Sooryavanshi postponed indefinitely amid coronavirus scare, Akshay Kumar says ‘safety comes first’

Actor Akshay Kumar has announced that his upcoming film Sooryavanshi has been indefinitely postponed. It was scheduled to release on March 24.

The decision comes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that all theatres will remain closed in the city until March 31 amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Here’s the official statement:

ROHIT SHETTY PICTUREZ

Sooryavanshi is an experience that we have created for you with over a year of dedication and hard work, and the response we received for its trailer was nothing less than electrifying and made it clear that this film truly belongs to its audience... We have been as excited as you are to present the film to you and your family, but due to the recent outburst of the COVID - 19 (Coronavirus), we, the makers, have decided to postpone the release of your film Sooryavanshi, keeping in mind the health and safety of our beloved audience... And therefore, Sooryavanshi will be back for you just when the time is right... After all, safety comes first... Until then, keep the excitement alive, take good care of yourself and stay strong... We shall pull through this...

-Team SOORYAVANSHI

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In Sooryavanshi, Akshay will be seen as ATS officer Veer Sooryavanshi on a lookout for terrorists planning a deadly strike in Mumbai. Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh will also reprise their roles of Singham and Simmba to help Akshay foil the terror plot. Katrina Kaif will be seen as Veer Sooryavanshi’s wife, while Jackie Shroff plays the antagonist.

Sooryavanshi also features Gulshan Grover, Abhimanyu Singh, Niharica Raizada, Sikandar Kher and Nikitin Dheer. The film is presented by Reliance Entertainment, and produced by Rohit Shetty, Karan Johar and Cape of Good Films.

After Kejriwal’s announcement, film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh had told Hindustan Times that Bollywood would feel the ramifications of this decision. “This is shocking. This will definitely have repercussions in the entertainment industry. Delhi is a major city and a big contributor to the business of films. Films will not release, the producers will have to put a stop to it. How can someone let go of Delhi? We are talking about crores and crores,” he said.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India, including foreign nationals, has gone up to 73. Out of these 73 people, 56 are Indian citizens. With 17 positive cases, the maximum number of coronavirus cases in the country have been reported from Kerala. Around the world, coronavirus has infected more than 120,000 people, killing more than 4,600. It was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday.

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