Dhamaka, a film by Kartik Aaryan, will be released on Netflix on Friday, while ‘Bunty aur Babli 2,’ a film starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, will be released in theatres this Friday.
So, Sooryavanshi has completed the task. It has reintroduced people to the theatre. The film is currently on track to gross more over Rs175 crore. Now it’s time to look ahead to the future releases: Dhamaka, directed by Kartik Aaryan, will be available on Netflix, while Bunty aur Babli 2, starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, will be released in theatres on Friday.
This will be a litmus test for everyone engaged. While Dhamaka will provide information into how viewers are reacting to OTT releases now that theatres have opened, Bunty aur Babli 2 will see if people are willing to return to theatres after seeing Sooryavanshi.
Dhamaka is the first made-for-OTT film to include a big name in the lead role. OTT prominent stars including Akshay Kumar (Laxmii), Salman Khan (Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai), Varun Dhawan (Coolie No. 1), Ajay Devgn (Bhuj: The Pride of India), Ayushmann Khurrana (Gulabo Sitabo), Sidharth Malhotra (Shershaah), Abhishek Bachchan (The Big Bull), Vidya Balan
Nevertheless, each of these films was slated for a theatrical release before being relegated to an OTT debut. In this regard, Kartik Aaryan is the first prominent actor to take the risk of making an OTT original film.
It was a bold move because the video was made entirely during the epidemic last December, and in a record-breaking span of ten days. When most of the actors and celebrities were hesitant to return to the sets, Kartik Aaryan took the risk of green-lighting Dhamaka and directing Ram Madhvani in this violent film.
With the film’s premiere date set for November 19, one might expect some serious ‘dhamaka’ on Netflix, given the film’s theme, terrorism, has a history of doing well in Bollywood. Furthermore, Kartik Aaryan’s fans have long adored him for his lover boy persona (Pyaar Ka Punchnama), and seeing him in a different light here may be a revelation.
In theatres, Bunty aur Babli 2 is the first big release by Yash Raj Films (YRF) in two years, following War (October 2019). Despite the incentives, Aditya Chopra elected not to release the picture straight-to-OTT – YRF’s long-awaited feature Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar fared poorly in theatres earlier this year but has since become a cult classic thanks to its digital distribution. YRF, on the other hand, is confident that Bunty aur Babli 2 will be a box office success.
