Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan may love to snipe at each other publicly, but when they meet they are at their cordial best. The on-again-off-again powerful duo presented a united front at a producers meeting on Thursday to discuss the multiplex deadlock.
Producers and distributors have demanded a flat fifty percent profit share from multiplex owners. Since they have not come to an agreement, there will be no releases after 8 x 10 Tasveer''''s release on Friday, April 3.
That was evident on Thursday when they had a hush-hush meeting at The Club in Andheri with other producers like Dharma Productions, Vishesh Films, UTV, Eros, Yash Raj Films and Studio 18 to discuss solutions for the producer-multiplex impasse.
Says a source present at the meeting, "All producers and distributors have decided not to release their movies from April 4 until multiplexes agree to an equal share in revenue regardless of the star cast or budget.
Until then, the marketing and distribution of all new films set for release from April 4 have been suspended, except Percept''s Tasveer 8 X 10, which released yesterday."
On Sunday night, Aamir and Shahrukh met at Producer-Director Karan Johar’s Khar residence to settle their differences. The two warring Khans, who have otherwise spared no punches to run each other down, seem to have united as producers.
Mukesh Bhatt, who was also present at the meeting, said of SRK’s and Aamir’s presence, “It was good to see that both came to support us. It shows unity in the film industry. They were both comfortable talking to each other.”
Neeraj Pandey, director of A Wednesday, said of the Khans’ association at the event, “It’s good to see the industry is being organised and coming together for a cause like this. I am happy that they came forward for the meeting, though I was not there myself. We need to sort out this problem quickly.”
Producer Sajid Nadiadwala who wasn''t present at the meeting said, "I was to attend, but I couldn''t. Though I was to initially release Kambakkht Ishq on May 29, now I''m not.
There''s been an indefinite delay. I am there with the fraternity. My film is big, but it''s not bigger than the fraternity."