And now, a sigh of relief. After sending trade pundits into a tizzy by announcing the same release date for their films, Son of Sardar and Race 2 respectively, Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan have now ensured that they give each other a wide berth — at the box office. Both actors were initially said to be intent on a Diwali 2012 release, but have now reached some sort of compromise.
“Ajay definitely has a connection with the festive season, which got him great returns on his Golmaal films,” a trade analyst points out. “But Race 2 is one of the highly anticipated films of next year, so had the two releases coincided, both parties would have suffered some losses.”
Industry observers say that Saif and Ajay may have changed their minds however, at the thought that there were already two films planned for the same time: The untitled YRF film with Shah Rukh Khan and Khiladi 786 starring Akshay Kumar. “Both Saif and Ajay are senior actors and must not have wanted to create any bad blood by jumping in the fray,” says an eminent filmmaker.
Now if only all Bollywood could develop as mature a perspective.