Surge in Covid cases hits Shahid Kapoor's 'Jersey', release postponed. Are other films under threat too?

The release of Shahid Kapoor-starrer 'Jersey' has been pushed again. The Bollywood film's producers made the announcement on Tuesday amid a rise in the Covid-19 cases in the country and alarming concern over the new variant, Omicron.

The film, which also stars Mrunal Thakur, was all set to hit the theatres this Friday (December 31), but considering the surge in the virus cases, the makers of 'Jersey' have put a hold on the release for now.

"In view of the current circumstances and new Covid-19 guidelines we have decided to postpone the theatrical release of our film 'Jersey'.


"We have received immense love from you all so far and want to thank you all for everything. Until then everyone please stay safe and healthy, and wishing you all the best for the new year ahead!! Team Jersey!!" the film's producers said in a statement.

The film 'Jersey' is a Hindi remake of the 2019 Telugu blockbuster of the same name.

In last few days, several states of India have been reporting a rise in Covid cases. As the Omicron scare grips the nation, many states including Delhi and Maharashtra have already imposed curbs such as night curfews, 50 per cent limit capacity in public places in order to combat the virus surge.

If the country continues to see a spike in the coronavirus cases especially after the New Year's Eve, then stricter restrictions and guidelines will be imposed in the country.

Considering the current situation and the uncertainty, more film releases might get delayed yet again since theatres in Delhi are already shut, while Maharashtra is functioning on 50 per cent capacity in cinema halls.

Kapoor and Thakur-starrer 'Jersey' was originally scheduled for a release in August 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. The makers then announced the new release date which was around Diwali, but it was postponed for a third time to December 31.

Now the new release date is yet to be confirmed.


'Jersey' is a sport drama which tells the story of a former cricketer who returns to the field for the sake of his son.

Apart from 'Jersey', there are more big films on the pipeline with their releases scheduled for next month such as film-maker SS Rajamouli's historic drama 'RRR', which is scheduled for a release on January 7.

The multi-starrer film features some of the biggest names from the industry such as N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Olivia Morris in pivotal roles while many others starring as supporting characters.

Though the makers of 'RRR' haven't yet made a statement about the film's release, sources told economictimes.com, that the decisions on Rajamouli's 'RRR' epic drama along with Yash Raj Films' 'Prithviraj', which is scheduled to be released on January 21 will be taken in due course.

Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, 'Prithviraj' is a historic drama starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role. The film, which is set to release on January 21, 2022, tracks the heroism of the fearless King Prithviraj Chauhan as he faces off against Muhammad of Ghor.

Another film that faces dark clouds over release date if the Covid cases in the nation keep rising is period romantic drama ‘Radhe Shyam’ starring Prabhas and Pooja Hegde, which is set for 14 January release.

While Alia Bhatt-starrer ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, set to hit the theatres in February 18, has already faced several delays this year. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial may also get affected yet again by the virus surge.