Trade talks about Bajirao Mastani vs Dilwale clash

Now that the clash between Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale is confirmed, the battle for box office supremacy has begun. Shah Rukh Khan has planned a extravagant promotional strategy for his much-awaited film directed by Rohit Shetty. And given the power that he commands in the industry, the actor has booked most of the important theatres to showcase his Christmas release.

Eros, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the team behind Bajirao Mastani too are quietly confident of their film, which promises to be a modern day classic.

The trade, though, is anxious. When two big films clash at the box office, the more deserving film can sometimes be the film that suffers. For example, when Lagaan and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha released together in 2001, an all-time classic like Lagaan was the under-performer and the more commercial (and universally appealing) Gadar went on to be the biggest grosser in the history of Indian Cinema.

A trade expert who doesn’t want to be named, talks about Shah Rukh Khan using his clout to block book single-screen theatres across the country: They (Dilwale) have the clout. No one says no to Shah Rukh Khan. Remember when his Jab Tak Hai Jaan had clashed with Ajay Devgn’s Son Of Sardaar over Christmas in 2010? Ajay was left with little choice in terms of theatrical outlets.

Taran Adarsh: I don’t think Dilwale or Bajirao Mastani will shift from their December 18 release date. The respective producers are sticking to the release date. Bajirao Mastani has already commenced promotions, while the trailer of Dilwale will be attached to Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. In any case, the release of these two biggies is timed during the Christmas and New Year vacations and I genuinely feel, two good films can easily co-exist in today’s times. It’s a great period, with holidays aplenty, so why postpone?

Atul Mohan (Super Cinema Magazine): We have enough number of screens to accommodate both the films. Suggesting to anyone to bow out to make room for the other can appear to be a biased move. Agreed that the stakes are high but both the producers are strong and know the business more than we know. The point to be noted here is that 18 December is not a festive week, like Eid or Diwali. The business will be elevated in the following week when Christmas holidays begin. May the better and bigger film do big business.

Credit: Subhash K Jha