Mumbai, June 6: With speculation of the ongoing rivalry between Bollywood stalwarts Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan continuing to smoulder, two competitive channels last Sunday ran simultaneous prime-time telecasts of both the old and new versions of the film Don, in which the two actors play the respective lead roles. Star Plus viewers caught the new Don starring Khan, while the original blockbuster, starring Bachchan, was telecast on Sony Entertainment TV.
According to television rating agency Audience Measurement & Analytics Ltd (aMap), the Don remake on Star Plus had a television rating (TVR) of 1.96, noticeably more than the 1.12 TVR garnered by the 1978 Bachchan classic. Whether the simultaneous telecast was a coincidence or deliberate remains anybody’s guess. Says a Star spokesperson: “We really don’t know if it was a coincidence or a deliberate move on the part of Sony.” He further adds, “The ratings for the new Don will obviously be more as this was its television premier.”
Even Sony executives expressed surprise at the coincidental timing of both films. However, industry sources told FE that it appeared to have been a well-planned strategy as media planning agencies knew well in advance the telecast schedule of both films. The new Don was expected to attract more advertisers, especially when pitted against the old one.
The rivalry between the two superstars was triggered after Shah Rukh Khan was roped in for the third season of Kaun Banega Crorepati.
