IS STAR SCARE GONE FROM BOLLYWOOD?

Several films — big vs big, or big vs small — are set for a release clash

For some years now, the Khans — Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman — have had a stranglehold on film release dates on festive weekends: Diwali, Christmas and Eid respectively. Usually, no other film releases on those dates, as the superstars hoover up viewers. Besides the Khan trio, films starring top actors such as Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Hrithik Roshan also avoid a date clash, and smaller films try to stay away from those dates as well.

But 2018 is different — top stars’ films are competing for eyeballs, and relatively small films rival big-ticket releases.

Akshay’s Pad Man clashes with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (on January 25). The Shah Rukh-starrer Zero and Sara Ali Khan’s debut film, Kedarnath, are to be out on the same day (December 21). Also, Salman Khan’s Eid release, Race 3, will see competition from Fanne Khan, starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anil Kapoor.

What explains such ‘starry’ clashes? Is Bollywood no longer apprehensive of boxoffice collisions? Exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi says, “In 2017, superstars’ films proved that a big name can take a movie only so far. After that, it’s only about content. So, now, when any of the non-superstar-driven films clash with a big-ticket project, they’re essentially clashing with the content, not names.”

Ajay Devgn’s next (by Luv Ranjan) may clash with Vidyut Jammwal’s Junglee on October 19. Ranbir Kapoor’s Sanjay Dutt biopic is set to clash with Diljit Dosanjh’s Soorma (on June 29). Hrithik Roshan’s next film, co-starring Tiger Shroff, will release on the Republic Day weekend of 2019, along with Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s film, Thackeray.

Director Anees Bazmee opines that easy publicity may be a good reason. “By just announcing [date] clashes, films get loads of publicity. Also, there aren’t many big release windows. Plus, if it’s a big festive weekend, then filmmakers hope that people will have money and time for two films,” he says.

Actors aren’t perturbed. Akshay says, “It’s not about competition. [The Republic Day] is a very big day, and it’s a big week, so all films can be released... Every film has the right to release whenever [the makers] want.” Shah Rukh adds, “It looks like everything is about clashes. But I feel it’s like Christmas, when all the toy companies come out with their products. We never say, ‘Now, there is a clash between Furby and the Rabbit.’”

Sara Ali Khan makes her debut in Kedarnath, which clashes with Shah Rukh Khan’s film, Zero

Ranveer Singh stars in Padmaavat (top), which clashes with Pad Man, starring Akshay Kumar (above)

Anil Kapoor (top) stars in Fanne Khan, whose release date clashes with that of Salman Khan’s Eid release, Race 3 (above)

The biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt, starring Ranbir Kapoor (top), will clash with Soorma, starring Diljit Dosanjh (above)