Virus hits Bollywood: Salman Khan cancels US-Canada tour, SIR follows Sooryavanshi to push release dates

Mumbai, March 13 (IANS): Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has cancelled his event Up Close And Personal With Salman Khan, which was supposed to take place in the United States and Canada from April 3 to 12, in the wake of coronavirus scare.

Informing Salman's fans about the same, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted Friday morning: "#Update: The #SalmanKhan event -- Up, Close & Personal With Salman Khan -- to be held in #USA and #Canada from 3 to 12 April 2020 has been postponed. #CoronaVirus #COVID19."

Salman's postponing his North American sojourn marks the latest effect of the COVID 19 pandemic on Bollywood. Last evening, by an order of Delhi government, cinema theatres in a Capital were shut down.

Soon afterwards, Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi became the first Bollywood biggie to call off its release. The film was scheduled to release later this month. Several other Bollywood and Hollywood films have been called off.

Akshay along with the team of the film shared the news about the postponement over social media. It was scheduled to release on March 24.

"Sooryavanshi is an experience that we have created for you with over a year of dedication and hard work. And the response we received for its trailer was nothing less than electrifying and made it clear that this film truly belongs to its audience," read the official statement.

"We have been as excited as you are to present the film to you and your family, but due to recent outburst of coronavirus, we, the makers, have decided to postpone the release of your film ‘Sooryavanshi', keeping in mind the health and safety of our audience."

"And therefore, Sooryavanshi will be back for you just when the time is right. After all, safety comes first… Until then, keep the excitement alive, take care of yourself and stay strong," added the statement, which was signed off by Team Sooryavanshi.

The film is presented by Reliance Entertainment and produced by Rohit Shetty, Karan Johar and Cape of Good Films.

In other developments, The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has been postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus worldwide.

"Given the recent developments around coronavirus, IFFLA has made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone this year's Festival from April 1- April 5 to a later, to-be-determined date in 2020."

"In doing so, we stand in solidarity with leading cultural institutions and festivals and the recommendations of the CDC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, by taking proactive steps towards combating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic," Christina Marouda, IFFLA Chair of the Board, said in an official statement.

"The well-being of our guests, partners and staff is paramount. We will continue to closely monitor the situation for the best timing to reschedule the festival later this year," the statement said.

In another development, the release date of Rohena Gera's feature film Is Love Enough? SIR was postponed owing to the coronavirus outbreak. The film was initially scheduled to release on March 20.

"Bearing in mind public health concerns and the advisory from the Health Ministry, we have decided to postpone the release of SIR. We look forward to sharing our film with our home audience in India and will announce an updated release date as soon as possible."

"Meanwhile, we urge everyone to stay safe and take all necessary health precautions," a statement from the makers said, announcing the change in the release date of the film, read.

The decision comes one day after the Delhi government officially announced the shutdown of all cinema halls in the Capital until March 31 due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

Is Love Enough? SIR features Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber and Marathi actress Geetanjali Kulkarni.

In another development, the makers of Irrfan Khan's Angrezi Medium said they will be re-releasing the film in Kerala, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir - regions where cinema halls will remain shut till March 31 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

On Thursday, it was announced that cinema halls and schools will be shut in several regions as an effort to prevent the highly-contagious virus from spreading.

Even as Sooryavanshi was immediately postponed, the makers of Angrezi Medium went ahead with the release on March 13 despite not being able to play the film in Delhi theatres.

"Angrezi Medium has been a journey I shall cherish all my life. The one thing I've learnt from its making is that whatever be the obstacle, if we pour our heart and soul into something, the universe will have our back."

"As the film now reaches India, we have already received unabashed love from Dubai and other international territories. Due to unforeseen circumstances, it will however not release in Kerala, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir."

"We hope for the same affection and support you've been giving us since day one. Our movie will reach these places when the time is right, but rest assured, just like Irrfan said, 'wait for us'," said the film's producer Dinesh Vijan.

Earlier, a statement released by the maker read: "Angrezi Medium opens exceptionally in Dubai! The movie is released as scheduled across India except for - Kerala, Delhi and UT of Jammu & Kashmir."

"The makers will be releasing the movie in these respective regions once the theatres re-open. The movie has been appreciated by the critics and is sure to fill your hearts with love and laughter."

Angrezi Medium revolves around a father-daughter relationship, played out by Irrfan and Radhika Madan. The film also features Deepak Dobriyal, Dimple Kapadia, Ranvir Shorey and Kareena Kapoor Khan. The film is presented by Jio studios and Prem Vijan.