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Fans travelled 475 km for Akhanda 2 only for Balakrishna film to be postponed; producer pressured for new release date
14 Reels Plus announced late on December 4 that Akhanda 2's premiers and release on December 5 has been put on hold. Here's how Balakrishna's fans reacted.
Actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna’s fans received a major shock on Thursday evening when production house 14 Reels Plus first announced the cancellation of the premieres of Akhanda 2 and later postponed the film from its intended December 5 release. Some fans had travelled 475 km only to find out the film’s release was postponed at the last minute. (Also Read: Akhanda 2 release postponed: How a court case over ₹28 crore abruptly halted Balakrishna film hours before release)
Fans travelled long distances to watch Akhanda 2 before last-minute announcement
Numerous fans in India and the US had already travelled long distances and made their way to the theatre of their choice when the production house announced the postponement. A person who works at Prasads Multiplex in Hyderabad revealed that a few friends travelled 475 km just to watch the film in PCX format.
They wrote, “Papam mana bro @manojsaahu8 and vala frnds 10mem 475km travel chesi vacharu PCX lo #Akhanda2 chudaniki mrg 5am ki bus eki vacharu. (Sadly, our bro and 10 of his friends travelled 475 km by boarding a bus at 5 AM to watch Akhanda 2 in PCX).” The fan still remained hopeful that the film would be released on December 5 as planned, only for it to be postponed.
Another X (formerly Twitter) user from the US posted a picture of a few fans still waiting for an update at a theatre, writing, “Despite extreme conditions, fans who travelled long distances to theatres are disappointed to learn that #Akhanda2 has been postponed. Repeated content delays and last-minute announcements have deeply upset USA fans. Production teams should ensure these mistakes are avoided in the future.”
Bringing up the fan who shelled out a whopping amount of money in Germany to buy the first ticket of Akhanda 2 in Germany, one person wrote, “Evado 2 lakhs petti ticket konnadu ga Vaadi paristhiti ento!!! (What about the fan who bought the ticket for ₹2 lakh?)” Another wrote, “Really heartbreaking news for all the Balayya fans.”
Producers called out for not announcing new release date
If comments on 14 Reels Plus’ social media are anything to go by, it looks like some fans waited overnight for an announcement about a new release date. They now leave comments, exerting pressure on the producer to give an update soon.
One X user pointed out in the early hours of Friday, “It's 3 a.m already in India. Don't you owe even an update after 5 hours! What a shame!” On Friday afternoon, another wrote, “Working tirelessly, but there isn't a single update past 11 hours! Seems these people might have run into thin air!”
The last update the production house had announced read: “With a heavy heart, we regret to inform you that #Akhanda2 will not be releasing as scheduled due to unavoidable circumstances. This is a painful moment for us, and we truly understand the disappointment it brings to every fan and movie lover awaiting the film. We are working tirelessly to resolve the matter at the earliest. Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused. Your support means the world to us. We promise to share a positive update very soon.”
Why was Akhanda 2 release postponed?
On Thursday, Eros International Media Limited announced that the Madras High Court passed an order injuncting the release of Akhanda 2. The appeal was filed by Eros in connection with its long-standing arbitral award against 14 Reels Entertainment Private Limited, under which they are owed approximately ₹28 crore by 14 Reels. An order was passed preventing any release, distribution, or commercial exploitation of Akhanda 2 unless further orders of the Court permit otherwise.
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