Aditya Chopra the scion of the illustrious Yash Raj Films had vowed not to release any of their forthcoming projects on the OTT platform. Adhering to his promise, Aditya and Yash Raj have now announced their theatrical schedule for 2021, beginning with where their story trailed off in March 2020 exactly a year ago,when the release of Yash Raj’s Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar was postponed indefinitely.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar would now be the first Yash Raj release this year on Friday 19 March. Incidentally, this would be Parineeti Chopra’s second release in three weeks. She has the suspense thriller The Girl On The Train coming up on February 26 on Netflix which is expected to be much more interesting.

The first really big release for 2021 from Yash Raj is Bunty Aur Babli 2, the sequel to their 2005 hit which caught viewers’ attention for its zany caper-like plot and the amazing casting coup bringing father and son Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan together for the first time. That film’s biggest USP was the Kajra re item song featuring the Bachchans and Aishwarya Rai(who was not a Bachchan back then).

No such USPs are evidenced in the sequel. The cast Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee looks jaded. The younger pair Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari may be of some interest to those who follow them on social media and look forward to new talent from Yash Raj.

Next on release from Yash Raj is Shamshera on 25 June , the long-delayed dacoit drama , and Ranbir Kapoor’s first release in almost three years. When I close my eyes I don’t see Ranbir Kapoor galloping across the widescreen with bloodshot eyes and blazing rifles. But who knows! Shamshera might just be Yash Raj’s first major hit since War in 2019.

Next on 27 August Yash Raj brings us the Ranveer Singh-helmed quirky comedy Jayeshbhai Jordaar. Ranveer , Aditya Chopra’s discovery, was last seen in the critically and commercially successful Gully Boy three years ago. Jayeshbhai Jordaar could be that rarity which audiences are searching for: a genuinely funny Bollywood comedy.

Finally for Diwali, Yash Raj unfurls its grand historical Prithiviraj Chauhan on 5 November. Akshay Kumar in the title role and former beauty queen Manushi Chillar as his Significant Other could prove a Diwali bumper draw, God and Covid willing.