The recent surge in Omicron cases is affecting the box office collections of various movies all around the world these days. The closing or limited occupancy of cinema theatres is the main reason behind this chaotic scenario. Indian moviemakers are also facing the same crisis, forcing them to delay the production work of their impending projects. Low budget filmmakers have the alternative of sending their upcoming releases to OTT platforms. But we can’t say the same for mega-budget projects. And it seems like the ongoing COVID chaos has also forced the makers of Ajith Kumar’s Valimai to halt the movie’s release, scheduled to take place on January 13.
Various Indian states have imposed bans on cinema theatres to curb the community spread of Omicron and other variants of Coronavirus. The state governments of Tamil Nadu and Bihar have decided to shut down all movie theatres amid the recent spike in Omicron cases. On the other hand, Karnataka has imposed 50% occupancy in theatres after allowing 100% occupancy a couple of months ago. Apart from these two states, Maharashtra is also not a safe place to drop a visit in the movie theatres in recent times. Additionally, several state governments have banned night shows, causing a lot of financial troubles for ongoing theatrical runs.
Valimai is one of the most expensive projects in Ajith Kumar’s career. Various reports have confirmed that the movie has a staggering budget of more than 150 crores. With theatres getting closed in most parts of India, the film’s producers are in no condition to earn handsome profits through its theatrical runs.
Additionally, we can take the latest example of Ranveer Singh’s 83. Despite earning rave reviews from the critics and the fans, the film is now a box office bomb in India. Recent Bollywood instalments are known for their inability to generate massive hype and fan following among the viewers. On the other hand, various South Indian projects like Pushpa: The Rise, Master, Akhanda, and many more turned out to be box office sensations this year.
The present Omicron scenario has compelled the producers to dispatch their upcoming films on streaming platforms again. And only time will tell how bad the ongoing situation becomes for the Indian theatres and their respective owners.
The new release date for Ajith Kumar’s Valimai is not out yet. But we will inform you as soon as we receive any official update about it. Stay tuned for more updates.
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