Why is PEN Marudhar releasing 'RRR' and 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' on the same day?

Alia Bhatt in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'. (Image: Screen grab)

No one, and we mean absolutely no one, saw this coming. A few days after it was announced that Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi will be the first release of 2022, we've learnt that S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR will arrive on the same day; i.e., January 7, 2022.

The same-day release of these highly anticipated films comes at a time when the industry is just looking to get back on its feet after more than a year-and-a-half of theatre closures and Covid restrictions like 50% occupancy.

This has taken everyone by surprise. Why?

First, both feature Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in prominent roles. Ajay Devgn is one of the leads in RRR, a southern Indian film made for a pan-India audience. He also makes a special appearance in Gangubai Kathiawadi. And Alia Bhatt, the central protagonist in Gangubai Kathiawadi, is also the only prominent leading lady in RRR.

This writer can't remember the last time two films featuring the same two superstars clashed with one other.

Second, the two films are being distributed by the same company: PEN Marudhar Entertainment.

Now one wonders why this company would want to release two big films, with a lot of money riding on each, like this. After all, it’s a known fact that a clash results in at least a portion of the business being divided, especially if both films are good.

There are two reasons that I can think of here. One is that with the announcement of both films on the same day, PEN Marudhar Entertainment could well be ensuring that the majority of good screens across the country, both at the multiplexes as well as single screens, are at its disposal. As a result, it can pick and choose, and then further divide them between RRR (the Hindi version) and Gangubai Kathiawadi the way it deems best.

Two, with these two films releasing at the same time, it's unlikely that any other film (big or small) will open on this day.

This way, the date is secure. Now even if there is some change in plans in the weeks to come, and if the release date of one of the films has to be moved, it can well be done at a later stage. That would still avoid a clash with any other high-profile film, at least since it would not have enough time left for publicity and marketing.

While one waits to see how things will unfold from this point, one thing is for sure: PEN Marudhar Entertainment has made the most of the big films available at its disposal. Its Attack is arriving in cinemas on January 26, which would mean a pretty large footprint for the distributor in January itself.

That said, one wonders how Sanjay Leela Bhansali and S.S. Rajamouli feel about the same-day release. Given that they are the topmost directors in Bollywood and South, they would have been kept in the loop around this decision!

Audiences and fans will get to see a lot of Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in the coming months. And, given the dry spell on the big screen over the last 18 months or so, we don't think they will mind.

Alia Bhatt as Sita in 'RRR'. (Image: Screen grab)