Did You Know: David Dhawan’s Deewana Mastana and Mr & Mrs Khiladi had released on the same day 25 years ago; he’s the ONLY filmmaker to have achieved this feat TWICE!

By Fenil Seta -

October 20, 2022 - 10:00 AM IST

There have been times when two films of an actor have released on the same day. But there was a time 25 years when two films made by the same director were released together. And that’s not all. This director has had such an instance not once but twice in his life. And this filmmaker is none other than David Dhawan!

Did You Know: David Dhawan’s Deewana Mastana and Mr & Mrs Khiladi had released on the same day 25 years ago; he’s the ONLY filmmaker to have achieved this feat TWICE!

October 10, 1997, saw the release of David Dhawan’s Deewana Mastana and Mr & Mrs Khiladi. While the former starred Govinda, Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, the latter featured Akshay Kumar and Juhi Chawla. In other words, not just the director, but even the lead heroine in these two films was common! Although both movies were comic capers, the subject and treatment were quite different. Deewana Mastana opened in 230 screens and on the first day, collected Rs. 72 lakhs. In its lifetime, it earned Rs. 13.59 crores and was declared a Hit. As for Mr & Mrs Khiladi, it started slow. With a release in 190 screens, it earned Rs. 62 lakhs on day 1 but slowly made a mark. Its lifetime collections were Rs. 9.36 crores and was a semi-hit.

As expected, the producers of Deewana Mastana and Mr & Mrs Khiladi did try to avoid the clash. According to Komal Nahta’s Film Information Magazine’s October 4, 1997 issue, Pravin Shah of Time Group, who was the presenter of Mr & Mrs Khiladi, made an offer to Bharat Shah, the presenter of Deewana Mastana. He proposed that one out of the two films should release on October 10. Whoever makes it on the 10th should pay Rs. 25 lakhs to the other producer as compensation to the Bengal distributor of the film that avoided the clash. This is because it was Puja time in West Bengal and the period is beneficial for films. Hence, as per Pravin Shah, if he released Mr & Mrs Khiladi, he’ll offer Rs. 25 lakhs to Bharat Shah so that he can pay the amount to the Bengal distributor of Deewana Mastana, and vice versa.

However, Bharat Shah declined Pravin Shah’s offer. And the rest is history as a David Dhawan film clashed with another David Dhawan film.

What’s absolutely fascinating is that this was the second time that two of his films were released together. On December 29, 1989, his Sunny Deol-Dimple Kapadia starrer Aag Ka Gola clashed with the Shatrughan Sinha-Kumar Gaurav starrer Jurrat. While Deewana Mastana and Mr & Mrs Khiladi were hits, Aag Ka Gola and Jurrat flopped. Incidentally, a third film was also released on December 29, 1989, and it was a historic success – Maine Pyar Kiya, starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree, and directed by Sooraj Barjatya.

David Dhawan is probably the only one to have such a record. Priyadarshan also comes close to boasting of such a feat. Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor’s love saga Kyon Ki and Akshay Kumar-John Abraham’s laugh-a-minute riot Garam Masala clashed on Diwali 2005. However, though they did release in the same week, these films didn’t release on the same day. Garam Masala hit screens on November 2, 2005, while Kyon Ki was released on November 3. Even here, the supporting heroine was common – Rimii Sen.

Then seven years ago, director Nikkhil Advani had two releases in two weeks. Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty’s launch vehicle Hero was released on September 11, 2015, and on September 18 came Imran Khan and Kangana Ranaut’s Katti Batti.