Dhanush's upcoming film Om: Chapter 1 will not release on October 16, 2026, as originally planned. The actor announced the change on X, explaining that the decision was made out of respect for Rajinikanth and to avoid a clash with other major Tamil releases.
The film was initially scheduled to arrive in theatres just a day after Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, which is set to release worldwide on October 15. Dhanush said the team did not want Om: Chapter 1 to compete with Rajinikanth's film.
In a statement shared on X, Dhanush wrote, "In times like these, shifting the release of a film comes with its own set of challenges."
"Our superstar, Rajinikanth sir, the man whom we have all admired and worshipped over the years has his film arriving on October 15th, just a day before ours. Out of immense respect for him, we have decided to postpone the release of our film, OM, to a later date."
Dhanush also confirmed that Om: Chapter 1 will not release during the Diwali period this year. Suriya's film has already been announced for the festival, and the actor said the team respects the date that was announced earlier.
"At the same time, we will not be arriving for Diwali this year either, as Suriya sir's film has already been announced for the same date. In all fairness, they announced their date first, and we strongly believe that big films should have a mutual understanding and respect each other's decisions, keeping the larger welfare of cinema and the industry in mind. We will announce our new release date very soon."
#OM pic.twitter.com/tK5f6bigTo
— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) September 23, 2026
More About Om: Chapter 1
Om: Chapter 1 features Dhanush in the lead alongside an ensemble cast that includes Mammootty, Sai Pallavi, Sreeleela, Naseeruddin Shah and Indrans. The movie is directed by Rajkumar Periasamy.
The film marks Mammootty's return to Tamil cinema after his appearance in the 2019 film Peranbu. It will also mark Naseeruddin Shah's comeback to Tamil cinema after a long gap. His last Tamil film was Hey Ram, which released in 2000 and starred Kamal Haasan and Shah Rukh Khan.
Dhanush's announcement comes shortly after his National Awards recognition. The actor recently received the Best Actor (Special Mention) honour and also won the award for Best Tamil Film.
Meanwhile, Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, is scheduled to release worldwide on October 15, 2026.
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