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Om Shanti Om

Bollywood Diwali Dhamaka – Fireworks expected at the box-office!
23rd Oct 2007 23.53 IST
By Aparajita Ghosh

Fireworks are expected at the box-office this Diwali as two of the most anticipated films of the year are headed for a clash in the festive season.

It is being described as a clash of the titans. Some also call it the clash of the debutantes. Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya are on a collision course. The two films will hit the marquee on November 9 that marks the beginning of the Diwali weekend, a period that draws maximum crowds to movie theatres.

Each film has its own merit to lure the audiences. ‘Om Shanti Om’ has Shah Rukh Khan flaunting his newly developed six-pack abs alongside the gorgeous newcomer Deepika Padukone . The film is a love story based on the theme of re-incarnation.

To top it all, OSO is directed by Farah Khan , who believes in providing out-and-out entertainment to the viewers. Farah’s fixation with the cinema of 1970s continues in this film too. The first half of OSO is set in 1977 and has SRK playing a junior artist in love with a famous heroine (Deepika). The second half is set in 2007 when the reincarnated SRK is shown as a famous film star with brawny physique.

While OSO rests on the dependable shoulders of King Khan, ‘Saawariya’, on the other hand, introduces two newcomers – Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor . But what’s going to pull audiences to the theatres is the fact that the film has been directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali , a man known to have a deft command over filmmaking.

‘Saawariya’ is a romantic movie believed to be inspired from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s short story ‘White Nights’. The film bears the trademark Bhansali stamp. It is visually and musically rich. The imagery in the film is surreal and nocturnal, with heavy emphasis on green and blue colours. The songs by Monty Sharma are mellow and lilting. And the two new faces lend freshness to the movie.

As battle lines are drawn between ‘OSO’ and ‘Saawariya’, even their directors have exchanged some unpleasant words. The not-so-diplomatic Farah Khan irked Bhansali when she stated in an interview that he would have called her film Ma Shanti Ma had he directed OSO (mockingly alluding to Bhansali’s unshakable love for his mother Leela). On the other hand, Bhansali has refused to acknowledge Farah Khan as one of the top directors of Indian film industry.

The animosity seems much less between the two debutantes – Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor. The latter has called Deepika “a gorgeous beauty” in an interview, while the former has wished Sonam good luck for ‘Saawariya’. Even though some media reports call the Diwali clash as ‘the clash of the debutantes’, the two newcomers allege they are not competing with each other.

As the D-day draws closer, the stars and the directors of the two films are working overtime to promote their respective movies.

‘Saawariya’, made at the budget of Rs. 40 crore has the backing of Hollywood studio Sony Pictures, and as much as Rs 20 crore is reportedly being spent on the film’s publicity.

‘OSO’ has been made at an estimated budget of Rs. 35 crore. The film’s distribution rights have been sold for a whopping Rs. 75 crore to Eros International, meaning that SRK’s company Red Chillies Entertainment (OSO producer) has already made a decent profit.

‘OSO’ will release with a record number of prints (2000) while Sony plans to release ‘Saawariya’ in 1000 prints.

Trade pundits believe both films will fare well at the box-office, although many believe that ‘OSO’ will have the upper hand because the movie’s feel-good theme is much suited to the festive season. ‘Saawariya’ will have its share of takers, but it is less likely to outshine ‘OSO’.

In any case, experts are expecting crackers at the box-office this Diwali.

Related
Om Shanti Om
Saawariya
Shah Rukh Khan
Deepika Padukone
Farah Khan
Ranbir Kapoor
Sonam Kapoor
Sanjay Leela Bhansali