Controversy is just silly and strange, says Shah Rukh

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan finds the ongoing controversy regarding the number of screens allotted for the release of his film Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardaar silly and strange and insists that it is a free market and not monopolistic. Ajay Devgn Films Pvt Ltd (ADF) had moved the Competition Commission Of India (CCI) claiming that Yash Raj Films (YRF) was using its dominant position to ask exhibitors to dedicate more screens to its upcoming release Jab Tak Hai Jaan than for his film Son of Sardaar on November 13.

‘Instead of being disheartened, it is silly, it is not just right... Is someone going to tell me not to release my film on Friday,’ said Shah Rukh.

Ajay had said that he had filed the notice much before the demise of veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra (21 October) but the news came up only a few days after his death.

‘What are we trying to show by all this... It is amusing. I don’t understand the logic of all this,’ he said.

Ajay had claimed that YRF armtwisted exhibitors to dedicate more screens to JTHJ, than his SoS, both which are up for release on 13 November. But Shah Rukh insists it depends on exhibitors which film to buy.

‘I think the onus lies on the buyers. It is a free market...Our logic is consumer is the king, they want to see the film,’ said the actor.

‘If you have an option then you can come like this Friday, it is completely for you to choose,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Competition Commission has rejected the complaint from actor Ajay Devgn against Yash Raj Films for alleged abuse of dominant position in the Hindi film industry, saying that the plea does not have any merit.