The closing of theatres in many states due to a spike in Coronavirus cases across the country has put a dampener on upcoming big-ticket theatrical releases. Just days after the makers of S S Rajamouli’s pan-India film RRR announced that they will not be postponing the release of their film, they have now backtracked their decision.

On Saturday, the makers of the mega-budget historical film that features Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, announced that they will be postponing the film yet again. “Keeping the best interests of all the involved parties in mind, we are forced to postpone our film. Our sincere thanks to all the fans and audience for their unconditional love. 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,” the makers revealed in a statement.

According to D V V Danayya, the film’s producer, the Delhi government’s decision to shut down cinema halls owing to the threat of the Omicron variant and the spike in cases across the country, left them with no choice. “We were aiming for a Sankranthi release and promotions were in full swing as well. But at a time like this, with Covid cases rising again and governments ordering a shutdown of cinemas, we had no choice but to postpone the release. We want people across the length and breadth of India to watch our film, so we will release it only when everyone can watch it,” he said.

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Six days before the release of one of the biggest films of the year, the makers of S S Rajamouli’s RRR have decided to postpone the film due to rising concern about Covid-19 cases in the country. The official statement released on Saturday read: “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 promise to bring back the glory of Indian cinema and at the right time, WE WILL.”

Advance booking for the film had opened in various parts of the world and if reports are to be believed, a staggering amount of approximately Rs. 10 crore has to be refunded now.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “Postponement of the biggest film at the start of the year has sent shock waves. It has made the film industry nervous. This isn’t an ordinary film.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan, on the other hand, believes it’s a “good decision” by makers. Mohan says, “Delay of any film will invite surplus cost for filmmakers. But it’s better to not waste a film and wait for a better time.”

Producer and film business expert Girish Johar feels it’s an “emotional as well as a monetary setback”. He adds, “Rajamouli sir personally requested other filmmakers to realign their dates so that RRR gets a solo release. They were so deep into marketing the film.. Doing it all over again later (when the time is right) will cost more.”

Lastly, producer Anand Pandit says, “There’s also a possibility of films becoming stale.”