Producer Ekta Kapoor Delays Release of Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Bhooth Bangla’ to Avoid Box-Office Competition From ‘Dhurandhar 2’

Ektaa Kapoor’s “Bhooth Bangla” starring Akshay Kumar is no longer releasing on April 10. While there have been reports about the release getting delayed, Variety India can now confirm that the horror-comedy film has formally been postponed and now there is a new release date —April 17, 2026.

“Dhurandhar 2” is still running to packed theatres and is dominating all the screens. Even Ryan Gosling’s “Project Hail Mary,” a filmed-for-IMAX film, didn’t get the number or the kind of screens the film needed.

According to an industry source,“The producers of ‘Bhooth Bangla’ realized the challenges in taking on the Ranveer Singh-starrer. And it’s a good business decision. It’s a win for the producers as well as the industry. Even ‘Toxic’ had avoided a clash with the Aditya Dhar directorial. There should be no ego involved in such decisions. Ektaa's mom Shobha Kapoor fully supports this decision."

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The new release date is said to be  April 17 — a date that was previously reserved for Salman Khan’s “Maatrubhumi” before the film’s postponement left the slot open.

A trade source adds, “The postponement of ‘Bhooth Bangla’ was driven purely by the need for breathing space at the box office. The trailer launch of the film, initially scheduled for March 30, now stands cancelled for the time being, with new plans of unveiling it in the first week of April.”

“Bhooth Bangla” marks the much-anticipated reunion between Akshay and Priyadarshan after 14 years. They have previously collaborated on classic collaborations on movies like “Hera Pheri”, “Garam Masala”, “Bhagam Bhag”, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa”, “De Dana Dan”, and “Khatta Meetha” among others.

The horror-comedy also features an ensemble cast, including Wamiqa Gabbi, Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, Mithila Palkar, Asrani and Paresh Rawal in pivotal roles.