Rajkumar Hirani Believes Both Dunki, Salaar Business Was Affected Due To Clash; 'There Is No Escape From It'

Film buffs in India were recently treated to an intense box office showdown between the high-budget movies, Salaar featuring Prabhas and Dunki starring Shah Rukh Khan. Acclaimed director Prashanth Neel had already discussed this bout, and now renowned director Rajkumar Hirani has weighed in on the intense competition. Speaking to DNA India.com, Hirani discussed the impact of the clash, suggesting that both films were impacted negatively due to the shortage of theaters in the country. In Hirani's words, "There is a limited number of theaters in India. Not every viewer can afford to see movies one after the other or on successive days." Expanding on this, Hirani continued, "Some individuals opt to see one film a week, or even a month. So, I firmly believe that to some extent, this affected both films." Hirani conceded that such box office clashes and their subsequent impact on profits are inescapable, stating, "We have no alternatives because there are 52 weeks in a year and 200 films are produced. Clashes will occur from time to time, with larger films sometimes colliding, and smaller ones at other times." Hirani further highlighted that such notable clashes are unavoidable. The diehard fandoms for both films, Dunki and Salaar, were also negatively affected by the heated competition. Ahead of the film releases, social media was ablaze with fan wars between supporters of Shah Rukh Khan and Prabhas. Please see the cover image provided.