Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 30, 2017)

While filmmakers are gradually accepting that box-office clashes are inevitable, not many are willing to lock horns with a mammoth production like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati. With several obstacles plaguing the shoot of the Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor-starrer, Padmavati will miss its November 17 release date to hit screens two weeks later. The development has affected films that were set for a December release, including John Abraham’s Parmanu, with the actor-producer now choosing to defer it to February.

Co-producer Prernaa Arora says, “Parmanu is small compared to Padmavati. It’s not wise to pit our film against Bhansali’s. We’ve locked on the February 23 date since Anushka Sharma’s Pari will release earlier that month, and Akshay Kumar’s Pad Man is also eyeing an April date. Also, we don’t want to interfere with Fanney Khan [starring Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan] or Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive, which releases in the following months.”

Interestingly, a clash with Aditya Chopra’s Hichki, which marks actor-wife Rani Mukerji’s return to Bollywood, doesn’t bother Arora. “I am good with it [clash] because the films are different. Also, sometimes, two good films can come together. We have no other option right now,” she says, citing that a January date would limit certain viewers from turning up in theatres because “it’s chilly in North India in January.”

While Abraham’s film was scheduled for a December 8 release, Arora says it would be “ sandwiched” between Padmavati ( December 1) and Tiger Zinda Hai (December 22) if it was not deferred.