The release of director Rosshan Andrrews’ much-awaited Malayalam investigation thriller, Salute, starring Dulquer Salmaan has been postponed indefinitely in the wake of the rising cases of Omicron and other variants of COVID-19.
The film, which was initially scheduled for release on January 14, had been highly anticipated since it had the ‘Chocolate Boy’ playing the role of a cop for the first time.
Taking to social media to make the announcement, Dulquer said, “We at Wayfarer films are bound to show social responsibility ahead of our personal interests. Just like all of you, we were most excited and eagerly awaiting our next release (sic).”
“Owing to recent developments and the spike in Covid-19 and Omicron cases, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the release of Salute. We apologise if we’ve disappointed you. But in times like this, we must prioritise health and safety (sic).”
“We request everyone to stay safe. We will be back. At the earliest. We thank each and every one of you for your support (sic),” the statement concluded.
Written by the duo Bobby and Sanjay, Salute will have Dulquer essaying the character of Aravind Karunakaran, a sub-Inspector serving the Kerala Police. Diana Penty plays the female lead, with Manoj K Jayan, Alencier Ley, Binu Pappu, Vijayakumar and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy playing prominent roles in the movie.
Jakes Bejoy (of Ayyappanum Koshiyum, Ranam) has composed the music for this film. Dulquer’s own production house Wayfarer Films is bankrolling Salute, which is the company’s fifth production venture.
(*With inputs from IANS)