Release of Venkatesh’s Narappa postponed because of COVID-19 crisis

The makers of Venkatesh's Telugu drama Narappa (2021) announced today that its release has been postponed in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Narappa, a remake of the Tamil film Asuran (2019), was scheduled to be released in cinemas on 14 May. Suresh Productions, the makers of the film, announced the postponement on Twitter.

“In lieu of the pandemic, #Narappa will not be releasing on May 14th. A new theatrical date will be announced once we overcome this unprecedented crisis. Stay safe (sic),” the company said.

“Narappa is a film that we all made with a lot of dedication and hard work and your love towards the film has been overwhelming," the statement continued. "However, we are all going through a turbulent time during this unprecedented global pandemic and hence, keeping in mind the safety and health of our beloved audience, the theatrical release of the film has been postponed.”

While Venkatesh will reprise Dhanush’s role from the original, Priyamani will slip into the shoes of Manju Warrier’s character. The film has been directed by Srikant Addala.

Venkatesh was last seen on the big screen in Venky Mama (2019) and Narappa marks the star's return to playing a serious character. He is rumoured to have shed weight to play the younger version of his character in the flashback portion of Naarappa.

Based on the popular Tamil novel Vekkai, Asuran was a big hit with a total box office collection of more than Rs100 crore.

Directed by Vetrimaaran, the film is the violent story of a farmer who avenges the ruthless murder of his elder son. The film featured Dhanush in dual roles, playing his character over two generations.

Produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu, Asuran had music by GV Prakash Kumar and was predominantly shot in the interiors of Tamil Nadu.