Actor Dhanush has announced that his upcoming film OM: Chapter 1, co-starring Mammootty, will not be released on its scheduled date of October 16. He shared that he was postponing the release date because of Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Dhanush said the decision was made out of respect for Rajinikanth, whose Jailer 2 arrives a day earlier on October 15. “In times like these, shifting the release of a film comes with its own set of challenges,” Dhanush wrote. “Our superstar, Rajinikanth sir, the man whom we have all admired and worshipped over the years, has his film arriving on October 15, 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.”

#OM pic.twitter.com/tK5f6bigTo

— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) September 23, 2026

He then addressed the obvious next question: why not move to Diwali instead? The answer was Suriya. “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,” Dhanush wrote.

What OM is up against

The October and November release calendar in Tamil cinema is unusually crowded this year, and OM’s original October 16 date placed it in perhaps the most dangerous slot on the board.

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Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures, is Rajinikanth’s follow-up to the 2023 blockbuster that collected over Rs 600 crore worldwide. It features music by Anirudh Ravichander and releases on October 15. Any Tamil film releasing within a week of a Rajinikanth film, particularly a sequel to one of his biggest hits, faces a near-impossible battle for screens, audience attention and box office momentum.

About OM

OM: Chapter 1 stars Dhanush and Mammootty in the lead roles. The film also features Priya Bhavani Shankar. Limited details about the plot have been revealed, though the “Chapter 1” suffix suggests it is being planned as a multi-part franchise. The technical team includes cinematography by Om Prakash and production design by Rajeevan. It is produced by Dhanush under Wunderbar Films.

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The film had generated significant buzz when a clip of Mammootty from the production went viral, with fans praising the veteran actor’s look and intensity. The combination of Dhanush and Mammootty, two of the most respected actors in Indian cinema, is one of the most anticipated pairings in recent South Indian cinema.