JTHJ or SOS - tough choice for moviegoers this Diwali!

New Delhi: It`s not a Friday but two mega films are coming out Nov 13 because it is Diwali, a much-awaited date on the Bollywood calendar. Yash Chopra`s last directorial ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ (JTHJ) and Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Son Of Sardaar’ (SOS) are releasing together Tuesday, leaving audiences a tough choice to make.

On the one hand, there is Ajay, whose last films ‘Singham’ and ‘Bol Bachchan’ raked in the moolah at the box office, and on the other is the deadly combination of Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, AR Rahman and Gulzar. The films are different in genre - if SOS is a comedy, JTHJ promises oodles of romance and emotions. Trade pundits have predicted that the two films will join Bollywood`s growing club of Rs.100-crore grossers. The movies have been in the news for a while. Along with their extensive promotions across the country, they have grabbed headlines for a legal issue regarding the screen space allotted to them. Ajay Devgn Ffilms (ADF) filed a legal complaint against Yash Raj Films (YRF) alleging malpractice in connection with the clash of both the releases. ADF claimed YRF used its dominant position in the industry to ask exhibitors to dedicate more screens to JTHJ instead of SOS. It would be interesting to see how the films fare at the box office. YRF has claimed to book less than 1,500 single screens out of the 10,500-plus single screens available on an all-India basis for JTHJ, and it will reportedly release the movie on 600 to 650 screens overseas. Produced by Aditya Chopra, JTHJ has reportedly been made at a budget of Rs.50 crore. The trailers of the movie have the Yash Chopra trademark of scenic foreign locations, candyfloss romance, heartwarming emotions, some thought-provoking lyrics and poetry and, last but not the least, glamorous wardrobe. There was already a strong buzz around the movie as it marked Yash Chopra`s comeback as a director after eight years. But his sudden death Oct 21, following dengue, has spread even a stronger buzz. It is, after all, his last film. But SOS doesn`t seem to be giving it an easy fight. Directed by Ashwni Dhir, the film is a remake of Telugu movie "Maryada Ramanna", which in itself is a remake of the 1923 American silent movie "Our Hospitality". The cast of the film boasts of names like Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla and Sonakshi Sinha. In terms of cost, it is reportedly costlier with Rs.80 crore budget and will hit 350 screens in the overseas market. So, expect fireworks at the Box Office this festive season. IANS