2020 has been a year of waiting. We waited in lines to buy essentials, we stayed indoors waiting when the coronavirus transmission was at its peak, and we continue to wait for a successful vaccine to reach us.
To keep ourselves entertained, we also waited for new content from filmmakers, artists and musicians. Meanwhile, filmmakers were forced to reshuffle release dates as everything had come to a standstill due to the lockdown. This pushed several films to opt for OTT releases, but that was not a viable option for big budget films.
As 2020 draws to a close, here is a list of some of the postponed/delayed south Indian films that fans are waiting for eagerly.
Master: Starring Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and Malavika Mohanan in the lead, this was one of 2020’s most awaited films. The timing of its initial release could not have been more unfortunate. Just a few weeks before the release of the film, a nation-wide lockdown was announced, forcing filmmakers to confront reality and postpone its release. Originally planned to release on April 9, Master is rumoured to release in theatres for Pongal 2021.
Valimai: If things had gone as per plan, Ajith’s Valimai, directed by H Vinoth, should have hit the screens for Deepavali this year. Unfortunately, even before the pandemic struck, Ajith met with an accident on the sets and the filming had to be paused. Produced by Boney Kapoor, his second with the actor-director combo after Nerkonda Paarvai, Valimai has all Ajith fans waiting eagerly to watch it. Unlike Master, which is done with its post-production work, Valimai still has a chunk of filming left.
Jagame Thanthiram: This Dhanush-Karthik Subbaraj project is also awaiting a theatrical release and is expected to hit the screens around the time that Master releases. Also starring Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Kalaiyarasan and Hollywood actor James Cosmo, the film might be the next immediate big Tamil release after Master in 2021.
Sultan: Actor Karthi’s film was wrapped up recently but a major portion of its filming was done before the pandemic. Touted to be an action-packed entertainer, it was originally supposed to release for Deepavali 2020. Directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan, Sultan also stars Rashmika Mandanna. The film had run into trouble with religious outfits for its title and the makers had to clarify that it was not based on the life of Tipu Sultan.
Laabam: Starring Vijay Sethupathi and Shruti Haasan in the lead and directed by SP Jananathan, this film went into production in April 2019 and was expected to hit the screens in 2020. However, the filming of this political thriller that also has Jagapathi Babu, Sai Dhansika and Kalaiyarasan was delayed by the pandemic and it is yet to be completed as of early December 2020.
Cobra: This Ajay Gnanamuthu thriller starring Vikram in the lead was under production in Russia when the pandemic struck. The team had to wind up mid-shoot and return with 25% of filming pending. With music scored by AR Rahman, this film too is expected to release in 2021.
Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham: This Mohanlal starrer directed by Priyadarshan was to release in March 2020 originally. The multi-starrer, big budget historical drama is based on the real life of Kunjali Marakkar IV, considered the most popular of the Marakkars. With Mohanlal fans eagerly waiting to see their star perform the extensively shot war sequences, the film is now expected to release early in 2021. The film also stars Sunil Shetty, Siddique, Prabhu, Manju Warrier, Arjun Sarja, Mukesh, Ashok Selvan and Keerthy Suresh.
One: Touted to be Mammootty’s big release for 2020, One is expected to release in theatres only next year after the lockdown halted its filming. Mammootty will be seen playing Kadakkal Chandran, the Chief Minister of Kerala. Others in the cast include Sreenath Bhasi, Saniya Iyappan, Jagadish, Madhupal, Baby Monica and Venkitesh VP. While Mammootty has earlier acted as Chief Minister in a Tamil film called Makkal Aatchi decades ago and recently played late Andhra Pradesh CM Y Rajasekhar Reddy in his biopic titled Yatra, fans are excited to see him don the role of Kerala’s Chief Minister.
Malik: This Fahadh Faasil crime drama, directed by Mahesh Narayan, was scheduled for release on April 12 this year for Vishu. Inspired by a true story, the film will cover different time periods starting from the 1960s and will have Fahadh appearing in four different looks. The makers of Malik have recently said that the film will release on May 13, 2021, on the eve of Eid.
