Salman declares war on Hrithik Roshan

Salman Khan has not taken fellow actor Hrithik Roshan’s criticism of him lightly.

The beefy Bollywood star has now taken on Roshan, telling Bhushan Kumar, the producer of his next outing, "Ready", to make sure the film hits cinemas on the same day as Roshan's "Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara".

Kumar, who runs the entertainment company T-Series, has agreed, and now both films are slated to hit cinemas on May 27.

It's a risk Khan can well afford, coasting as he is on the success of "Dabangg", but Roshan desperately needs a hit after his film with Aishwarya Rai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-anticipated 'Guzaarish', tanked at the box office.

Even if "Zindagi" does well, its success will partly be attributed to the rest of its cast, Farhan Akhtar and the unstoppable Katrina Kaif.

This latest episode in a long line of Bollywood battles has the industry divided, say insiders.

Khan and Roshan are old mates, and considered each other family.

They've worked together, too, on "Karan Arjun", which was directed by Hrithik's father Rakes Roshan, with Hrithik on assisting duties.

Khan was also Bhansali's favourite, having done films like "Khamoshi" and "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", but has been miffed with the director over not being cast in the costume extravaganza that was "Devdas".

So when the opportunity came his way, he wasted no time in commenting on how he didn't like the way 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' ended and how Bhansali thought that he was not mature enough to be cast in 'Devdas'.

But the story did not end here. When Bhansali made "Guzaarish" with Hrithik Roshan and Salman’s ex girlfriend and now Bachchan bahu, Aishwarya Rai, Salman was quick to tear into the box office dud.
 
“Film ko ek kutta bhee dekhne nahin gaya” (Even a dog did not go and watch the film), was how Salman put it. Needless to say, Bhansali and Hrithik Roshan are both were very upset by the remark. Bhansali was quoted saying that he did not expect Salman to behave is such a fashion. Salman retorted that there was little he could do if Bhansali was miffed with him and he would have to be content with the two films - "Khamoshi" and "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" - that he got to make with the filmmaker.
 
Roshan too jumped into the controversy by saying that it wasn’t fair to talk like that about a sensitive film that flopped and that it must have been a momentary lapse of judgement. This remark certainly hasn’t endeared him to Salman. But sources now say that though Khan and Kareena Kapoor were screen tested and finalised for Bhansali's next film, "Bajirao Mastani", the director shelved the project when he saw the two were cast opposite each other by Priyadarshan in "Kyon Ki". Was he striking back?

That they will all kiss and make up goes without saying - the question is, how long will this feud last? And will we lose out on some quality cinema in process?

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