Cheat India early release to make space for Balasaheb Thackeray's biopic

The release of Emraan Hashmi’s film, Cheat India, has been brought forward by a week from the earlier date of January 25. The change, which was settled amicably, will help avoid it clashing at the box-office with Balasaheb Thackeray’s biopic.

The team of Cheat India right from producer Bhushan Kumar (T-Series) and Emraan Hashmi to Sanjay Raut (producer of the biopic) and Thackeray’s grandson Aditya were all present at a press conference held recently to announce the change in dates. The press meet was actually like a mutual admiration society, as each party kept thanking the other for setting things, especially the change in the release date, that would enable both the films to enjoy a successful run.

When Sanjay Raut was asked whether they had also deliberated with the producers of Manikarnika to change their release date, he feigned ignorance about the film. “Which film are you talking about,” he said, and added, “We have not spoken to anyone and I feel everyone has the right to choose any date for the release of their film.”

Asserting that Balasaheb Thackeray was a personality to reckon with, Raut said “The happenings in his life were less than a masala film story. We need to bring up all that happened in his life to the entire country and we would like the younger generation to know more about his life.”

Adding to the process of the change of dates, Aditya said, “When I tried to call them, I too received a call from Atul Kasbekar who told me that he wanted to hold a press conference to announce the change in date for releasing Cheat India. Thackeray’s real life was larger than life and this itself makes an impact of a larger-than-life kind of experience in reel as well. So it’s good that people will get to see both the film. They will watch Thackeray’s biopic and come out feeling angry. People will trust him more and be the angry man that he was. While watching Cheat India they will come out feeling frustrated. Both the films are close to my heart.”

Dismissing suggestions that the biopic was being released for any political or commercial gain, Raut said, “We are not making Thackeray’s biopic for any political gain. When we set out to make the movie, we were sure to complete it within a year. And at that point of time, we did not know the election date as well.”