A little less than two months to Oct. 28 and the "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" and "Shivaay" box office battle intensifies.
Apparently, Ajay Devgn's film has an edge over Karan Johar's because he isn't the only one producing the ambitious action-thriller.
"Ajay Devgn has tied up with Eros International for Shivaay, so that gives him extra muscle to get as many screens as he wants. For Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Karan Johar's Dharma Productions is going it alone. No corporate partners this time," a source told SKJ Bollywood News.
What's more, the production houses have demanded optimum screen share for each of their films and this has put the multiplex owners in a fix. "It's not an easy situation for us, as it is being hinted that future projects of these production houses will be given to our theatre chain on the basis of how many screens we give to these two films," an insider further elaborated.
Meanwhile, the clash has gotten nasty. Ajay has shared an audio clip, in which Kamaal R Khan is heard telling distributor Kumar Mangat that he was paid Rs. 25 lakh by Karan to troll "Shivaay" online.
Ajay and wife Kajol have reacted strongly to the incident. The actor has demanded that an investigation be conducted into the matter, that'll help prove if Karan was really involved in the muck or whether his name is just being dragged into the controversy unnecessarily.
"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" stars Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan in key roles; its central cast is its biggest draw. "Shivaay" is relying heavily on its breathtaking camera work and visuals.
