Will Shah Rukh Khan's Dilwale Ruin Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani?

Rohit Shetty’s next directorial venture starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon has upped the anticipation levels after the team launched an exclusive sneak peek into the film. Not just that, about a week back, many media representatives from all over the nation were taken to the sets of Dilwale and shown another exclusive 20 minutes video from the film. And whoever’s watched the video can’t stop appreciating it.

Cut to the real picture. While Dilwale is creating all the buzz, it’s now known to all that Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Bajirao Mastani too is releasing on the same day as Dilwale. That means this December 18, Bollywood is all set for a Titanic clash.

Given that both of them are highly anticipated and hyped films of 2015, the clash would mean a division of business. For both Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani. But if you see the statistics, an analysis will give you a clearer picture. Although the clash might provide a dent to the Dilwale collections, it’s Bajirao Mastani which will be hit by a detrimental storm. Here’s why!

Having Shah Rukh Khan and Rohit Shetty teaming up for a film can hardly go wrong. For people who disagree, look at Chennai Express. The film, unlike other masala potboilers, went ahead to become the highest grosser of all times back then, beating Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots. Also, it received a lot of love and adulation from the masses. Now picture this. Dilwale is not just a Rohit Shetty-SRK association. It has the powerful SRK-Kajol combo which can and has never gone wrong in the history of Bollywood. Plus, there’s Varun Dhawan, who’s possibly the biggest Gen-Y star currently. Why we say so? Varun’s the only new generation actor who’s single handedly managed to give a string of five consecutive successes. Beat that. Also, there’s Kriti who turned heads with her stellar act in Heropanti. Hence, Dilwale is rather in the safe territory for sure and there’s hardly any chance of the film going wrong. Even if the film clashes with Bajirao Mastani, the hype around the film will easily take it to the safe zone in a matter of less than a week’s time. We bet.

However harsh it sounds, Bajirao Mastani although looks really interesting on paper, it’s albeit a very risky affair. Why we say so? Oodles of money pumped in for the film, to make sure it’s look and grandeur is maintained. With a budget of over hundred crore and still counting (The VFX is on!), Bajirao Mastani will suffer a huge blow if it clashes with the SRK starrer. Not only will it lose out on screens, but it will also see a serious dip in its collections. Given that it’s anyway a risky proposition, Bajirao Mastani still has the chance to recover its money if it comes out as a solo release. Despite the content of the film, it will necessarily get a grand opening, only if it releases on another date. And if the film thrives on good content, then there's no stopping it. Will the same happen if it clashes with Dilwale? Think, think!

Bajirao Mastani has Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra leading the pack. Despite being stars in their own spaces, neither a DP, RS or PC can match up to the level of euphoria and hype that a Rohit Shetty film bringing back the powerful SRK-Kajol combo calls for. Plus, even Varun is a safer bet at the box office than Ranveer. Why? Compare their career-graph and their movies’ box office incomes and you’ll have your answer. While people might still argue that SLB entered the 100 crore club with the same lead pair, one must understand that Ram Leela released around Diwali and was a grand solo release. Plus, the scenario wasn’t as risky as it is with Bajirao Mastani. And eventually, it’s the star power of an actor which brings the audiences to the multiplexes and the single screens to watch their films. And there, Dilwale can have no competition. Period.

Bajirao Mastani’s team is planning to take the marketing brigade to another level altogether. But no matter how much they try, it’s very difficult to get past the marketing genius that one man in the Dilwale team possesses. Thy name’s Shah Rukh Khan. Known to heavily promote his film, SRK and Co will leave no stone unturned to make Dilwale the biggest film of the year, also this being SRK’s only release in 2015. Plus the appreciation and feedback the team has received from the mini-clips and the video footages they showed to the audiences, they’re doubly sure about their product and this can’t be competed with. Also, the film has already become a craze in the Gulf (which is one of the most prominent circuits) and advance bookings have started almost one and half months in advance for Dilwale, an initiative which is a first of its kind. All this just goes on to prove the tremendous star power that the entire Dilwale commands. Even Ranveer, Deepika and Priyanka would agree!

While the gossip corridors of Bollywood have been abuzz with fleeting rumours of Eros planning to move their film to a later date, also because the film involves heavy special effects and has still not been wrapped up, we’re sure it will be a better idea to rather have a solo release on a later date than clash with the monumental film and lose out on the huge money they’ve piped in for their most ambitious project.