There will be another pointless clash with the makers of Akshay Kumar starrer Toliet - Ek Prem Katha deciding to take on the Shahrukh Khan starrer on Independence Day week in August but it is asking for trouble.
Toilet - Ek Prem Katha is no Gadar - Ek Prem Katha that much can be said from the name. It would even be a understandable if it was like Akshay Kumar's Rowdy Rathore then at least it can be some sort of battle. Toilet - Ek Prem Katha will be a content film and the fact is it needs time which does not come with a clash.
There were whispers that Toilet - Ek Prem Katha may not come in June but it was not expected that the chosen date would be clash with SRK starrer. Viacom 18 are the distributors and were generally the small players out of the major studios be it Disney, Eros or Fox but this year they seemed to have upped their level with a huge price paid for Rangoon which has gone wrong and the even a bigger price for Padmavati which will go to around 190 crore including promotion and the release of the film Worldwide. This is when Bajirao Mastani hardly recovered its 145 crore cost if you take the real satellite value and not the paid inflated one which was not justified by the ratings. Then there is this decision to clash with a Shahrukh Khan starrer though the decision could have been made by the other producers of the film. If all goes wrong then it will be no surprise that another studio stops acquiring or goes very slow.
The decision can be because SRK starrer is directed by Imtiaz Ali who has had many opportunities and never really delivered on content so you take a shot that it will be same again. But this time its Shahrukh Khan and a film carrying outstanding reports for its music so even on a bad day it will be far far bigger than any Imtiaz Ali film. On top Overseas may be a juggernaut without Xmas or Eid as its a Shahrukh Khan starrer which is Overseas friendly after a long time.
Another reason which is more likely is that a film like Toilet - Ek Prem Katha will generate far more hype and awareness with a clash rather than a solo release. It is a content film with Akshay Kumar being the only face value and going by the look there is little scope for music and action so creating hype and awareness for an initial is tough but when you tag along with a film like big Khan you go much further then you could go alone. Also the screens are not much of an issue here as neither film will require more than 3000 screens.
You only announce on a date where another big film is there if you think you have a chance agsinst it and obviously the team of Toliet - Ek Prem Katha think that. But if the clash goes ahead it is going to be one sided affair as far as the total Worldwide business goes and the only hope for the team of Toliet - Ek Prem Katha will be is to give SRK starrer some sort of fight in India but even that is a huge ask at least initially.
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