Irrfan's Madaari recently made a strong statement against piracy by swapping its release date with Great Grand Masti (GGM), which was leaked online. The social thriller took the lead in showing solidarity with the industry and will now open in cinemas a week later than its original scheduled date.

Irrfan, who turns producer with this Nishikant Kamat directorial, says, “It took us a while to decide to change the date but certain decisions go beyond profitability. There must be unity within the Hindi film industry so that we work for everyone's benefit. That's why we decided to shift Madaari's date from July 15 to 22. I wish the GGM team all the best. I know my fans will be patient despite the delay.“

Vashu Bhagnani, who's distributing Madaari, adds, “Films leaking before their release is a nightmare for all those who are creatively and financially involved with the project. Piracy is the biggest menace of Bollywood and has to be tackled jointly. At a larger level, we must stand together to fight it. We cannot let creativity be stolen and maligned. We're one big family where we work for and with each other.“

Indra Kumar, director of GGM, says, “We are touched by Vashuji's gesture of moving his film ahead by a week on our request.“

Madaari, presented by Miraj Entertainment, Bharat Shah and Easemytrip.com and produced by Paramhans Creations and Saptrishi Cinevision, releases on July 22.