Om Chapter 1 postponed, Dhanush steps aside for Rajinikanth's Jailer 2

Dhanush has pushed back the release of his upcoming action drama Om: Chapter 1, ending what was shaping up to be one of the biggest box office face-offs of the year. The film was locked for October 16, a day after Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 hits screens on October 15.

In a note posted on his social media handles on Wednesday, September 23, Dhanush said the decision came from respect for the superstar. He wrote that Rajinikanth is a man the industry has admired and worshipped for years, and that with Jailer 2 arriving just a day before his own film, the makers of Om chose to move to a later date.

Dhanush also ruled out a Deepavali arrival. Suriya's film Scene is already announced for November 6, and Dhanush said that since they announced their date first, big films should have a mutual understanding and respect each other's decisions for the larger welfare of cinema. A fresh release date for Om will be announced soon.

The move also avoids a rare Tamil box office clash between two Malayalam giants. Mammootty is part of Om, while Mohanlal is in Jailer 2, and the two would have gone head to head in the same week.

Om: Chapter 1 is directed by Rajkumar Periasamy of Amaran fame, with Sai Pallavi and Sreeleela in pivotal roles and music by Sai Abhyankkar. Reports say Naseeruddin Shah is also part of the cast, the story follows unsung heroes who blend into society, and the cinematography is by Ezhil Arasu K with editing by R Kalaivanan. Shraddha Agarwal, Dhanush and Azmat Jagmag produce under Wunderbar Films and RTake Studios.

There is also chatter about where the film could land. According to reports, with Prabhas' Fauzi vacating the December window, a streaming partner said to hold the rights to both films may open up a December slot, with November 27 or December 3 under consideration. Jailer 2, the Nelson directed sequel with SJ Suryah, Suraj Venjaramoodu and Vidya Balan, stays put on October 15 from Sun Pictures.