Salman Khan's Maatrubhumi set for 4 December, clashing with Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha

Jio Studios reportedly moved the film from 20 November after Eetha's distribution changed hands; PVR Inox Pictures is handling Eetha.

By idly intel

7 Nov, 13:35 IST2 min read

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Written by idly intel with AI help from several outlets' reporting, and checked before it goes live. How idly works

Salman Khan's Maatrubhumi set for 4 December, clashing with Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha — Image: Cinema Express

Key facts

Story

Salman Khan's Maatrubhumi is now set for 4 December, the same day as Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha.
PVR Inox Pictures reportedly paid Rs 80 crore for Eetha's distribution rights; the sources differ on the figure.
A trade source said the clash will be civil and that Maatrubhumi will get a two-week run before Avengers: Doomsday.

In this story

Movie · Out now
Maatrubhumi
Movie · Out now
Eetha

Salman Khan's film Maatrubhumi will now release on 4 December, the same day as Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha. Jio Studios, which is distributing Maatrubhumi, moved the date after a change in Eetha's distribution.

A week before the move, Jio Studios exited as distributor of Eetha, the period drama produced by Dinesh Vijan. PVR Pictures, now PVR Inox Pictures, took over. Because Maddock has often worked with Jio Studios on distribution, the change surprised the film industry.

A trade source told Bollywood Hungama that Jio Studios had considered 20 November for Maatrubhumi. It felt that date was not ideal, since Ramayana was gaining momentum. The team then chose 4 December. The source said the date is strong, with films such as Pushpa 2, Animal and Dhurandhar having performed well in similar windows.

Distribution fight

The same trade source said the release would give Maatrubhumi a clear run of two weeks before Avengers: Doomsday arrives. The source added that Jio Studios was confident of a strong release against Eetha, and that the date could accommodate two films. It said the clash would be civil and respectful, as it always is with Salman Khan films.

Another trade report said PVR Inox Pictures paid a large advance for Eetha's rights. That report put the price at Rs 80 crore. Other reports said the rights were sold for Rs 90 crore. The source said the high figure reflects PVR Inox's wish to build a relationship with Maddock, whose upcoming slate includes Stree 3, Mahavatar and Shakti Shalini.

Eetha marks the return of director Laxman Utekar after Chhavva. Maatrubhumi is directed by Apoorva Lakhia, best known for Shootout at Lokhandwala.

The trade source said Eetha's trailer was cut well and that the film could do strong business in Maharashtra. Neither Jio Studios nor PVR Inox Pictures has publicly commented on the new date or the deal terms. It is not yet clear whether both films will perform well or take business from each other.