Finally, Rohit Shetty confirms Sooryavanshi's Diwali release

After several delays on account of the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated lockdowns, Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi will finally arrive in theatres for the Diwali weekend of 2021.

The Diwali weekend this year begins on Thursday 4 November.

Director Shetty confirmed the release after meeting Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray as part of a delegation on Saturday. The chief minister announced at the meeting that theatres in Maharashtra could reopen after 22 October.

Sharing a picture from the meeting, Shetty wrote, "Thanks to our honourable chief minister, Shri Uddhav Thackeray, theatres in Maharashtra to reopen from 22nd October."

The kicker, though, comes in the latter half of the post which said, "And finally! We can say, This DIWALI... AA RAHI HAI POLICE [The police are coming this Diwali]."

Actor Akshay Kumar also took to social media to celebrate the long-delayed theatrical release of his film.

The obvious tagline to the film and the clear mention ensures that the first big Hindi release of 2021 will be Sooryavanshi. It also ensures that the makers have stuck to their word of releasing the film only in theatres.

Sooryavanshi feature Akshay Kumar in the lead role, with Ranveer Singh and Ajay Devgn making special appearances. The film is one of the big-budget productions that were stuck without a release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initially set for release on 24 March 2020, the film faced an uncertain future with the pandemic forcing governments to shut down theatres across the country. After the end of the first wave, the film was scheduled for release on 30 April 2021. However, the second wave played spoilsport.

Despite the recurring postponements, the makers insisted on a theatrical release. In April 2020, Reliance Entertainment CEO Shibasish Sarkar said, "All of us, including the actors and directors, are clear that we want to hold both films till normalcy returns and release them theatrically, since they are both big-screen experiences." The other film he was referring to is Kabir Khan's 83, which has also been stuck because of the lockdowns.