The release date of Sooryavasnhi was announced a few weeks back but there has been no movement so far as far as a trailer goes or even a small teaser and there is no sight of promotion. This is because the Maharashtra government has not given SOP's and guidelines to cinemas yet. The trailer will only come when Maharashtra government gives the operating procedures to exhibitors as that is the actual green light of cinemas actually being allowed to open.

There is four weeks left till the release date and hopefully the mandate from the government comes in the next few days or at least in the next week as this will allow Sooryavanshi to have a three week campaign. If nothing comes by next week then the promotion of the film is likely to suffer. In a normal situation a limited promotion campaign would hardly matter for a film like Sooryavanshi but the difference here is that this will be actually be the restart of Hindi cinema and this will have to communicated to the audience across the country. Bell Bottom did lack in this communiaction as digital promotion may look huge but does not actually reach the ground level as the industry tends to think.

The release dates have been announced of so many films but at the moment a film is seen to be coming only when the trailer comes with a date. Here the trailer is being held up until they are 100% sure that Maharashtra theatres will open up as planned. 

The exhibitors cannot plan much either till they get the guidelines. There were many teething problems with the first release be it Puaada in Punjab or Bell Bottom in rest of the circuits and many cinemas could not release on the first day with many issues including settlements with landlords. If you intend to open then these things should be done before but here many agreed settlements post the release of the films as they saw business was up and running again.

This should be avoided in Maharashtra as if your cinema is going to reopen then you want to be ready for Sooryavanshi on Diwali as there is no better time to start but the this delay of not knowing the film is 100% certain to come on Diwali means less time. The makers on their part gave a six week notice with an intention to release but intention does not mean an actual release today and we are down to four weeks and it will be three weeks next Friday. Basically the longer it takes for the trailer to come will mean less cinemas ready to release in Maharashtra. It will be like Bell Bottom and Puaada in Punjab with cinemas being added post the first day. 

A lot of this could have been avoided if the guidelines had already come but now its going to be a race against time for many cinemas as real negotiations with landlords will only start when the trailer is there of Sooryavanshi.