Seven big-ticket films of 2020, Dil Bechara, Laxmmi Bomb, Bhuj: The Pride of India, The Big Bull, Sadak 2, Loot Case and Khuda Haafiz, will be released on Disney+Hotstar between July and October this year. The first film to release is Dil Bechara, starring the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sanjana Sanghi, this is the directorial debut of Mukesh Chhabra.
In an online press conference, Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC Chairman, Star & Disney India made this announcement with the lead actors of the films that are set to release. "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. 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," said Uday.
Akshay Kumar whose horror-comedy Laxmmi Bomb is one of the releases said, "We need to accept the times we are living in now. I am happy about the digital release but also sad. It's the right of cinema halls to release films. But right now, the audience's safety is of utmost importance."
Ajay Devgn's Bhuj: The Pride of India is one of the other films to release. It stars Ajay, Sonakshi Sinha and Sanjay Dutt in lead roles. The film is based on a true story. Talking about the digital release of films, Ajay Devgn said, "We make so many films, and there are only 52 weeks to release movies in theatres. But this pandemic has given us an opportunity to explore the digital medium. Hopefully, our films will be well-distributed, a few can release on OTT platforms and others can release in theatres," said the actor.
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."
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. We may even get new audience members, those who would want to watch films from the comfort of their homes, but most important is audience's safety."
Disney+Hotstar Multiplex was introduced with the tagline, 'First Day First Show Ki Home Delivery'. It's the OTT platform's promise to release all films digitally.
Disney+ Hotstar VIP is set to release these films starting July 24