With SS Rajamouli’s RRR postponing its release (scheduled for January 7) in view of the rising Covid-19 cases and the consequent restrictions imposed by several states, many small-budget Telugu films have announced their big-screen premieres on the festive occasion of Sankranthi.
On Saturday, the producers of RRR, DVV Entertainment announced in a statement, “In spite of our relentless efforts, some situations are beyond our control. As many Indian states are closing theatres, we are left with no choice but to ask you to hold on to your excitement. We promised to bring back the glory of Indian cinema, and at the right time, we will.”
Notably, this is the third time RRR has been postponed. It was initially scheduled for release on January 8, 2021. The film was later pushed to October, and then to January 2022.
The latest postponement of RRR comes at the time when strict restrictions have been imposed in several major states across the country to curb the spread of Omicron, the latest Covid-19 variant. For instance, Delhi has announced a full shutdown of cinema halls, while Tamil Nadu has restricted occupancy in theatres to 50%.
Made on a huge budget, RRR (aka Roudhram Ranam Rudhiram) is a pan-Indian film led by actors Ram Charan and Junior NTR. It features an ensemble star cast drawn from various industries, including Hindi actors Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, Irish actor Alison Doody, as well as Shriya Saran, Ray Stevenson, and Olivia Morris, among others. A new release date has not yet been announced for the film.
Meanwhile, with RRR out of the Sankranthi race, several small-budget Telugu films have announced their theatrical releases for the festival. These include 7 Days 6 Nights (January 14), Hero (January 15), Super Machi (January 14), DJ Tillu (January 14), and Atithi Devobhava (January 7).
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Apart from these, as of Monday morning, two star-studded Telugu films are also on track for a Sankranthi release. They are Bangarraju, starring actors Naga Chaitanya, Nagarjuna, Ramya Krishnan, and Krithi Shetty, and the Prabhas and Pooja Hegde-starrer Radhe Shyam. The makers of both films tweeted on New Year’s Day and confirmed their respective arrivals in theatre on January 14. They will be clashing at the box office with the Ajith Kumar-starrer Valimai (Tamil) that is scheduled to release on January 13.