With the arrival of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country, it seems cinemas may have to close down once again. The recent development is not good news for the makers of the Telugu film RRR. Directed by SS Rajamouli, RRR stars Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, and Ajay Devgn. The movie was scheduled to release on January 7, however, the surge in coronavirus cases across the country and the subsequent restrictions have compelled the makers to postpone the movie indefinitely.
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, nearly Rs 18 to 20 crores were invested for the promotions of Rajamouli’s much-awaited magnum opus. The report added that Rajamouli was quite adamant about the release this time and even had the backing of everyone who was crucial in the project, including the producers and the actors. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic got worse, Rajamouli had to surrender to the situation. The publicity campaign which has now yielded no substantial result for the January 7 release has cost the producers a staggering Rs 18-20 crores. The budget also included a Rs 2-3 crore expenditure for transporting fans of Ram and Tarak to promotional events outside Andhra.
Recently, the star cast of RRR was seen in several interviews with the news channels and appeared on shows like Bigg Boss (both Telugu and Hindi), The Kapil Sharma Show, and more. Bollywood Hungama reports, the director knew that the two lead actors of RRR did not have a large fanbase outside Andhra. For the media and marketing events in Mumbai and other cities outside, Andhra fans were flown and put up in luxury hotels and all they had to do was applaud, cheer and whistle for the actors in exchange for the hospitality.
Meanwhile, a report in Mirchi9.com claims that Sources say that Ram Charan and NTR are very “depressed” and are not meeting people after the film’s postponement. “They are on the verge of a nationwide glory. The promotions were happening like a fairy tale. But everything has changed now. Disappointed is a small word. Depressed is the right one,” a source said. It may be noted that both the actors have not tweeted anything about the film after the postponement.
The initial release date for RRR was October 13, 2021 however the date was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings following the devastating second wave last year.
