Diwali has traditionally been a good time to release big Bollywood films. It’s probably the biggest festive time in the country which runs on films and cricket. The extended weekend only adds to the charm of celebrations. This year, the festival of light has been placed in such a way that the middleclass office goers would get an extended weekend which they would want to use for fun with family. And what could be more fun than watching a big Bollywood film with big star cast?
But there’s a situation. The two films releasing this Diwali are Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again. Both have a huge star-cast. While Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has Kartik Aaryan, Tripti Dimri, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit in the lead roles, Singham Again boasts of a galaxy of stars—who’s not there—Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor and Salman Khan.
Not only these actors, the directors of these two films—Anees Bazmi and Rohit Shetty are stars in their own rights. Most likely, the two are the highest paid directors in Bollywood right now.
However, all said and done, eventually everything will boil down to Kartik Aaryan versus all Singham Again stars. It’s not only the test of stardom for Kartik, but also his bankability as a hit machine as he is all set to face the toughest box office competition of his life this Friday. Not delaying the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 shows his and the makers’ faith in the product. If social media buzz is any criteria, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has shown equal promise than Singham Again, which is getting bigger with each day.
Some weeks ago, Stree 2 released against Khel Khel Mein and Auron Me Kahan Dum Tha and went on to become one of the highest grossing Hindi films. It happened because the audience had the memory of the first film quite fresh in their minds. The same can be said about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 which was very colourful and vibrant, a festival time bonanza.
Singham Again, on the other hand, is more of an attempt to create a universe. You know what to expect—loud dialogues, actions and a plethora of Bollywood stars. But is it the right festival mood choice? That’s where the viewers have got a big say. Will they favour a common man’s hero or tilt in favour of established superstars?
