Dirty Picture: Star Rivalry Intensifies During Film Releases

Will the ego clash destroy the fate of the two Big Diwali releases this year? So it seems. Singham Again, directed by Rohit Shetty, a multi-starrer starring Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar has been dragged to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for unfair business practice by the producers of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 alleging that they are not being allowed to take single screen as Singham Again producers have booked all screens. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 directed by Aneez Bazmee has also got a good star cast comprising Kartik Aaryan,Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri. It may be recalled that Ajay Devgn had dragged Shah Rukh Khan to CCI for unfair business practices during the release of his movie Son of Sardar which coincided with SRK’s Jab Tak Hain Jaan. Even then it was a Diwali clash. Here one can’t help but talk about Om Shanti Om which was released on Diwali along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. The clash between two titans almost sacrificed the careers of two newcomers Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor; it had Salman Khan who wasn’t on good terms with SRK. Similarly, SRK and Rakesh Roshan were locked in a release battle during the release of Kaabil and Raees and both films suffered. Both Shah Rukh and Hrithik Roshan have a history as when the latter became a superstar with Kaho Na Pyar Hai and SRK’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani flopped. Critics were talking about Hrithik replacing SRK. At that point in time SRK cleverly used a Pepsi Ad to mock Hrithik’s super star status.