Disney+ Hotstar unveils a slate of seven Bollywood movies for direct-to-digital release

After much suspense, Disney+ Hotstar has lifted the curtain on its upcoming slate of Bollywood films which will be releasing on the platform as part of “Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex” initiative.

Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj: The Pride of India and Alia Bhatt’s Sadak 2 are among seven Bollywood movies which are getting a direct-to-digital release on Disney+ Hotstar as theatres across India remain shut due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The first film to premiere on the platform as “Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex” will be Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi’s Dil Bechara. Helmed by casting-director turned filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra, the romantic drama is scheduled to premiere on July 24. In a bid to honour the legacy of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the streaming platform has decided to make his final film available to even the non-subscribers.

Other titles set to release on the platform between July and October include Abhishek Bachchan’s The Big Bull, Vidyut Jammwal’s Khuda Haafiz and Kunal Kemmu’s Lootcase. While Dil Bechara will be available to everyone for free, other six films will be limited to subscribers of Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The subscription costs ₹399 a year.

Akshay Kumar, who is looking forward to the release of his much-awaited Laxmmi Bomb on Disney+ Hotstar VIP, said in a statement, “The movie is extremely dear to me as it is something unique I have attempted for the first time! It is an entertaining melange of horror and humour and it has a strong social message attached to it! I am certain that this movie will bring joy and hope for everyone in these trying times.”

“The Corona pandemic threw all our comfort worlds into a tizzy. And, at the same time, the OTT medium that was a fairly new phenomenon gained a huge significance as far as consuming entertainment is concerned. In the future, theatres and OTT will move in parallel. Bhuj: The Pride of India on Disney+ Hotstar VIP — a platform that will showcase our film across the length and breadth of the country,” said Ajay Devgn.