By: Mohnish Singh
Earlier scheduled to hit the marquee on 13th November, the upcoming comic-caper Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari will now enter theatres on 15th November, becoming one of the first major Bollywood films to release theatrically since Angrezi Medium (2020) in March, after which India went into a complete lockdown and cinemas across the country shut their doors for the public due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Talking to a publication, director Abhishek Sharma had earlier said that he had always been pushing for a theatrical release for the film. “I have never been okay with a digital release, my thoughts on this are well-known. For me, the cinema belongs to the theatre. I am really thankful to the production house for giving me that push for theatre, even in these times and Inshallah, we will be the first film to come out in theatres,” he said.
Sharma also stated that all the films which gave up a theatrical release and premiered directly on streaming media platforms during the lockdown have suffered. He wondered why the makers could not have waited longer.
“I am sorry to use the word, but those films are dying, it is death. I would not take names but there are so many films which are on OTT right now and I can see some coming as well, which are promising, I do not know why they could not wait. For me, cinema belongs to theatres. I am a theatre guy. I feel cinema belongs to movie theatres and not to OTT. I think that is the death of the cinema,” he said.
Produced by Zee Studios, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari stars Diljit Dosanjh, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Manoj Bajpayee in lead roles. It has been described as a light-hearted, Hrishikesh Mukherjee-style comedy. Do not forget to catch the film in cinemas closest to you.
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