Alia Bhatt's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' to clash with Prabhas-starrer 'Radhe Shyam': Is it a good idea?

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt took to Twitter on Wednesday to confirm that the upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi will hit the screens on July 30. The announcement created a great deal of buzz amongst fans as the biggie has the potential to rake in the moolah, helping Bollywood regain its mojo after the Covid-19 lockdown. A few feathers were, however, ruffled as the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-helmed drama will clash with the romantic drama Radhe Shyam that features Prabhas in the lead.

There is a distinct possibility of the films affecting each other's box office performance even though they belong to different genres. Prabhas' labour of love is likely to have the upper hand in the urban centres as it is essentially a contemporary love story. It may also emerge as the choice of the 'Gen Y' audience in the Telugu states due to the Mirchi actor's popularity in the market.

Also read: Alia Bhatt's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' to release on July 30

Gangubai Kathiawadi, on the other hand, is likely to make an impact in the 'B'and 'C 'centres as it features a hard-hitting storyline that revolves around the flesh trade. The film reportedly stars Ajay Devgn in a key role, which might boost its prospects if the Omkara star gets ample scope to showcase his abilities.  

Trade experts, however, are not too alarmed by the clash as it was 'ínevitable'.

"These things are inevitable this year. We may have a clash every week as 2020's backlog needs to be cleared. Gangubai Kathiawadi and Radhe Shyam are big star movies. It is pretty much 'the more the merrier' situation," trade analyst Joginder Tuteja told DH.

This, interestingly, is not the first time that a 'heroine-centric' film has clashed with a biggie. Deepika Padukone's Chhapaak had hit the screens alongside Tanhaji last year. The Meghna Gulzar-directed drama made an impact in a few urban centres but eventually proved to be no match for director Om Raut's magnum opus.