The upcoming Amazon Prime Video show The End has been put on hold for seven months in the wake of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic which keeps on wreaking havoc all across the globe. The high-profile thriller show marks the digital debut of Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar.
Amazon Prime Video, Abundantia Entertainment, and Akshay Kumar announced The End with much fanfare in March 2019. After facing some delay in production, the show is expected to start rolling in the second half of 2021.
Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment confirms the same and says, “The show was to roll in December tentatively, with Akshay joining us in January 2021. But it has been four months (into the lockdown), and it will be a few more months before normalcy is restored. Akshay, too, has other commitments. So, we are hoping to get into production by the second half of 2021.”
Meanwhile, Malhotra is busy promoting his latest film Shakuntala Devi (2020), which premiered today on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Vidya Balan in the titular role and Sanya Malhotra as her daughter, Shakuntala Devi had to skip its theatrical release due to the fact that theatres in India are still shuttered.
Talking about skipping theatrical releases for a digital premiere of the film, Malhotra says, “The director, actors, writers and other producers unanimously decided that it was best not to hold off the release, given the uncertain times. Vidya and I wanted the story to be told to the audience because our material was ready by March.”Helmed by Anu Menon, Shakuntala Devi has largely received positive response from critics and audiences alike. National Film Award-winning actress Vidya Balan has been unanimously hailed for her superlative performance in the biographical drama.