Coronavirus update: With COVID-19 cases rising, Kangana Ranaut's Thalaivi is postponed

The release of Thalaivi (2021), Kangana Ranaut's on-screen appearance as the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, has been postponed.

The makers announced the postponement of the film in view of the rising COVID-19 cases across the country, which has resulted in theatres being closed down in several states.

The film, directed by AL Vijay, was scheduled to be released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India on 23 April. The producers' social media message read, "...But with an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases, subsequent precautions and lockdowns, even though our film is ready for release on 23rd April, we want to extend all the support towards the government rules and regulations and have decided to postpone release of Thalaivi. Though we are deferring the release date, we are confident that we will receive as much love from you all then as well. Stay safe and looking forward to everyone's support."

The trailer for the film, which also features Arvind Swami, was released last month.

Thalaivi joins a growing list of major projects like the Akshay Kumar-led Sooryavanshi and Salman Khan's Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai which have been affected by the second COVID-19 wave in India. 

States like Maharashtra have shut down public spaces, including theatres, and imposed night curfews to try and curb the spread. The shutdown of theatres in Maharashtra, a major film market, is stipulated to last till at least 30 April.