Diwali release of 'Main aur Mrs Khanna' was a mistake: Sohail

"To be honest, we got poor response for the movie in the initial days of its release. In the first two days the collection touched 30-40 per cent," Sohail said. He conceded that it was a mistake to release the movie during Diwali, when two other big films, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt's 'Blue' and Ajay Devgan's multi-starrer 'All The Best' also opened on October 16.

"It was the biggest mistake to release the movie during Diwali. It was a learning experience and people often learn from their mistakes," Sohail said. "During Diwali, there is a festive mood. People are busy with celebrations. Too many movies divide the audience...then there are other sources of entertainment as well," he added.

Sohail, who tied up with UTV for his newly released 'Main Aurr Mrs Khanna', however, is optimistic about its prospects in the coming weeks. "As a product (film) I'm happy with it and expect it to do well. It is picking up and we are eyeing the collections to go up to 70 per cent in the coming days," he said. He advocated the need for a separate body in the film industry to decide on the release of a movie.

"I am in total support for a separate body that should decide which movie should be released when. This is would prevent unhealthy competition. Also, views should be taken from the actors," Sohail said. "If more movies are released on the same day then there will be a clash and there will be a division of audience," he opined.

"These days lot of marketing and promotional activities have become essential before the movie is set for release and I think that the pre-release strategy should be done as per producer and actor and not as per those corporates who invest in the movie," Sohail, who is also the film's creative producer, said.

Directed by debutante, Prem Soni, the film details the lives of Naina (Kareena) and Samir (Salman) whose blissful marriage hits a rocky patch due to financial problems. It also stars Sohail and Yash Tonk in pivotal roles.