Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; July 1, 2020)

Bollywood has had a tumultuous past few months. From theatres being shut and shoots being stalled, the losses faced by the industry have been mounting. But, here’s some good news, finally. Those missing the big-screen, theatrical experience can now heave a sigh of relief. Multiple theatre chains announced yesterday that Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, and Kabir Khan’s '83 (on India’s 1983 cricket World Cup glory), starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, will hit the screens on Diwali and Christmas, respectively. Both the films were originally slated to release in March and April this year, but missed their date with the theatres due to the Coronavirus crisis.

Confirming his film’s new theatrical release date, Kabir Khan told BT, “Yes, '83 will release worldwide in theatres on December 25. We were very clear from the beginning that we will not release it on OTT. We had assured the same to the theatre chains. It’s also good for multiplex and theatre business, fans and the industry at large. Of course, the film will come to the digital platforms later, but it has been mounted on a certain scale, shot a certain way and is meant for big-screen viewing. It’s a film that will resonate with the country and has the ability to turn theatres into a stadium. We want the audience to experience that. We are not in a hurry, so the wait is fine.”

Speaking about the delay, the filmmaker explained, “Theatres worldwide are slowly opening, depending on the situation in each country. I heard Christopher Nolan’s Tenet will hit some screens in August. Even '83 was to be released on April 10. Yes, I was disappointed when it didn’t, as you are keen to show your film to the world. But, the pandemic has shut down the world and is bigger than our ambitions. It’s a huge concern and humanity needs to emerge stronger from the crisis. Christmas is a good date. Anytime sooner wouldn’t have made sense. We can’t be sure about it, but we are good six months away so I hope things will get better by then.”

Kabir added, “We are constantly in touch with the theatre chains and all kinds of precautions will be taken. We won’t compromise on people’s health for entertainment.”

Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment, who are presenters and producers of '83 and Sooryavanshi, said, “Makers of both the films were on the same page. These films are big-screen spectacles and we didn’t want to compromise or dilute the viewing experience. We wanted them to release in theatres even if we had to wait. This is a long process — exhibitors need to open the cinemas, the government has to grant us permission, and the audience needs to be safe, but we are optimistic. Both are global releases, but 83 will also be released in dubbed versions — Tamil and Telugu.”

He concluded, “People have been confined to their homes for so long, I am sure that they are looking forward to coming back to theatres in a few months from now.” Sooryavanshi and '83 are the first two films to announce their theatrical release date amidst the pandemic.