Hyderabad: The cinematic careers of screen icon Kamal Haasan and superstar Akshay Kumar have been marked by several box office clashes, with their movies vying for the same release dates. This phenomenon has repeated itself in 2024, with Sarfira and Indian 2 hitting the screens on same date.
With a filmography spanning over 130 movies, Akshay Kumar has established himself as a prolific actor in the Indian film industry. Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan has had an even more extensive career, with over 230 films to his credit in multiple languages, including Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali. The two actors have often found themselves competing for the same box office dates, a trend that dates back to the early days of their careers.
- Aflatoon vs Chachi 420 (1997):
One notable instance of this box office clash was in 1997, when Akshay's Aflatoon and Kamal's Chachi 420 were released on the same day on December 19. While Aflatoon opened to Rs 0.57 crore on its first day, followed by Rs 0.40 crore on the second, Chachi 420's earnings were more modest, with Rs 0.24 crore on its opening day and Rs 0.30 crore on the second. However, despite its slower start, Chachi 420 ultimately surpassed Aflatoon's total net collection, with a total of Rs 11.30 crore compared to Aflatoon's Rs 5.47 crore.
Furthermore, Chachi 420 shattered Aflatoon's global box office earnings, with a worldwide gross of Rs 20.02 crore compared to Aflatoon's Rs 9.80 crore. The production costs for the two films were also significantly different, with Aflatoon's budget standing at Rs 4.40 crore and Chachi 420's at Rs 4.50 crore reportedly. Despite these differences, Chachi 420 managed to bring in a record-breaking Rs 19.50 crore domestically, while Aflatoon's total domestic earnings were Rs 7.38 crore.
Prithviraj vs Vikram (2022):
In 2022, the box office witnessed another clash between the two actors, with the release of Kamal Haasan's Vikram and Akshay Kumar's Samrat Prithviraj on June 3. This time around, Vikaram emerged victorious, grossing a massive Rs 247.32 crore in India, while Samrat Prithviraj brought in a relatively modest Rs 68.25 crore. The latter's performance at the box office was particularly disappointing, given its estimated budget of around Rs 200 crore. The film's total gross of Rs 80.55 crore led to it being labelled a critical flop. In contrast, Vikram's impressive gross of Rs 289.43 crore, despite its budget of around Rs 120 crore, made it one of Kamal Haasan's most successful films.
Vikram, the Tamil actioner was dubbed in Telugu and Hindi under the title Vikram Hitlist. Meanwhile, Akshay's Samrat Prithviraj, a Hindi period drama, was also released in Tamil and Telugu.
- Sarfira vs Indian 2 (2024):
On July 12, Sarfira hit the silver screens, coinciding with the release of Kamal Haasan's much-anticipated Indian 2. While Sarfira managed to collect over Rs 2.4 crore at the box office on the opening day, Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 raked in Rs 25.6 crore, as reported by industry tracker Sacnilk.
The box office clash between Akshay Kumar and Kamal Haasan continues, including the recent face-off between Sarfira and Indian 2. While Akshay Kumar's prolific output and consistent performances have solidified his status in Bollywood, Kamal Haasan's extensive and diverse filmography across multiple languages showcases his versatility as an actor. Despite their individual successes, it is Kamal Haasan who has often emerged victorious in these box office battles, as evidenced by the notable instances in 1997 and 2022.
Sarfira is an official Hindi remake of Tamil hit Soorarai Pottru, while Indian 2 is a sequel to Kamal starrer Indian released in 1996. The film hit big screens in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.
In addition to the earlier clashes, in 1998, Akshay's Keemat and Kamal's Kaathala Kaathala both premiered on April 10. Once again, their movies competed at the box office, despite releasing just a day apart. On December 23, 2010, Akshay Kumar's Tees Maar Khan came out a day before Kamal Haasan's Manmadan Ambu. However, it's important to note that these films didn't clash directly in terms of language release.
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