Akshay Kumar Vs John Abraham once again on Independence Day

Come August and a hoard of Hindi films are set for theatrical release. Whether it is the festive occasions of Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami, or Independence Day, filmmakers are eyeing the occasions to release their films in the hope of big collections at the ticket window.

This year’s Independence Day will witness a box office clash with at least three films clashing, including Akshay Kumar’s multi-starrer ‘Khel Khel Mein’ and John Abraham’s ‘Vedaa.’ But this isn’t the first time that the ‘Desi Boyz’ are clashing on the screens. We look at times when their films clashed with each other on Independence Day.

‘Khel Khel Mein’ v/s ‘Vedaa’

Starring Akshay in the leading role, this multi-starrer film is also set for its theatrical release on August 15. Also featuring Vaani Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Fardeen Khan, Pragya Jaiswal, Ammy Virk, and Aditya Seal, the comedy drama is directed by Mudassar Aziz.

‘Khel Khel Mein’ will be clashing with Abraham’s ‘Vedaa,’ an action thriller directed by Nikkhil Advani. Other than Abraham, Sharvari, Abhishek Bannerjee, and Tamannaah Bhatia will also feature in the film.

‘Mission Mangal’ v/s ‘Batla House’

Back in 2019, Akshay and John witnessed a box-office battle with the releases of ‘Mission Mangal’ and ‘Batla House.’ While the former was a drama loosely based on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), the action thriller ‘Batla House’ was inspired from Delhi police’s Batla House encounter case. Both films became commercial successes with ‘Mission Mangal’ (made on a budget of Rs 32 crore) raking in Rs 291.59 crore worldwide whereas ‘Batla House’ minted Rs 113 crore worldwide, and was made on a budget of Rs. 45 crore.

‘Gold’ v/s ‘Satyamev Jayate’

The duo, which has previously worked together in hits such as ‘Garam Masala,’ ‘Desi Boyz,’ and ‘Housefull 2,’ were pitted against each other when their respective films, ‘Gold’ and ‘Satyamev Jayate,’ were released on August 15, 2018. Akshay’s ‘Gold,’ a period sports drama helmed by Reema Kagti, grossed Rs. 158 crore. It was released in Saudi Arabia and in Chinese theaters. John's ‘Satyamev Jayate,’ on the other hand, earned Rs. 110 crore, garnering mixed reviews.

‘Khel Khel Mein’ and ‘Vedaa’ to compete with ‘Stree 2’

This Independence Day will witness a major clash with at least three Hindi films releasing. Other than ‘Khel Khel Mein’ and ‘Vedaa,’ Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor’s highly-anticipated horror-comedy ‘Stree 2,’ is also up for release. Among the three films, the buzz around ‘Stree 2,’ directed by Amar Kaushik, who also helmed the original movie, has been more. Backed by DInesh Vijayan, ‘Stree 2’ also features Abhishek Bannerjee, Aparshakti Khuranna, and Pankaj Tripathi in pivotal roles.

Bollywood releases on Independence Day

In the past, several Hindi filmmakers have chosen to release their movies on the occasion of Independence Day. Among the films that hit cinema halls on August 15 included the cult-classic ‘Sholay,’ starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra/ 'Sholay' released on this day in 1915. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger,’ and Ajay Devgn starrer ‘Singham Returns’ were also released on the same date in 2012 and 2014, respectively.