'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' director Harish Shankar on Pawan Kalyan starrer clashing with 'Dhurandhar 2' & 'Toxic,' says 'It’s a celebration, not a competition'

With three big films arriving within a short gap, many expected a box-office clash when 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' releases on March 26. But director Harish Shankar has made it clear that he does not see the situation as a battle. The film, starring Pawan Kalyan, comes just a week after the release of 'Dhurandhar 2' and 'Toxic'.

While trade circles speak about screen count and show timings, the filmmaker says cinema should be treated as a celebration. According to him, multiple releases during festive seasons have always helped the industry and created excitement among audiences rather than reducing it.

Harish Shankar’s clear stand

In an interaction with Variety India, Harish Shankar said he never looks at another film as a rival and believes every release adds value to theatres.

The Variety quoted him saying that even during Pongal, when many big films arrive together, he sees it as a joyful moment for cinema. He also explained that the content and target audience of his film are very different from the other two releases. Because of this, he feels there is space for all the films to work well at the box office without affecting each other in a major way.

Beyond language and labels

The director also spoke about how the industry has moved past language barriers.

He said every film today should be seen as part of Indian cinema, not just as a regional product. Even if a movie is not designed as a pan-India project, it still deserves respect and support from across the country. Harish Shankar added that he genuinely wishes success for all filmmakers and believes healthy releases will only bring more audiences back to theatres.

This positive approach has been welcomed by fans, especially because the film marks his reunion with Pawan Kalyan after their blockbuster Gabbar Singh.

A mass entertainer with high expectations

Apart from Pawan Kalyan, the film features Sreeleela, Raashii Khanna, Ashutosh Rana,

Nawab Shah

, Gautami, and Chammak Chandra in key roles. The film is expected to be a full-fledged mass entertainer with strong commercial elements. For fans, the biggest highlight is seeing the popular actor-director combination return after many years. With advance buzz growing and the director’s positive words about the so-called clash, the film is heading towards release with strong expectations and a celebratory mood rather than a competitive one.