RRR: Touted to be a magnum opus from maverick director SS Rajamouli, RRR stars Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Olivia Morris in the lead roles. Bollywood stars Ajay Devgn and Varun Dhawan are playing pivotal roles in RRR as well. The movie was initially planned for release in July 2020, however the pandemic hit and everything had to be halted. The shooting of this movie resumed only in the month of October and is ongoing. The movie is expected to release next year but the new date is yet to be confirmed by the makers.
Aranya: Starring Rana Daggubati in the lead, this multilingual movie is directed by Prabhu Solomon, who is known for his award-winning movie Mynaa. It will be released as Haathi Mere Saathi in Hindi and Kaadan in Tamil. The movie was supposed to release in April 2020, but it is currently in the race for a Pongal 2021 release.
Vakeel Saab: One of Pawan Kalyan’s most-awaited movies, Vakeel Saab is jointly produced by Dil Raju and Boney Kapoor. A remake of the Bollywood film Pink, it is directed by Venu Sriram and will have Pawan Kalyan reprising Amitabh Bachchan’s role from the Hindi version. The movie also stars Anjali and Nivetha Thomas in significant roles. Initially set to release in May this year, the film’s release has now been pushed to 2021, but the date is yet to be announced.
Love Story: This Sai Pallavi and Naga Chaitanya starrer is directed by Fidaa fame director Sekhar Kammula. The romantic entertainer was initially set for release on April 2 this year, but we hear the release date has now been moved to January 2021. The date is yet to be announced by the makers.
Krack: The comedy-action entertainer starring Ravi Teja and Shruthi Haasan was supposed to hit the screens on May 8 but the same has been postponed. Directed by Gopichand Malineni, the movie’s shooting resumed in October after the break due to COVID-19.
Wild Dog: Nagarjuna’s action thriller, which was supposed to hit the screens on December 4, 2020, has been pushed as the shooting was delayed to the pandemic. Directed by Ahishor Solomon, the movie is in the post-production stage and prepping for an April 2021 release.
Virataparvam: This Sai Pallavi-Rana Daggubati starrer has been in the making for over a year. With filming resuming last month, makers are hopeful for a theatrical release next year. Directed by Venu Udugula of Needi Naadi Oke Katha fame, this film will mark Nandita Das’s return to Telugu cinema after a long time.
KGF: Chapter 2: This was Sandalwood’s most awaited film this year but its filming was wrapped up only last week. Directed by Prashanth Neel and a sequel to the most successful KGF: Chapter 1 which released in 2018, the makers are gearing up to share the teaser in January 2021. Actor Yash will return to play the lead in this sequel that will also star Sanjay Dutt.
Roberrt: The shoot for this Darshan starrer is underway. Directed by Tharun Sudhir, the action-thriller was initially set to release in April 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic spoiled plans. Roberrt also stars Jagapathi Babu, Ravi Kishan, Devaraj, P Ravi Shankar and Asha Bhat.
Pogaru: Starring Dhruva Sarja and Rashmika Mandanna, the film, which was scheduled to release on March 24 this year, has been delayed due to the pandemic. The Nanda Kishore venture is an action thriller. This bilingual movie will also mark the Tollywood debut of Dhruva Sarja. The new release date is yet to be announced, but it is definitely expected to release in 2021.
Kotigobba 3: A sequel to the 2016 film Kotigobba 2, this is an action flick starring Sudeep in the lead. The film was slated to release on April 30, 2020; however, the pandemic has caused the film’s release to be postponed indefinitely. The third instalment in the Kotigobba series, it also stars Aftab Shivdasani, Madonna Sebastian, Shraddha Das and P Ravi Shankar in prominent roles. Sudeep fans are eagerly waiting to see their star back on the silver screen.
Bhajarangi 2: Kannada star Shiva Rajkumar's fantasy action film is the sequel to the popular film from 2013. Directed by Harsha and also starring Bhavana, this film is among the most awaited releases for 2021.