10 Most Exciting Films to Look Forward to in Second Half of 2021

The film industry remains deeply in flux as cinema halls are yet to reopen amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Just like the first six months of 2021, the second half of the year will likely be full of schedule changes and surprise decisions to move the theatrical releases of some big movies to OTT platforms, considering there are countless reports of an upcoming third wave of the novel coronavirus.

However, despite Covid constraints, 2021 has already seen the release of blockbusters like Master, Uppena, Vakeel Saab in cinemas and plenty of other refreshingly original movies like Pagglait, Sarpatta Parambarai, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, Silence… Can You Hear It? and Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi on streaming platforms. Now, start getting ready for a mega second half of the year, where Sooryavanshi, Gangubai Kathiawadi, 83 and RRR among others are slated to release. Here are the movie releases we’re most looking forward to in the second half of 2021:

Bhuj: The Pride of India

Bhuj: The Pride of India, starring Ajay Devgn, will be released on Independence Day weekend on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The film is billed as a “true story” of bravery, patriotism and determination set in the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. Bhuj is scheduled to release on the streamer on August 13. The period war-action movie follows IAF Squadron Leader and then Bhuj airport in-charge Vijay Karnik, played by Devgn, who reconstructed an entire IAF airbase along with the help of 300 women from a local village in Madhapar to protect the country. Bhuj also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Ammy Virk, Nora Fatehi and Sharad Kelkar.

Bellbottom

On June 16, Akshay Kumar had announced that his film Bellbottom would arrive in cinemas worldwide on July 27. However, there is still no update on whether the film will hit the theatres as per its scheduled release since a majority of cinema halls are still shut in the country. Bellbottom has been directed by Ranjit M Tewari and also stars Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi. The espionage thriller was previously scheduled to have a big-screen release on May 28 but got postponed due to the second wave of the Covid-19 this year. The makers of Bellbottom had previously rejected all reports that the film was heading for an OTT premiere.

Sooryavanshi

Akshay Kumar’s fans have been waiting for the release of Sooryavanshi for a long time. Most recently, at the press meet of Khatron Ke Khiladi 11, director Rohit Shetty said that the release of his much-awaited film depends on the reopening of theatres across the country. The release of the cop-drama has been pushed multiple times due to cinema halls being shut across the country owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Sooryavanshi is the fourth film in Shetty’s cop universe after Singham, Singham Returns and Simmba.

83

Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83, starring Ranveer Singh as former cricketer Kapil Dev, has faced multiple delays owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The film was scheduled to hit the theatres on June 4 but got pushed once again. The makers are expected to announce the new release date of the film if things get back to normal in the coming months. 83 tells the story of how the Indian cricket team defeated West Indies to clinch their maiden World Cup in 1983. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jatin Sarna and others.

KGF 2

KGF: Chapter 2, starring Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Prakash Raj, and Raveena Tandon, was scheduled to release on July 16 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. However, with a massive second wave of Covid-19 sweeping through India, the film couldn’t hit the theatres as per its scheduled release. Directed by Prashanth Neel, the two-part fictional mob drama traces the journey of India’s most dreaded criminal, Rocky. After losing his mother at a very early age to poverty and sickness, Rocky develops an insatiable urge for power. And his pursuit for power leads him to the gold mines of Kolar, and a turf war ensues.

Gangubai Kathiawadi

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, featuring Alia Bhatt in the lead, was supposed to open in the theatres countrywide on July 30 but got pushed due to the pandemic. The film has been adapted from one of the chapters of noted author Hussain Zaidi’s book “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”. The actress finished shooting for the film last month and described filming the Bhansali directorial as a “gigantic life-changing experience.” The film features Bhatt as Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved and respected madams from Kamathipura, Mumbai’s red-light area, during the 1960s. Gangubai Kathiawadi has been through a journey of extreme highs and lows, from two cyclones (Nisarga in 2020 and Tauktae in June) to coronavirus-induced lockdowns. Both Bhatt and Bhansali had also contracted Covid-19 during the shoot.

Thalaivi

In April, the makers of actor Kangana Ranaut-led Thalaivi announced they deferred the release of the film due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in India. The multilingual biographical film about the life of J Jayalalithaa, former Tamil Nadu CM and actor, was gearing to release theatrically on April 23. Directed by Vijay and written by KV Vijayendra Prasad, Thalaivi also stars Arvind Swami, Madhoo, Prakash Raj, Jisshu Sengupta, Bhagyashree, and Poorna. Most recently, Kangana urged everyone not to pay heed to rumours related to Thalaivi’s release date. “We will release the film as and when cinemas open all across the country,” she said.

RRR

SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR, starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan, is currently in the post-production stage. The producers of RRR are hoping to release the film worldwide on October 13. RRR is a fictional story based on the struggles of Telugu tribal leaders Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. While Ram Charan will be seen in the role of Sitarama, Jr NTR essays Komaram in RRR. Rajamouli has also roped in Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn to play pivotal roles in the film.

Pushpa

Telugu star Allu Arjun’s much-awaited film Pushpa is slated to release in two parts. The multilingual action-thriller chronicles the red sanders heist in the hills of Andhra and depicts the convoluted nexus that unfurls in the course of the narrative of a man who is taken by avarice. Producers Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar recently said the first part of the movie is slated to release on August 13 with the second installment coming out in 2022. But that plan entirely depends on how quickly the ongoing second wave of coronavirus will be brought under control. Written and directed by Sukumar of Arya fame, the film will be released in Telugu along with Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam languages.

Laal Singh Chaddha

Though the release date of Laal Singh Chaddha, starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, was announced at a time when the makers possibly thought things would get better, it’s not entirely unexpected that they shift the film to next year in the wait to make a maximum profit. Laal Singh Chaddha is currently scheduled to release on Christmas 2021. The movie, which is an official remake of Tom Hanks’ 1994 feature “Forrest Gump”, was previously scheduled to hit the theatres on December 25 last year. The production of the film is still underway. Aamir is currently shooting with the team in Ladakh. Advait Chandan of Secret Superstar fame is directing the film from a script by actor-writer Atul Kulkarni.

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