Mumbai, India (BBN)-With Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani releasing on the same day, Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali are set for a major box office clash after eight years.
The duo last saw Saawariya and Om Shanti Om hit theatres on the same day in 2007, reports the Hindustan Times.
While Saawariya proved to be a dud for Ranbir Kapoor, Om Shanti Om proved to be a dream debut for Deepika Padukone.
Reports suggest Eros had a package deal with theatre owners back in July when Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan released- theatres that wanted to screen the Kabir Khan film would also have to ensure Bajirao Mastani be screened there.
According to an Indian Express report, Dilwale was trending ahead in advance booking till Thursday, while most single screen theatres opted for Bajirao Mastani.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh revealed on Twitter that Eros planned to release the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh-starrer across 850 screens overseas - a bigger release than Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
With SRK’s Dilwale (opposite Kajol) and Bhansali’s Deepika Padukone-starrer Bajirao Mastani releasing this Friday, history will repeat itself.
Or will it? Will SRK woo the ticket windows yet again, leaving the director way behind?
While the fate of the two movies remains in the hands of the audience, we take a look at major box office clashes in the recent history of Bollywood:
1. om shanti om vs saawariya (2007)
When Shah Rukh Khan launched Deepika Padukone in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, her former beau’s debut film Saawariya was also released on the same day.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s saga proved to be a sad debut for Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor but Deepika had a dream entry into Bollywood with wonderful box office collections.
2. Jab Tak Hai Jaan Vs Son of Sardaar (2012)
Bollywood saw yet another mega clash of stars and clout in 2012 with Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan locking horns over their releases.
Rumour mills suggested that SRK’s production company acquired most of the screens leaving little for Eros (producers of Son of Sardaar).
Jab Tak Hai Jaan earned almost double the amount that the Ajay Devgn-starrer did.
3. Don Vs Jaan-E-Mann (2006)
Did you know Sultan and Raees won’t be the first time that Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan films have clashed at the box office?
Almost a decade ago, the duo had an epic box office clash with Don and Jaan-E-Mann.
Don, a remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 hit, featured SRK in the lead while Salman Khan, along with Akshay Kumar, starred in (Shirish Kunder) Farhan Akhtar’s directorial venture Jaan-E-Mann.
Needless to say, while Don set the box office on fire, Jaan-E-Mann was a complete failure.
4. Mohabbatein Vs Mission Kashmir (2000)
What happens when Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are on one side and Hrithik Roshan is on the other?
Obviously, the side with two mega stars wins - the candy-floss romance and star-value in Mohabbatein ensured Hrithik’s Mission Kashmir failed miserably at the ticket windows.
The film, that also starred Sanjay Dutt, however, was critically acclaimed.
5 . Lagaan and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001)
Aamir Khan’s period saga Lagaan and Sunny Deol’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha clashed at the box office in 2001 and it may be surprising to note that Gadar earned almost twice the amount that Lagaan collected at the ticket windows.
Interestingly, both films received wide critical acclaim.
6. Haider and Bang Bang (2015)
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider and Hrithik Roshan-starrer Bang Bang were big releases that clashed on the ticket windows on October 2, 2014.
While the Shahid Kapoor-starrer made almost half the opening collection of Bang Bang, the numbers by the end of first week were a different story.
Haider earned Rs 35 crore (much more than the budget) while Bang Bang was still struggling to break even with Rs 100 crore.
7. Andaz Apna Apna Vs Suhaag (1994)
Aamir Khan and Salman Khan-starrer Andaz Apna Apna hit theatres alongside Suhaag - that featured Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn in lead roles.
While the Rajkumar Santoshi film was a dud at the ticket windows, Suhaag went ahead to become one of the highest grossers of the year!
No, we are not branding this a ‘clash’.
This is merely to reiterate the fact that the best of films need not necessarily earn big on the ticket windows.
BBN/SK/AD