New Delhi: The year 2015 is ending on a high note for Bollywood with two of the biggest movies releasing on the same day today, December 18. Much has been said and written about the Dilwale-Bajirao Mastani clash but predicting how things turn out seems impossible.
Much is at stake today for makers of both the movies. Though stars of both the films have stated time and again that they don't care much about the clash, their actions speak otherwise; especially for superstar Shah Rukh Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. For both these celebs, the epic battle is more of an ego clash.
The last time they had a face-off at the box office was eight years ago, in 2007, when SRK's Om Shaanti Om gave SLB's Saawariya a run for its money. Although the latter tanked at the box office, the fight this time is much bigger.
Back then, releases were not announced years in advance and movies had a longer shelf life. But things have changed drastically since then and a movie lasts for a maximum of three weeks and registers its best business by the first weekend.
Undoubtedly, Shah Rukh Khan, who claims to be a great marketing strategist, has played his cards well. ‘Dilwale' is set to open big in multiplexes since PVR is a distributor of the movie. However, SRK's masterstroke won't contribute towards a huge difference.
Since both the movies are grand on scale -- having a budget of over Rs 100 crore -- PVR as an exhibitor will have to accommodate both the movies. Distributors suggest that if Dilwale will see 12 shows, Bajirao will see no less than 8.
Bajirao Mastani's production house Eros faced a major setback yesterday when a Bombay sessions court ruled against their demand for monopoly in single screens. Eros had signed a contract with single screen distributors that they will showcase only Bajirao Mastani, but the court has stated otherwise. The exhibitors are now free to showcase Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani as per their wish.
‘Dilwale' will open in around 3200-3500 screen across India, while Bajirao Mastani has been allotted 2000-2200-odd screens. This clearly gives an edge to the SRK-Kajol starrer.
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Sadly, SLB's magnum opus movie has been caught in many controversies lately. It faced the ire of the descendants of Peshwa ruler Bajirao. As history suggests, historical movies don't last long in theatres. Probably, the only historic romance which raked around 110 crore at the box office was the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-starrer Jodhaa Akbar. Released in 2008, this Ashutosh Gowariker movie wasn't competing with any rival movie at the theatres, giving it a distinct advantage.
To their advantage, Bajirao Mastani has the magical chemistry of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. According to an online poll, fans of the stars are rooting for this movie to be a bigger hit than Dilwale. An added benefit is the presence of Priyanka Chopra in the movie. With her television series Quantico, she has become a global star which will definitely attract audiences to the theatres.
While Bajirao Mastani has managed to create quite a buzz around it, it is Shah Rukh Khan's super-stardom which might defeat it at the box office. Overseas, SRK is a bigger star and his promotion legs in Dubai and UK were extremely well-received by his fans. In India too, Shah Rukh Khan and his team have left no stone unturned to keep the promotional flame burning.
Though trade pundits have accepted that this clash is unfortunate and it will affect both films, Shah Rukh Khan seems to have done his task brilliantly. His reunion with Kajol after five long years is a major attraction of the movie. The on-screen couple has a past of delivering super hit movies and their charm still remains the same.
