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Theatre closures, releases cancelled: Four Bollywood actors who’ll be hit the hardest because of Covid-19 lockdown

Hindustan Times | By
Mar 24, 2020 11:30 AM IST

With theatres across the country closed and multiple high-profile releases cancelled, here are four Bollywood actors who stand to lose the most because of the coronavirus lockdown.

While the coronavirus pandemic will majorly affect the entire film industry, a few actors have more at stake than most others. With theatres across the country closed amid lockdowns and curfews, the industry is waiting with bated breath for things to get back to normal.

There has been only one bonafide success story so far this year -- Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which escaped unscathed before the virus was considered a major threat in India, and made over Rs 360 crore worldwide. Minor winners include Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhaan (Rs 82 crore), Malang (Rs 80 crore), and Jawaani Jaaneman (Rs 44 crore). Similarly, even in Hollywood, besides Bad Boys for Life, no other film has broken the $200 million mark domestically in the US.

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Also read: Box office report: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan to Love Aaj Kal, nothing could light up BO like Tanhaji

But with the next couple of months loaded with uncertainty, several big productions and actors have a lot on the line. Here are the Bollywood actors who stand to lose the most because of the lockdown.

Sushant Singh Rajput (Dil Bechara)

Still unproven as a box office draw -- MS Dhoni had the built-in attraction of the cricketer’s appeal, Drive was relegated to streaming, Sonchiriya, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! and Raabta bombed, and Chhichhore featured an ensemble cast -- Sushant faces another setback if his film is pushed. Dil Bechara has been cursed ever since its inception. The official remake of Hollywood hit The Fault in Our Stars suffered one setback after another, which included sexual harassment allegations being levelled against both Sushant -- he had to offer a public statement -- and director Mukesh Chhabra, who was put through an investigation.

Arjun Kapoor/Parineeti Chopra (Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar)

After making their film debuts together, Arjun and Parineeti reunited for the recent dud Namaste England. It was the final nail in parallel career slumps. While Arjun appeared in back-to-back flops in 2019 -- India’s Most Wanted and Panipat -- Parineeti hasn’t fared much better, appearing in the already forgotten Jabariya Jodi. Besides the long-delayed Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, which after several years in the can was finally given a March release, only to be pushed once again, Parineeti has The Girl on the Train remake in the pipeline. In all probability, it, too, will be pushed.

Ranbir Kapoor (Brahmastra/Shamshera)

Ranbir Kapoor hasn’t had a release since Sanju in 2018. And even though it was the most successful film of his career, it was an anomaly. With the shoots of both Brahmastra and Shamshera -- Ranbir’s two upcoming films -- having been affected by the lockdown, there is a chance that Ranbir sees a gap of three years between releases, a situation that no actor would want to find themselves in. Brahmastra has already been postponed multiple times, with director Ayan Mukerji reportedly struggling to keep pace with the film’s scope, and inflating budget. The shoot for Brahmastra began in 2018, and is yet to be finished. At a time when even Marvel films complete principle photography within 100-day schedules, this is a worrying sign.

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