Will Rajamouli's RRR release on schedule?

S S Rajamouli's post-Baahubali opus, RRR, is finding its progress fettered by the pandemic.

While Rajamouli is adamant about releasing the film on October 13, sources close to the project this is "next to impossible".

One of the RRR actors told Subhash K Jha, "How can it release on October 13?

"Both Ram Charan Teja and NTR Jr have a lot of pending shooting for RRR.

"Ram Charan hasn't shot much this year. He was busy with his other project, Acharya (which also stars his father Chiranjeevi).

"NTR Jr also didn't shoot this year.

"The plan was for them both to shoot and complete the film by July 2021. This seems unlikely with the new COVID upsurge."

The source says RRR's release may now be pushed to early next year. "We may look at Makar Sankranti in January 2022. Even that is doubtful at the moment."

This source rules out a digital release for RRR.

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Robot director Shankar sued again

Shankar, the maverick film-maker from the south known for his big-screen fantasies, has lately found himself in a bit of a legal jam.

First, Aascar V Ravichandran -- the producer of Shankar's 2005 Telugu blockbuster Anniyan -- claimed that the story and screenplay belonged to him and Shankar was not within his rights to do the remake.

Now comes an even bigger blow to Shankar's epic plans, with his long-delayed Indian 2 finding itself in a legal imbroglio.

The producers, Lyca Productions, have gone to court to forbid Shankar from directing any other film until he completes Indian 2.

But will Indian 2 ever get completed?

The film's leading man, Kamal Haasan, has been busy with his political aspirations which seem to be a bigger priority than his film career at the moment.

An informed source reveal, "Indian 2 has been troubled from the word go. It has been facing one glitch after another.

"Now, the fact that the producers have gone to the court asking that the director be prevented from signing other films until he completes Indian 2 could have far-reaching repercussions for all directors involved in multiple projects."