After a three-way box-office clash during the Independence Day window, Bollywood will see two more films locking horns this Diwali—Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again and Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Recently, mid-day reported that the horror comedy’s producer Bhushan Kumar had met Devgn and director Rohit Shetty to discuss the possibility of averting the clash (Dual dum or duel on Diwali? Sep 11). The clash poses a dilemma for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 director Anees Bazmee, whose association with Devgn and Akshay Kumar—who has a special appearance in Singham Again—goes back decades. He has collaborated with Devgn on Hulchul (1995), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and Deewangee (2002), and with Kumar on Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Welcome (2007), Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Thank You (2011).

Did Bazmee discuss the issue with Devgn? “Why should I talk to him? It’s a business decision between producers, and I am just the director. Singham Again’s team is insisting on a Diwali release. Clashes are never a good idea. I know that we had announced Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’s release date a year in advance, but what can we do? I’ve always maintained that a good film doesn’t need a date to work. I’m the last person to get involved in box-office numbers and release dates. These are decisions and numbers calculated by producers and distributors.”