'Raees' vs 'Kaabil': 'Neck and neck' fight of 'mentor' and protege

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khans "Raees" and actor Hrithik Roshan-starrer "Kaabil" are both having a "neck and neck" fight in theatres. While Hrithiks film is getting strong word of mouth publicity, his mentor Shah Rukhs movie has "entertaining masala", thus making both the films a must-watch, say trade gurus.

"'Raees' has received exceptionally good advance booking, while 'Kaabil' is picking up fast with good reviews. 'Raees' is backed by intense portrayals from Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shah Rukh Khan. 'Kaabil' on the other hand, is equipped with Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam's best performances ever," Devang Sampat, Director - Strategic Initiatives, Cinepolis India, said in a statement.

"The movies opened with an extraordinary response from the audience. Both films will have neck and neck competition at the box office. It will be no surprise to see these movies crossing the Rs 100 crore mark soon," Sampat added.

According to trade expert Komal Nahta, both "Raees" and "Kaabil" have their own pros and cons.

"'Kaabil' may have started slow because of 'Raees' opposition, but it is bound to pick up," Nahta posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

"'Raees' may lack novelty in story, but it has entertaining masala to score at the box office," he added.

Shah Rukh and Hrithik have always enjoyed a mentor and his protege relationship together.

Their friendship goes back to 1990s films "King Uncle" and "Karan Arjun", in which Shah Rukh starred and Hrithik assisted his father Rakesh Roshan in direction.

The duo have even appeared in films like "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", "Om Shanti Om" and "Don 2".

Even the "Raees" and "Kaabil" clash couldn't break their relationship as both of them acknowledged each others' films publicly on social media.

"Dear SRK, today as a mentor, I'm sure you will inspire me yet again with 'Raaes' and as a student, I hope you are proud of me with 'Kaabil'," Hrithik tweeted on Wednesday.

Shah Rukh replied: "Hrithik... wish I could have avoided overlap of releases. That said...my love to you and Yami Gautam, dad and Sanjay Gupta. 'Kaabil' will be awesome."

--IANS

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