BREAKING: Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj, Alia Bhatt’s Sadak 2 and other films confirmed to release on Disney + Hotstar

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

June 29, 2020 - 9:30 AM IST

The nationwide lockdown, that commenced in March earlier this year, put a halt on every film’s release in the country. Big banner films like Sooryavanshi, 83, Coolie No. 1, Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai among others have been postponed indefinitely. With that being said, the showbiz has been brought to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic.

BREAKING: Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb, Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj, Alia Bhatt’s Sadak 2 and other films confirmed to release on Disney + Hotstar

Since there’s no certainty as to when the situation will be stable enough for theatres to get back on track, many producers are opting for digital releases in order to no suffer any more losses. It was already rumoured that after several movies like Gulabo Sitabo and Shakuntala Devi took the OTT route.

It is already confirmed that late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara will premiere on Disney + Hotstar on July 24. Now, it has been confirmed that seven films will be directly heading to the digital platform including two of the highly awaited movies – Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb and Ajay Devgn starrer Bhuj: The Pride Of India.

The announcement was made on June 29, 2020 via virtual press conference. Uday Shankar - President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India, said “At Disney+ Hotstar, we firmly believe in pushing boundaries to achieve the unexpected. A few years ago, we took an audacious step of bringing sports closer to people by streaming it LIVE on mobile devices – a move that forever changed the course of LIVE sports in India. Today as we launch Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex, we find ourselves yet again at the cusp of making a revolutionary change by bringing the biggest Bollywood movies directly to millions across the country. We are happy to partner with the best directors and most talented actors; and provide them with a platform to present their masterpieces.”

Speaking about this initiative and its effect on the overall industry, he further added, “Theatres are a special experience. So, they will always exist and thrive. But the potential of the industry can’t be capped by the number of release windows and theatres available. Our initiative will dramatically increase the number of films that can be made, giving film-lovers more films to enjoy and the creative community more films to make. We firmly believe that this will generate a massive momentum for more and different kinds of films to be made in India. It’s a win-win for all.”

Akshay Kumar, who stars in Laxmmi Bomb, said, “We are excited and glad to have our movie Laxmmi Bomb being made available to millions of fans across the country! The movie is extremely dear to me as it is something unique I have attempted for the first time! It is an entertaining mélange 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!”

Ajay Devgn, who will be seen in Bhuj: The Pride of India, added, "Having done a hundred films, I definitely took it for granted that theatres were where our films were meant to play. However, two things happened suddenly and almost simultaneously. 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. Both options offer their own strengths. Bhuj: The Pride of India on Disney+ Hotstar VIP – a platform that will showcase our film across the length and breadth of the country. I think people will once again start looking forward to new film releases.”

Alia Bhatt, who stars in the sequel of iconic movies Sadak (released in 1991), said, “Sadak 2 is a movie that is very close to my heart; it was my first time working with my father, which makes this a dream come true. It has a very new but relevant emotional pulse, with an amazing cast. Working with Aditya, Sanjay Dutt and Pooja has been magical. These are extraordinary and difficult times and all of us are trying to get through it, taking each day at a time. My father always says that a filmmaker’s destination is the audience’s heart. Disney+ Hotstar VIP gives us that opportunity to connect with our audience all across the country”

Abhishek Bachchan, who stars in The Big Bull, said, “There is nothing greater than the joy of being able to entertain someone through movies and great storytelling. And that’s exactly what The Big Bull will do - it will keep audiences hooked till the very end. I’m glad that the movie will launch on a platform like Disney+ Hotstar VIP where people from across the country will be able to enjoy it upon release”

Here are all the movies releasing on the OTT. Check out the new posters:

LAXMMI BOMB:

This was supposed to Eid 2020 release and was to face off Salman Khan’s Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani in the leading roles. The upcoming horror-thriller is written and directed by Raghava Lawrence as this film marks his Hindi directorial debut. Akshay plays the role of a transgender. It is a remake of the Tamil movie Muni 2: Kanchana.

BHUJ: THE PRIDE OF INDIA:

Ajay Devgn stars as IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik. The story is set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where Karbnik was then in-charge of the Bhuj airport who and his team reconstructed the IAF airbase with the help of 300 local women.

Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Nora Fatehi, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk, and Pranitha Subhash are starring in key roles. It is being co-produced, written, and directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

DIL BECHARA:

The much-delayed film starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi finally will get release. It was earlier named Kizie and Manny. The film is the remake of Hollywood romance drama The Fault In Our Stars, that starred Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley. The film marks the directorial debut of casting director, Mukesh Chhabra. It will be the late actor’s last film who passed away on June 14.

THE BIG BULL:

The much-awaited Abhishek Bachchan starrer, which was set for theatrical release on 23rd October 2020, is also heading to OTT. It is the story of a man who sold dreams to India. The film will also star Ileana D'Cruz, Nikita Dutta, and Soham Shah. It is produced by Ajay Devgn and Anand Pandit, directed by Kookie Gulati and co-produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Vikrant Sharma.

SADAK 2:

The film marks the return of Mahesh Bhatt as a director after his 1991 film, Sadak. The sequel will bring back the original actors Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt along with a new pair Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur. This is also the first time Alia is working with her father since her launch in Student Of The Year.

KHUDA HAAFIZ:

Khuda Haafiz is directed by Faruk Kabir and backed by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak. The film features Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi in lead roles.

LOOTCASE:

The film will see Kunal Kemmu in the lead along with Gajraj Rao, Rasika Duggal, Ranvir Shorey, and Vijay Raaz. The movie is directed by Rajesh Krishnan and produced by Fox Star Studios and Soda Films Productions.