Ahead of January 25 box office clash, Kaabil director says he harbours no hard feelings
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 4, 2017)

Bollywood is set to witness the first clash of 2017, as Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees' locks horns with Hrithik Roshan's 'Kaabil' on January 25. But filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, director of 'Kaabil', has no hard feelings. In fact, he is excited about 'Raees'.

"It's the kind of film I used to make earlier. I loved the trailer of Raees, and I am looking forward to it. Rahul (Dholakia; director of 'Raees') is an excellent director and a good friend. It will be interesting to see him direct Shah Rukh," says Gupta.

While Rakesh Roshan ('Kaabil' producer) and SRK have spoken at length about the clash, Gupta feels that such a scenario can be avoided only if the entire industry comes together. "In Hollywood, you won't see two big films releasing on the same day. Even down South, the producers' body is cohesive, so there are rarely any clashes. Unfortunately in B-Town, we have four different producer bodies. So it is practically impossible for the industry to take a collective call," he explains.

Sanjay Gupta says Roshan Sr has trusted his as a director, and he doesn't want to disappoint him. "Both Rakeshji and Hrithik have shown immense faith in me and I don't want to disappoint them. Working with a star like Hrithik comes with its own expectations. I hope we give the audience their money's worth," he says.