Akshay Kumar’s Bhooth Bangla has locked a new theatrical date, but the release update has come with an unexpected controversy. The Priyadarshan directorial, backed by Balaji Motion Pictures and Cape of Good Films, unveiled its revised schedule with a short announcement video that many viewers online have accused of being AI generated.
The debate has quickly shifted focus from the film’s new date to a larger conversation around creativity and the growing use of generative AI in Bollywood promotions.
Bhooth Bangla New Release Date Announced
On February 7, 2026, Akshay Kumar shared the announcement clip on his official X handle, confirming that Bhooth Bangla will now hit theatres on April 10, 2026. The film was earlier slated for May 15, 2026.
The video shows a black cat scratching out “15 May” on a calendar. The cat then knocks the calendar down, spills milk over it, and as it licks the milk away, the new date “10 April” is revealed.
Akshay Kumar captioned the post, “Bhooth Bangla ka countdown rewind! 15 May to 10 April Milte hain theatres mein #BhoothBangla”.
Netizens Question The Use Of AI In The Promo
Soon after the clip dropped, a section of social media users criticised the visual style and execution, claiming it appeared AI generated and calling out the makers for opting for what they see as shortcuts over craft.
One user commented, “Why is Bollywood normalising AI?Have some shame. I’d rather watch poor vfx work done by artists than AI.” Another wrote, “This Announcements itself shows the creative thinking behind the movies that is nothing but ASS.. Pathetic use of AI”.
A third reaction read, “Bollywood so washed. pushing gen AI slop to promote their movies,” while another comment stated, “Mann if you can’t be bothered enough to make a promotional video for your own movie, why do you even care about starring in films? I’m sure AI could do the same job”.
As of now, the makers have not issued an official statement addressing whether the clip used AI tools or conventional animation and VFX.
What We Know About Bhooth Bangla So Far
Despite the noise around the promo, Bhooth Bangla continues to remain a high interest title given its cast and director. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Wamiqa Gabbi, Paresh Rawal, Tabu, and Rajpal Yadav. It is directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor, and Ektaa R Kapoor.
With the date moved up to April 10, 2026, the film is now positioned for an early summer theatrical run, and the next round of promotional material will be closely watched, especially after the AI backlash.
(Also read: Kareena Kapoor Khan Joins Ajay Devgn And Akshay Kumar In Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 5)
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