Akshay Kumar's 32-year-old film to clash with Ramayana, Mumbai may miss out

Director Rajiv Rai confirmed that Akshay Kumar's Mohra will return to select single-screen theatres on November 6. The limited re-release means the 1994 action thriller will not directly compete with Ramayana and may not even be screened in Mumbai.

In Short

• Mohra to re-release from November 6 in limited single-screen theatres
• No direct clash with Ramayana releasing Nov 5, especially in Mumbai
• Mohra won't screen in multiplexes due to high ticket prices and fees

Director Rajiv Rai has clarified that Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon’s 1994 action thriller Mohra will not directly clash with Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash’s Ramayana, despite the two films being scheduled for release around the same time. The filmmaker also revealed that the film may not even find a theatre in Mumbai when it returns to the big screen after 32 years.

In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Rajiv Rai confirmed that Mohra will be re-released in a limited number of single-screen theatres across the country from November 6, a day after Ramayana arrives in cinemas. However, he stressed that the re-release is not intended to compete with the much-awaited epic and will instead focus on smaller centres where screens are available.

“I'm not coming against Ramayana. Because everyone has moved away from Diwali, there's an opening in small centres and I'm trying to take advantage of that. Also, it's an auspicious date to start something. Anyway, Ramayana cannot book all the cinemas in the country,” the filmmaker said.

He further explained that Mohra may not even be screened in Mumbai, ruling out the possibility of a direct box-office clash in the city.

“There may not even be a cinema for Mohra in Mumbai, and hence, there's no clash with any film. These old films are exhausted, but there's always an interest among a certain class of audience. There are people who want to visit big screens for old films and for them, we are going to re-release Mohra,” he added.

Rajiv Rai also explained why he has no plans to release Mohra in multiplex chains such as PVR INOX. According to the filmmaker, steep ticket prices and the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) charged by cinema chains make re-releasing older films commercially challenging.

“These films are not going to release in PVR or other multiplex chains where ticket prices are steep and also because the VPF charged by cinemas is high. Old films have been watched a million times and, in reality, the business is negligible. I am just doing this as an exercise,” he said.

Rajiv Rai also confirmed that Mohra will tour different centres across India over approximately six months. His latest film, Zora, which was re-released on October 23, may follow a similar distribution strategy, with other older films potentially returning to theatres as well.

Originally released on July 1, 1994, Mohra was directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by Gulshan Rai. The action thriller stars Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Suniel Shetty and Naseeruddin Shah. It follows Vishal Agnihotri (Suniel Shetty), a prisoner seeking justice for the murder of his wife and sister. After journalist Roma Singh (Raveena Tandon) helps secure his release, Vishal becomes entangled with a powerful businessman, Jindal (Naseeruddin Shah), who uses him to eliminate criminals.

Meanwhile, Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, is scheduled to release in theatres on November 5. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Sunny Deol playing Lord Hanuman and Ravi Dubey portraying Lakshman.

- Ends