Diwali Clash: Ajay Devgn & Rohit Shetty deny 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' makers' request to push 'Singham Again' release

This Diwali, the audiences are spoilt for choice as Ajay Devgn's action entertainer Singham Again, and Kartik Aaryan's horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 are set to hit the marquee. But what is a double treat for viewers, is a less-than-ideal scenario for the makers. mid-day has learnt that with less than two months to go for the festival releases, Singham Again director Rohit Shetty, leading man Devgn and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 producer Bhushan Kumar met last week to discuss the impending clash.

The agenda was simple - to see if there was a way that the two films could avert the clash and maximise their potential at the box office. After all, both franchises have developed a massive fan base over the years, and their upcoming instalments hold promise of setting the cash registers ringing. A source reveals, "Bhushan believes that Singham Again as well as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 are possible Rs 500-crore grossers. But he felt that the clash will not let the movies realise their full potential. So, he requested Rohit and Ajay to push their film's release."

Rohit Shetty and Bhushan Kumar

We are told Kumar's argument was that director Anees Bazmee and his team were the first to announce the Diwali release date for the horror comedy, which also stars Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Triptii Dimri. Another source reveals, "At the meeting, Ajay and Rohit pointed out that they had already pushed their film from its original Independence Day release, as Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule was slated to arrive in cinemas on the same day. They don't want to push it again. The cop caper is a much-awaited movie, and the actor-director duo believes delaying it further won't help matters."

It may also be noted that Devgn and Shetty have an impressive record when it comes to their Diwali offerings - from Golmaal Returns (2008) to Golmaal 3 (2010) and Golmaal Again (2017). Singham Again is possibly the duo's most ambitious film together with a stellar cast comprising Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Tiger Shroff, with Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh making special appearances. A source says, "Rohit was firm in his stance on Singham Again and asked Bhushan if Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 could come two weeks later. They might meet again next week to have another discussion."

mid-day reached out to Singham Again's and T-Series' spokespersons. Both did not respond till press time. In a press statement issued on Tuesday evening, the Singham Again team reiterated that the film would hit the theatres on Diwali as scheduled.