Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez's Drive postponed, to release later this year

With visual effects taking longer than expected, their action-thriller won’t arrive in theatres on June 28 but is expected to release later this year

The action-thriller Drive, featuring Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez, was accelerating towards a June 28 opening, but according to sources close to the development, it has applied the brakes to take a pit stop before continuing with the ride. “The post-production is taking longer than expected since the film is high on action with multiple racing scenes. Since the bar of action has been raised by both Bollywood and Hollywood spectacles in the last couple of years, the visual effects team is taking its time to get the scale right,” revealed a source. Producer Karan Johar had introduced it as the first film in a fun franchise with the idea of spinning India’s very own Fast and Furious series.

Set against the backdrop of car racing, the film directed by Tarun Mansukhani went on the floors on March 1, 2017 and was targeting a Holi 2018 release. However, a delay in shooting led to it being pushed to September 7, 2018, and then June 28, 2019. “The final edit has been locked, and presently the film is in the final stage of post-production. Contrary to reports that it is being reshot or will be premiered on the digital platform, Drive is on course to a regular theatrical release in the second half of the year,” the source promised.

The film marks Tarun’s return to direction 11 years after Dostana in 2008, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham as leads. Sushant essays the character of a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway expert and embarks on a dangerous ride with his neighbor into the heart of the underworld. “It has a lot of thrills and chills and will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. A new date will be announced soon but it will drive into the theatres in 2019 for sure,” the source signed off.