Akshay Kumar's 'Prithviraj' to release in theatres on January 21

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar's upcoming film Prithviraj will hit the screens on January 21 next year, Yash Raj Films announced on Sunday. The film has been directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi and marks his first collaboration with the mass hero. It revolves around the life of the iconic king Rai Pithora/Prithviraj Chauhan and caters to those fond of larger-than-life period dramas.

It stars Manushi Chhillar as the leading lady and marks her Bollywood debut. The cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Ashutosh Rana and Sonu Sood.

This announcement comes less than a day after Rohit Shetty confirmed that Sooryavanshi, which features 'Akki' in the role of a cop, will hit the screens this Diwali. He also thanked the Maharastra government for permitting cinemas to open from October 22. Akshay tried to give Bollywood its first hit under the 'new normal' with Bellbottom, which was released in theatres last month. While the spy-thriller did not emerge as a commercial success, it opened to a decent response at the box office given the fact that it did not release in Maharastra. It remains to be seen whether Prithviraj and Sooryavanshi help Bollywood bounce back.

Akshay, meanwhile, is going through a busy phase on the work front. The Kesari hero is working on the Hindi remake of the Tamil movie Ratsasan, which reunites him with the makers of Bellbottom. The 'Khiladi' will be seen alongside Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush in Atrangi Re, directed by Anand L Rai. The film is touted to be a romantic drama and caters to those familiar with the Hindi heartland. There have been talks of him collaborating with Sudha Kongara for the Hindi remake of her popular Tamil film Soorarai Pottru, which featured Suriya in the lead.

He also has Bachchan Pandey in his kitty, The film is touted to be a remake of the Tamil movie Jigarthanda and features him in a new avatar.