Ekta Kapoor avoids box office clash with Aamir Khan

Mumbai: TV and film producer Ekta Kapoor, who is looking forward to her next ambitious project `Shootout at Wadala`, says the release date of this film was postponed as she did not want a direct box office competition with Aamir Khan`s `Talaash`. Sanjay Gupta`s upcoming directorial venture `Shootout at Wadala` was earlier scheduled to release on December 7 this year. However, due to Aamir Khan`s much-awaited film `Talaash` getting postponed till November 30, the makers of `Shootout at Wadala` have pushed the release of their film to next year. "As `Talaash` is releasing on November 30, how could we release our film that time. I don`t want to compete with him...Absolutely not. How can we decide to take on the mammoth Aamir Khan?," Ekta told PTI. `Shootout at Wadala`, is a sequel to the 2007 film `Shootout at Lokhandwala`, in which Sonu Sood plays the role of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, John Abraham of gangster Manya Surve, while Anil Kapoor plays ACP Isaque Bagwan. The film also stars Kangna Ranaut, Tusshar Kapoor and Ronit Roy. On the other hand, `Talaash`, directed by Reema Kagti, stars Aamir, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles. It was earlier scheduled to release in January this year, which got postponed till June and then subsequently for November 30. However, even though the makers of `Shootout of Wadala` postponed the release to January 18, 2013 the next hurdle is Abbas-Mustan`s `Race 2`, as the film releases on January 25. There is a buzz that the two common actors in these two films -- John Abraham and Anil Kapoor have been trying to convince the producers -- Ekta Kapoor, Sanjay Gupta and Ramesh Taurani to keep at least a gap of three weeks between the two ventures. "We had announced the release of `Race 2` long time back. They (producers of `Shootout at Wadala`) have recently declared their release date. I think they should be taking a call (on release date)," producer Ramesh Taurani told PTI. Abbas-Mustan`s racy sequel `Race 2` featuring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel. The makers slotted the release date as January 25, to make the most of the Republic Day weekend. PTI