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
Gowariker'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?"