By Subhash K Jha

This Republic Day audiences were all set to be treated to two big-budget films featuring the mega-stars Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, respectively. Ram Gopal Varma’s “Rann’ and Anil Sharma’s “Veer’ were scheduled for release on 22 January.

But now, comes the news that Ram Gopal Varma’s “Rann’ has dropped out of the race.

Apparently, Anil Sharma called up the “Rann’ co-producer Sheetal Talwar explaining why and how a clash between the two films must be averted.

Says Talwar, “I saw reason in what Anil Sharma said. There’s no sense in creating a no-win situation for two films. See, when “Gadar’ and “Lagaan’ came together things were different. But now audiences are in no mood to buy tickets for two big films in the same week.”

It was supposed to be a clash of patriotic passion somewhat like Anil Sharma’s “Gadar’ and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s “Lagaan’ which were released on June 15, 2001. Both proved to be historic blockbusters.

Both in their own ways were highly patriotic films.

“Veer’, like Anil Sharma’s “Gadar’ is set in Colonial India. Sharma with considerable creative assistance from his leading man Salman Khan has created what he thinks is patriotic period film.

Varma’s “Rann’ set in the modern world of media manipulation was perceived by its makers as a comment on our times and hence patriotic.

The people behind both films were adamant on a Jan 22 release. But now Talwar says, “There’s no point in creating an ego issue by insisting we release “Rann’ on the same day as “Veer’. One or the other film is bound to suffer at the box-office. Why not release a week later when we get a relatively free Friday?”

-Sampurn Media