Bhansali releasing Guzaarish after Diwali

Note the release date of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish. It's 17th November. Does it sound odd? Nothing wrong with it, you might retort. But Bhansali and UTV are likely to break the norms with Guzaarish, which stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Bachchan in lead roles.

Recall Bhansali's last outing Saawariya. It opened in the Diwali week. But Guzaarish is arriving two weeks after Diwali this year. The reason being, Indian audiences prefer watching light, peppy entertainers during the festive season, while Guzaarish - although it has light moments aplenty - deals with Euthanasia. Hence, UTV and Bhansali jointly decided to release the film after Diwali.

Now 17th November. Well, this happens to be a Wednesday, not a Friday. The trend worldwide is to release films on a Friday, but since there's a big holiday in the West, its Indian release is being timed accordingly. As of now it's confirmed on a Wednesday, but if Bhansali and UTV have a change of mind, Guzaarish may well arrive on a Friday.