Diwali first, dhamaka later

Initially slated for Diwali, Salman’s Antim to hit the big screen on November 26; superstar shoots additional scenes for the actioner

In September, filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar had told mid-day that he was eyeing a Diwali release for Antim: The Final Truth (Plan to release film on Diwali, September 24). The director was confident that the combination of Salman Khan, a masala actioner and the festival weekend was the perfect recipe to bring the audiences back to theatres. However, there has been a change of plans. The film — also starring Aayush Sharma — will now have a big-screen date with the fans on November 26, almost three weeks after its originally intended release.

Khan, who plays a no-nonsense cop in Antim, shot some additional scenes at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, last week. “After returning from the international schedule of Tiger 3, Salman filmed some solo dialogue scenes between October 4 and 6. The decision to add more sequences, featuring the actor, was taken jointly by Salman and Mahesh after seeing the rushes of the gangster-cop drama,” reveals a trade source. The movie is currently in post-production. The source adds, “With fresh sequences added, editing will take slightly longer than expected. So, the director and Salman decided to push the release to November 26.” Antim will now lock horns with John Abraham’s cop caper Satyameva Jayate 2.

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Mahesh Manjrekar

The official adaptation of the Marathi hit, Mulshi Pattern (2018), sees Khan in pursuit of a village youth-turned-gangster, played by Sharma. The project has piqued the interest of OTT platforms, owing to the superstar’s presence. “After Salman wrapped up the shoot, he had a meeting with the suits of a streaming giant. A call was taken to release Antim first in the cinemas because the team believes it has shaped up well.”

The source adds that the movie will have its digital release four weeks after it hits the marquee. The date, however, is yet to be finalised. A source closely associated with the project states, “Antim is currently in the last leg of editing. With the movie halls in Maharashtra set to reopen later this month, the team is eyeing a theatrical release on November 26.”

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