Akshay Kumar is overjoyed after seeing response to his new film Sooryavanshi.
The film, also featuring Katrina Kaif, hit the theaters on Friday on the occasion of Diwali.
Sharing a video on Twitter, Akshay wrote, "The super response is not just for Team Sooryavanshi, it is a mark of faith that’ll bring joy and prosperity back in our film industry. We are nothing without you. Sheer gratitude."
"Sooryavanshi" kicks off a slate of holiday season blockbuster releases on Friday as India´s Covid-battered cinemas try to lure audiences back into theatres and away from booming online streaming services.
Cinemas were shuttered back in March 2020 in a strict lockdown when the pandemic first hit, enjoying a brief reprieve before closing again after a massive virus surge in April.
India´s media and entertainment earnings fell by a quarter to $18.7 billion last year, according to accounting firm EY, and most multiplex chains suffered major losses.
But the industry is anticipating a rebound with theatres now back in business across the country, most recently in Bollywood capital Mumbai.
Hindi film "Sooryavanshi" -- starring top names Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh -- is the first marquee Bollywood film to be released on the big screen in 18 months.
Delayed since the start of the pandemic, Kumar stars as an anti-terrorism chief working to stop an attack in Mumbai.
Its performance at the box office will be seen as a litmus test of whether audiences will flock back to cinemas in the world´s most prolific movie market.
"This film is very crucial for the film industry," Rajender Singh Jyala, chief programming officer for the country´s second-largest cinema chain INOX, told AFP.
"The buzz is also very good."