December 22 is going to see a massive clash between Prabhas' Salaar and Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki. The two films are as big as it could get and their date clash has shocked trade experts. This would also mean a tough call for exhibitors on which film to give more screens to. To add to this, the exhibitors of Salaar are also the exhibitors for Ranbir Kapoor's Animal.
The sticky situation
Raj Kumar Hirani's Dunki team was left worried as there was a possibility of the Salaar and Animal distributers giving preference to these over Shah Rukh Khan's film.
"Salaar will be distributed by Anil Thadani's AA Films, who are also the distributors of Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, which releases on December 1. There was a worry among the makers of Dunki that AA Films might tell theatres that they would get a chance to play Animal, a very highly awaited film, only if they agreed to screen Salaar over Dunki on December 22. Many distributors in the past have indulged in this practice," a Bollywood Hungama report stated.
No arm twisting
"Hence, senior authorities from Shah Rukh Khan's production house, Red Chillies Entertainment, reached out to the producers of Animal. The Red Chillies officials requested Animal's producers to make sure that such a situation doesn't arise where exhibitors are arm-twisted," it further added. And the producers have now assured that no such sticky situation would arise. With this move by Red Chillies, the ugly clash and screening politics will now be averted.