With Omicron fears waning across the country, the film industry has begun to rework on the release schedules of a host of big-budget films that were deferred due to a sharp in spurt in the Covid-19 cases in December-January.

The list of movies, with aggregate budget crossing over ₹1,000 crore, includes the much-awaited RRR, directed by the Bahubali fame SS Rajamouli, Radheshyam starring Bahubali hero Prabhas and Ajith-starrer Valimai.

Producers of the films, which were to hit the screens during the Pongal season, had to defer the release dates with State after State imposing restrictions on theatre occupancies, fearing spread of the infection.

Releases re-scheduled

After high-profile pre-release events in top metros, the producers were left with no option but to postpone the releases with many States imposing restrictions, citing a spoke in cases. The fate of a movie is decided in the first few days when the filmgoers don’t mind buying tickets at very high prices. Also, restricted seating in theatres would mean lesser collections and losses.

Valimai, which also opted out of the Pongal race due to the Omicron fears, will ting the screens on February 24. The RRR team has announced that the multi-starrer movie will now be released on March 25, while the UV Creations has said that Radheshyam would hit the screens a couple of weeks earlier on March 11.

Both the movies are made in multiple languages, considering the huge hype generated.

With a clarity coming from the producers of the two films, producers of other big-budget movies Acharya (starring Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan), Sarkaruvari Paata (Mahesh Babu), too, have reworked on the release dates.

While Acharya will be hitting the screens on April 29, Sarakuruvari Paata will be released on May 12. Pawan Kalyan’s Bhimla Nayak (a remake of Malayalam blockbuster movie Ayyappanum Koshiyum) is expected to be released a week before or after the release of RRR.

Ticket price issue in AP

However, all the movies that are lined up for post-Omicron release season face the challenge of ticket pricing in Andhra Pradesh, the key market for Telugu movies.

“We are expecting a solution before the films hit the screen from March 11. We want the Government to revise the ticket fares keeping in view the raising cost of production. The prices indicated by the Government are not remunerative,” a top producer said.

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