Bollywood is known for its infamous box office clashes, as it was evident with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil versus Shivaay (2016), Raees versus Kaabil, and upcoming films such as Chef, Haseena and Jagga Jasoos which are set to release on the same day.
But slowly and steadily, filmmakers are realizing the importance of making mutually beneficial decisions to give every film a fair chance to perform at the box office. And here’s the greatest example of them all.
Ekta Kapoor, Sneha Rajani and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari recently worked out solo opening weekends for their respective films. According to sources, Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha, presented and distributed by Ekta Kapoor, will arrive a week earlier than its announced date of July 28.
This decision was made so that Anees Bazmee’s wedding-comedy Mubarakan, produced by Sneha Rajani, can have a smooth run at the box-office.
Likewise, Ashwiny’s Bareilly Ki Barfi, which is a rom-com set in the North starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon, was supposed to release on July 21st, but then they decided to coordinate with her and producer, Preeti Shahani. So now, Ashwini has postponed her film to the next available date of August 18.
Lipstick Under My Burkha which explores women’s sexuality is the winner of the Spirit of Asia Award (Tokyo International Film Festival) and the Oxfam Award for the Best Film on Gender Equality (at Mumbai Film Festival) and is finally set to release on the 21st July after facing numerous controversies. Producer Prakash Jha wasn’t present when all the women got together to decide the release dates, but he surely seemed happy with their decision. He exclaimed, “My film celebrates women and it is good to see more films being made by women, about women. It is a sign of change. More women helming film projects should definitely change the landscape of the film industry“.
It’s good to see this change from the usual competitiveness that Bollywood and its filmmakers are accustomed to. And we’re hoping that there are more such amicable decisions by filmmakers and producers to give each film a fair chance to perform.
