📌 Key Points
- Harish Shankar clarifies the release date decision was not solely his.
- He acknowledges Aditya Dhar’s filmmaking skills but believes there’s space for both films.
- He states a Shah Rukh Khan movie would be a bigger concern due to genre similarity.
- Pawan Kalyan’s strong fanbase is a key factor in their confidence.
Director Harish Shankar has spoken about the box office clash between ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ and Ranveer Singh’s upcoming movie. He expressed confidence in Pawan Kalyan’s fan following and stated that a film similar in genre, like one starring Shah Rukh Khan, would be a bigger worry.
Director Addresses Box Office Clash
Ustaad Bhagat Singh director Harish Shankar has addressed the film’s clash with Dhurandhar 2, clarifying that the release date decision was not in his hands.
After Toxic was postponed, Ranveer Singh ’s Dhurandhar 2 is now set to lock horns at the box office with Pawan Kalyan ’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, creating a strong buzz across the film industry. However, Ustaad Bhagat Singh director Harish Shankar appears unfazed by the clash as he asserts that the box office has enough room for two to three big-ticket films to thrive at the same time.
When asked how he views the box office clash and whether he feels nervous about going head-to-head with Aditya Dhar ’s sequel, the filmmaker did not shy away from praising his competitor.
Confidence in Pawan Kalyan’s Fan Base
He said, “With all due respect, Aditya Dhar is a superior filmmaker. I watched Uri. He is a very impactful, very influential filmmaker. Having said that, India-wide films should consider Dhurandhar as competition. But we have our Telugu states for the film. Also, they both belong to very different genres. If, in place of Dhurandhar, it was an SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) movie, songs, full entertainer zone, then we would have thought, ‘Oh, it’s similar to our film.’ But Bhagat Singh and Dhurandhar are totally different films.”
Harish added, “Also, it’s a collective decision. It wasn’t in my hands alone. Somewhere within, I too felt, ‘I am doing a film with Pawan Sir after so long, and for that film to compete with any other big film…’ And still, whether it’s Sankranti or summer, it’s always a combination. There is space for 2-3 big films to work. It’s not like they won’t show any other film except Dhurandhar across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.”
He also expressed confidence that superstar Pawan Kalyan’s massive fan base will turn up in theatres, mentioning that it is the reason why the team didn’t panic or act in a hurry even when Toxic was postponed.
Genre Differences Reduce Concerns
Ustaad Bhagat Singh is an adaptation of Atlee and Vijay’s 2016 film Theri and has been in production since 2023. The film also features Sreeleela and Raashii Khanna. Devi Sri Prasad and Thaman S composed the film’s music and background score.
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar: The Revenge film marks Ranveer Singh’s return as Hamza, also known as Jaskirat – an Indian spy operating in Pakistan. The heavily anticipated film also stars R Madhavan , Arjun Rampal , Sanjay Dutt, Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun. Part 1 was a mega success, earning ₹ 1300 crore worldwide. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the sequel is expected to repeat its success. The first part was released in December last year.
Despite the potential clash, Harish Shankar remains optimistic, banking on Pawan Kalyan’s popularity and the distinct genres of the films. He believes there is enough room for multiple films to succeed at the box office, especially considering his focus on the Telugu-speaking states.
