Why Raees Khan and Kaabil must not clash at the box office
Daddy Rakesh Roshan refused to postpone the release of Hrithik Roshan's next Kaabil citing superstitious reasons attached to the announced date. But rumour mills are now abuzz that post the release of SRK's Raees trailer, he may allow better sense to prevail and put his superstitions to rest in peace.
And, if both movies do see the light of day on January 25, why are we making such a clash-of-titans sort of deal about a clash of nothing, really?
It is not Raees versus Kaabil and not even SRK versus Hrithik. It cannot be. It can only be Hrithik versus Kangana, that too not in reel life.
Here are two actors. One is the proclaimed Baadshah of Bollywood with star power and superhits, with even his cameos getting more talked about than the stellar performance of a movie. Remember Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and SRK's "ek tarfa pyaar" (one-sided love)?
It is impossible to challenge a fan following so huge.
The other is the son of a producer/director who has lived in the disability bubble for the longest and I tend to think of him as a sculpted Jadoo, who needs someone to take the lid off, needs sunlight for action and is an isolated superpower in his own right.
He is Rakesh Roshan's son, Ashutosh Gawarkir's protagaonist, even Zoya Akhtar's investment banker (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), if you will. The dreams are not his own. The actor in Hrithik hasn't yet arrived to a pinnacle where a Bollywood Khan should fear his competition.
He, I'd like to insist, is not even part of any competition. He never has been. No, he is not a Khan and that, my friend, disqualifies him as a participant in the race anyway. It's the bitter Bollywood truth.
So here's why I think Kaabil will be a damp squib, and with SRK as Raees Khan, it is in the interest of Rakesh Roshan to allow Kaabil a better release date.
1) The fault in the date! If the Roshans stick to January 25 as their official release date, it is not going to be Raees versus Kaabil at the box office. It will be a clash between SRK and Hrithik.
When Mohabbetein clashed with Mission Kashmir, SRK swallowed every bit of Hrithik's talent and the rest is history. If Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya could not stand up to SRK's Om Shanti Om, the Roshans must have a lot to fear.
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| When Mohabbetein clashed with Mission Kashmir, SRK swallowed every bit of Hrithik's talent. |
2) Sculpted body versus the kohl-eyed King Khan: Hrithik is the poster boy of every gym there is, he is a man that every man/woman literally fancies for he is all things sexy. But, we've got many sculpted bodies on screen now. Many many options. SRK's platter looks exotic and new. As the 1990s' local don, SRK looks unforgiving as royalty.
3) An offer we can refuse: We've seen Hrithik play the gorgeous disabled man in many movies. His Guzaarish was an epitome of heartbreak. And as much as we all know that Hrithik will do justice to the disability he is portraying, aren't we a stomache full already? And then, there is SRK, luring his fans back to the 90s, portraying the rugged local don. As much as we enjoyed SRK in his suave Don avatar, Raees Khan is fresh in stock.
4) No time for dreams, please: As much as Hrithik's performance will be stellar and impactful, it is quite fairytale of sorts. A disabled man falling in love, getting married, fighting the world for his wife. The world is getting closer to reality. In the time and age of Queen, Pink, Sultan and Dangal, who fancies an exaggerated piece of fiction anyway?
5) Commercial box-office ingredients: SRK's Raees has Sunny Leone reliving Laila, has the foreign import Mahira Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing the cop and SRK playing Raees Khan. Kaabil has Hrithik Roshan. Enough said.