The year 2021 was meant to mark the revival of cinemas, but it was only in November that the theatrical business of Hindi cinema began to bounce back and one man was at the centre of it all—Akshay Kumar. The actor was the first to take a leap of faith and had BellBottom release in cinemas in August. It was a plucky move, given that cinemas in Maharashtra were still shut and theatres in many states were operating at 50 per cent occupancy. The film managed Rs 32 crore, a lowly mark for a Kumar film, but for the actor the effort was more meaningful.
Tamil actor Vijay had done so earlier in January with the release of Master which collected a massive Rs 162.5 crore, the majority of its earnings coming from Tamil Nadu alone. The industry in the South was recovering well with Telugu films like Krack, Jathi Ratnalu, Uppena and Vakeel Saab faring well in the first four months, a sign that audiences were eager to make film watching a communal experience again. Then came the deadly second wave of Covid-19 and theatre owners were, once again, reeling under the lockdown.
This story is from the January 10, 2021 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the January 10, 2021 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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