers, the film is in the final stages of production. S Thaman, who is composing the music, announced that a song from the film will be released on February 14. The film is jointly produced by Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar, Ram Achanta, and Gopichand Achanta under Mythri Movie Makers, GMB Entertainment, and 14 Reels Plus banners.