Rakesh Roshan upset with Raees makers

If industry sources are to be believed, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan is upset with the makers of SRK-starrer Raees for deciding to release their film on the same day as Kaabil, which stars his son Hrithik. Excel Entertainment, the makers of Raees had decided to postpone their initial release date (Eid 2016) to avoid clashing with Salman Khan’s Sultan. However, the latest news is that the film will now be locking horns with Hrithik’s Kaabil and Ajay Devgn’s Baadshaho, both of which release on January 26th 2017. SRK and the film’s makers Farhan (Akhtar) and Ritesh Sidhwani issued a joint statement formally announcing the new release date of Raees and said, “It was not an easy decision to move the film. However, a movie of such magnitude requires the appropriate showcasing and therefore, we have decided to shift our release date to January 26th, 2017.”

In order to avoid any ill will, SRK had apparently met Hrithik to discuss whether Kaabil’s release date can be shifted to make way for Raees. However, Hrithik had informed him that since his father Rakesh Roshan and director Sanjay Gupta had decided on the release date, it was their call. Later, SRK had called Rakesh Roshan with the same request but the filmmaker flatly refused to shift the release date as it had already been announced much earlier.

“SRK and Hrithik had met to discuss the release, but ultimately, it’s the call of the makers. Rakesh Roshan has decided to not shift the release date. But he is very upset that Raees is also releasing on the same date. He even called up Ritesh Sidhwani on Monday afternoon to express the same and on Tuesday when the announcement came in the newspapers, he was pretty irked,” a source said.

Denying having called Ritesh or being approached by Shah Rukh Khan, Rakesh Roshan said, “No one approached me, my release date was announced in February this year for 26th January 2017 and I am sticking to it. Who comes or who doesn’t is not my problem.”

Repeat of the clash Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn will be clashing at the box office once again. The two actors had clashed earlier in November 2012 when Son of Sardar and Jab Tak Hai Jaan had released. Ajay Devgn had even sent a legal notice to YRF just three days prior to Yash Chopra’s unfortunate demise. And now, with Ajay Devgn’s Baadshaho already clashing with Kaabil on the same date, it seems it will also have to take on SRK’s Raees. It was only recently reported that the two actors had patched-up during the shoot of Dilwale in Bulgaria. But now it remains to be seen how Ajay will react to this development. Commenting on the clash, director Milan Luthria has said, “We are on schedule and we were the first ones to announce the release date. We will not be shifting our release date.”