Cinema exhibitors urge Salman Khan to release Radhe in theatres on Eid

As many as 17 exhibitors’ associations have appealed to Salman Khan to release his upcoming film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai in theatres.

The reason is that movie theatres across India have been facing severe losses ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country around March last year.

Highlighting the difficulties of running cinema halls without films that can attract audiences, the letter said, 'For over a decade now, your films have played an important role in bringing audiences to single-screen cinemas, which are otherwise starved for content that caters to the sensibilities of people who patronize them.

'Your film, Radhe: The Most Wanted Bhai is among the few that are capable of resurrecting the fortunes of independent/single-screen cinemas across the country. A film like that, if released widely, can give not just financial support and relief, but also a ray of hope to owners and employees of theatres in the context of their future.'

Exhibitors believe the film should be released on Eid. Over the past decade, Khan has been releasing his films consistently on this festival holiday. 'We request you to plan the film’s release at every cinema in the country on Eid 2021 as there cannot be a better Eidi [gift or token given at the festival] than that for us film exhibitors and, more importantly, for millions of your fans, whom we cannot wait to welcome back at the theatres,' the missive continued.

About the safety measures that need to be in place to counter the pandemic, the letter claimed that not a single case of COVID-19 has been tracked to a cinema hall in the world. They also promised to keep all safety measures and protocols in place.

Directed by Prabhu Deva, Radhe also stars Disha Patani, Jackie Shroff, Sapna Pabbi, Bharath Niwas and Govind Namdev.