Box office hungama: This Friday it’s SRK

As 'Jaan-e-mann' opens with 'Don' on October 20, everyone's waiting to see which Khan proves to be the bigger draw.

It's for the first time in the last 10 odd years that Salman and Shah Rukh Khan have been around in the industry that their films are set to release on the same day. So history of sorts seems inevitable on October 20 when SRK's 'Don' and Salman's 'Jaan-e-mann' release together.

Trade pundits are of the opinion that it's going to be a tough battle as both the actors enjoy a similar kind of star appeal. Taran Adarsh, editor, Trade Guide says, "You can't draw comparisons between the two actors; neither can you equate the two films. While Shah Rukh is the urban hero with huge popularity overseas, Salman is the man of the masses. Since their films are releasing in the festive season, both are likely to work. A very prominent distributor from the North has just told me that there is enough room for both the movies."

Pankaj Jaisingh of Ashtavinayak distributors does not agree. He says, "The market feels that the Shah Rukh Khan movie will do well in urban areas and multiplexes and also abroad, as he is number one overseas. But at the same time, Salman Khan is accepted across the border. He is popular in urban areas and the interiors. The fact is because these films are releasing together, they are going to eat into each other's market. If they had released alone, they would have had 100 per cent opening, but now we are expecting 80 per cent justice for both of them."

Amod Mehra, trade analyst, however thinks Shah Rukh has an edge over Salman. "If you ask me which actor has a bigger box office draw, I would say it is SRK. Salman is not as hot with the audience as Shah Rukh is. Though both the actors have the same kind of charisma, SRK's films are known to draw 100 per cent audience. However, Salman has Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar for company, so that film also is expected to have a great opening. How the film fares later on will depend on the merit of the film."