On Wednesday, barely two weeks before it was set to release in theatres, Kannada film Toxic was pushed back to June. The makers announced they were postponing the release due to the ‘uncertainty in the Middle East’, a reference to the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US. The Middle East is a big market for Indian films, and hence, Toxic’s postponement makes business sense. But Dhurandhar 2, which is also slated for release on the same day, is committed to the date.
Why Dhurandhar 2 is unfazed by the Middle East conflict
In February, the US and Israel launched a joint missile strike on Iran, killing their Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliatory strikes, Iran targeted American bases across the Middle East, as well as military targets in Israel. This led to airspace closure across the Gulf and the evacuation of all foreign tourists. Naturally, film releases are far from ideal in the area.
Yet, on Friday, Jio Studios reaffirmed that Dhurandhar: The Revenge will be releasing on March 19, as scheduled. The main reason why the Aditya Dhar film remains on course is that it will most likely not release in any of the Gulf countries anyway. The first Dhurandhar, which released in December, didn’t find a release in the six Gulf countries: Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The reason was how it portrayed Pakistan as a haven for terrorism.
The Gulf countries are known for their soft stance towards Pakistan due to trade and cultural ties. As a result, any film deemed ‘anti-Pakistan’ by Pakistan itself does not find release in these countries as well. Given that Dhurandhar 2 is a continuation of the same story with the same characters and settings, it is also unlikely to release in the Middle East. Hence, any uncertainty due to war-like circumstances does not affect the film’s fate there.
The trailer of Dhurandhar 2 is set to be released on March 7, and the film will be released on March 19. Apart from Ranveer Singh in the lead role, Dhurandhar 2 also stars Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sanjay Dutt. After the postponement of Toxic, Dhurandhar: The Revenge will get a solo release in all of North India. Its only competition on the day is Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, which is likely to take some screens away in the Telugu states.
Toxic release delayed
Meanwhile, Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas, marks Kannada superstar Yash’s return to the big screen after the KGF films. On Wednesday, Yash shared a statement from Toxic’s makers, which read, “After years of dedicated labour, we were excited to share our film with you all on the 19th of March. However, the current uncertainty, especially in the Middle East, has created a situation that impacts our goal to reach and connect with the widest possible audience. Therefore, in the interest of our partners and our audience, we have made the difficult but carefully considered decision to reschedule our release. We thank you for your understanding and patience and look forward to your continued love and support.”
Toxic also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, and Rukmini Vasanth in lead roles. The action entertainer now arrives in theatres on June 4.