The nearly three-month shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic appears to have shaken the multibillion-dollar Bollywood industry. Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos have had world premieres. Now Disney Plus HotStar seems to be following suit. While producers with smaller budgets preferred to use streaming platforms to showcase their movies early on, some of the biggest movies are now ready to follow suit, setting global release dates on these OTT platforms. After the successful premiere of Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurrana directed ``Gulabo Sitabo'' on Amazon Prime Video last week, now Disney Plus HotStar looks set to release a multitude of movies directly on the OTT platform. While some producers have privately confirmed the deal, our efforts to get confirmation from Disney Plus HotStar have failed. Officials confirmed they were in talks to release the films, but did not give specific titles or release dates. "Since the government may not allow multiplexes to reopen anytime soon, this is something we are considering," a source said.
Laxxmi bomb
![Laxxmi Bomb se lanzará en OTT]()
(Image credit: Good Films Cape) Akshay Kumar's Laxxmi bombshell, which was previously slated for an Eid release and conflicted with Salman Khan's 'Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai', should now be shown in home screens via HotStar on Independence Day (August 15). The film, which features Kiara Advani opposite Akshay, is said to be a horror thriller directed by Raghava Lawrence, who is making his Bollywood debut. The film is a remake of Muni 2: Kanchana, a Tamil film released in 2011.
quiver 2
![Sadak2 se lanzará en Disney Plus HotStar]()
(Image credit: Fox Star Studios) Billed as a sequel to Sadak, a 1991 romantic hit with Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhat, the film is directed by Mahesh Bhatt, who came out of retirement to lead this venture. There were rumors that while Bhatt senior was credited as director, it was Pooja who played the double role of director for the film and reassessed the role of him compared to the previous film. Sadak 2 is due out in March 2020, but it has been postponed to July. With the lock showing no signs of loosening, it appears that the producers are now considering a worldwide launch on the OTT platform. Alongside Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt, the sequel also has Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur playing lead roles.
Bhuj: the pride of India
It is a privilege to introduce the first appearance of @ajaydevgn monsieur as Sq. Ld. Vijay Karnik from my next film director #BhujThePrideOfIndia. # August 14, 2020. pic.twitter.com/5pZiORdXjs January 1, 2020 The film tells the true story of squadron leader Vijay Karnik, who was the commander of the Indian Air Force base in Bhuj, Gujarat, which was destroyed by the Pakistani bombing and rebuilt by a group. 200 women in three days. The film tells how Sergeant Karnik and two officers kept the base operational after heavy shelling by Pakistani fighters. Other actors include Ammi Virk, Parineeti Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati (known as Baahubali), and Sonakshi Sinha.
The big bull
#TheBigBull launches on October 23!! Stay tuned @Ileana_Official @s0humshah @nikifyinglife @anandpandit63 @kookievgulati @KumarMangat @ajaydevgn @ADFFilms @Meena_Iyer @vicky1980 #TheBigBullOn23rdOctober pic.twitter.com/tLhwJDL5 As the title shows, the film is a biographical story of Harshad Mehta, the man who was at the center of the stock market scam that rocked the Indian economy in the early 1990s as the country opened its doors to foreign funds Has Abhishek Bachchan trying for the lead with Ileana D'Cruz, Chunkey Pandey, Kumud Mishra and Varun Sharma in supporting roles. The film was scheduled for a theatrical release in October 2020, but current indications indicate that it could lead to a festival release in September via the OTT platform.
Dil bechara
A remake of the 2014 Hollywood romance film ``The Fault in our Stars,'' the producers originally planned for a May 8 release, but postponed it due to lockdown. Now with the unfortunate suicide of its star star Sushant Singh Rajput on June 15, the producers are planning to push the release on an OTT platform. The film stars Saif Ali Khan in a central role outside of Sanjana Sanghi and Rajput, who play the cancer duo who meet at a support group.
And there is more ...
Reports of three other movies looking to debut on Disney Plus HotStar include 'Shiddat,' 'Lootcase,' and 'Mimi.' 'Mimi' is the official remake of the 2011 Marathi film 'Mala Aai Vhhaychy', starring Kriti Sanon playing a surrogate mother and meeting 'Lukka Chhupi' director Laxman Utekar. Others in the film include Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Pahwa, and Supriya Pathak. 'Shiddat' is a romantic drama involving two couples and marks the debut of Vicky Kaushal's brother, Sunny Kaushal, whose Uri: The Surgical Strike made waves last year when it was released. Radhika Madan, who made her debut opposite Irrfan in the critically acclaimed "Angrezi Medium," and Mohit Raina are also cast. The third film “Lootcase” stars Kunal Khemmu and Rasika Duggal and has been billed as a comedy film in its own right. The film is produced by Fox Star Studios and revolves around a suitcase full of money that the protagonist must decide to own or navigate. It looks like there isn't much for viewers to lose in the coming months as OTT platforms seem to be the way to go with or without blocking. However, some Bollywood producers have steadfastly refused to pledge allegiance to the streaming platform like Kabir Khan and Rohit Shetty who had two big movies lined up for 2020. Khan struck out the highly anticipated '83' which is the story of the India's Cricket World Cup triumph in the summer of 1983 at Lord's in England as Shetty is set to launch 'Sooryavanshi', who picks up her super cop franchise after the popular 'Singham' and 'Simbaa' series.