Bawaal first look: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor film skips theatrical release, will premiere on Prime Video in July

Nitesh Tiwari’s next directorial, romantic drama Bawaal starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, will skip a theatrical release and premiere directly on Prime Video. The film marks Nitesh’s second collaboration with producer Sajid Nadiadwala after the success of National Award-winning film Chhichhore (2019). (Also Read: At ₹2.5 crore per day cost, Bawaal is Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor’s most expensive movie)

Bawaal first look

On Monday, Prime Video shared Varun and Janhvi’s first look from Bawaal, and wrote in the caption, “Badlega sabke dilon ka haal kyunki duniya bhar mein hone wala hai Bawaal. Iss July… banega mahaul as Bawaal goes global (Everyone’s heart will see a change as there will be a commotion around the world). Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by @niteshtiwari22, Bawaal to premiere worldwide in over 200 countries and territories only on Prime Video.”

The first look poster showed the lead pair, Varun and Jhanvi, lost in each other’s eyes. Jhanvi wore an ethnic look with traditional Indian earrings, while Varun wore a blue shirt and grey jacket.

The makers on direct-to-streaming release

“Set in the heartland of India, the gripping narrative takes viewers on a never-seen-before journey through Europe. We believe that a film that is rooted in India but has a global appeal deserves to reach customers not just in India, but all across the world,” said Sajid, who is co-producing the film under his banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

Nitesh, who’s co-producing the film under his banner Earthsky Pictures, said, “Shot across three Indian locations and five European countries, Bawaal has a captivating storyline, dramatic visuals and absolutely amazing chemistry between the lead talent Varun and Jahnvi. I believe that the worldwide premiere on Prime Video will help us take Bawaal to audiences in India and across borders,”

Packed theatrical schedule in July

The first half of July will see the extended run of Satyaprem Ki Katha, romantic comedy starring Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani, and Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny, action adventure film starring Harrison Ford, both of which would release on June 29.

Hollywood would dominate most of July at the Indian box office, thanks to the release of Tom Cruise’s action thriller Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One on July 14, and Christopher Nolan’s period film Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, on July 21.

Finally, the last release of the month, on July 28, is Karan Johar’s first directorial in seven years, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani, a romantic comedy starring Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Shabana Azmi, Dharmendra and Jaya Bachchan.

Varun’s second straight-to-streaming release

Only one of Varun Dhawan’s films so far, father David Dhawan’s Coolie No. 1, premiered straight on OTT, Prime Video India, in December 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Janhvi’s third straight-to-streaming release

Two of Janhvi Kapoor’s films as a solo lead have released directly on streaming so far — Sharan Sharma’s Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl on Netflix India in 2020 and Sidharth Sengupta’s Good Luck Jerry on Disney+ Hotstar in 2022. This excludes Janhvi’s short film directed by Zoya Akhtar in Netflix India’s horror anthology Ghost Stories in 2020.