Star wars in Bollywood

Will it be Dilwale or Bajirao Mastani The industry has been abuzz about how Bollywood is set to see the baap of clashes as Rohit Shetty’s comedy caper locks horns with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s historical. Which way will the fans sway The Mumbai Age finds out...

December 18 — the day this date was announced as the release dates for Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani, the industry and fans around the world have been waiting to see this star war unfold at the box office. While both Rohit Shetty and Sanjay Leela Bhansali have their own club of loyalists — as do their lead actors Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra — there can be only one winner, as far as the first pick goes. We did some asking around and here’s what fans have to say:

Aashray Golecha, 11: I would watch Bajirao Mastani because it is an action-packed film and I like action films and I have read a bit about Bajirao in a storybook. The combination of Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh looks amazing too. Dilwale too I will watch, but later, because my father likes Shah Rukh Khan a lot and watches all his films.

Preksha Gangal, student: Dilwale will be a sheer waste of money and time. When I first heard of the film, my expectations were high, but after watching the trailer I don’t expect anything good coming my way, other than the songs. On the other hand, Bajirao Mastani is a combination of good scripting and picturisation. It is the story of a great warrior who fought all the battles on ground himself and remained undefeated. I’m super excited to see the great package of experience Sanjay Leela Bhansali has created for us. Joel Kurein, content writer: I’ll go for Bajirao Mastani, because it has the most amazing trailer that I’ve seen in recent times. All the war scenes and the beautiful sets have got me interested. I’ve always been a fan of real life stories and stories of real life heroes. This movie just gives me my kind of entertainment. As far as Dilwale is concerned, I don’t think there’s anything new about the film. It’s the typical Rohit Shetty masala movie with cars, action sequences and jokes which are not that funny. I’m a fan of Shah Rukh and Kajol, but Bajirao Mastani will have a more intense and emotional love story which hopefully, will touch me. I have even liked his (SLB’s) flops like Guzaarish. The ticket prices are such that I can’t afford both. I’ll either download Dilwale or wait for it to come on TV. I will watch it though.

Ishaan Solanki, eight: I will watch Dilwale first because of the combination of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Varun Dhawan is also there. I like fun-filled, happy films. The songs are peppy and in my van, we sing the songs together.

Sandhya Tare, yoga instructor: I am more interested in Bajirao Mastani because I am aware of the Maratha history. I’m curious to know what changes have been made in the actual history by the filmmaker and if justice has been done to the subject. Dilwale seems like a regular romance clubbed with action kind of film. It can wait. Right now only Bajirao is on my mind, the subject is very interesting. Disha Naik, student: I’ll watch Dilwale for sure! The hit jodi of SRK-Kajol is back together on screen after five years. Being an SRK fan, I’m super excited to see their chemistry after such a long gap. Both directors have their own style and that reflects in their movies. And one cannot forget that the stars of Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale are two super hit couples from two different film eras — Ram Leela and DDLJ respectively.”

Bhagyashri Samant, marketing executive: Dilwale is nothing but hype. It has the same Rohit Shetty stunts and the same comedy scenes. I mean no offence against SRK-Kajol — I love them a lot. But having said that, Bajirao has a powerful story at its core, the outfits, the grandeur — it looks like an exceptional, historic film made on a Maratha warrior. Right from the sets, the actors, the music score, everything is extraordinary. Bajirao is my first choice. And if I do end up watching Dilwale, it will only be after Bajirao... and only for the lead pair.

Pooja Shukla, banker: Bajirao Mastani seems more interesting as compared to Dilwale; it’s shot on a grand scale and the special effects seem interesting. Dilwale looks like a typical action film. I enjoy the classic romance genre more. What adds to the film is also Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone coming together again — they had such splendid chemistry in Ram-Leela.

DRUMMING UP BUSINESS: Rajender Singh Jyala, VP programming and distribution, INOX Cinemas: The advance bookings for both the films has been excellent. The booking for Dilwale opened on Sunday, while for Bajirao Mastani it opened on Wednesday, as it is always done. As Dilwale opened a few days earlier, it has slightly more bookings. However, Bajirao Mastani is also gathering a great response. Manoj Desai, owner, Gaiety Galaxy: We can’t conduct any advance bookings before we receive orders from the court (Eros International, the distributor of Bajirao Mastani, has filed a case against single screen theatre owners who wish to screen Dilwale, citing a contractual breach). The matter has reached the High Court. I feel they (the filmmakers) should have kept their ego aside and not released both the films together. It is we only, who suffer in the end. There are no releases till the end of December, after this. What was the need to have released both on the same day