Play all audios:
In what could have been a clash of the titans at the box office, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's _Raees_ has been pushed to 2017, avoiding a release with Salman Khan's _Sultan_. The
Rahul Dholakia-directed film, which was scheduled to release alongside _Sultan_ this Eid, will now release on January 26, 2017. _Raees_ is co-produced by Shah Rukh's Red Chilies
Entertainment and Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment. "It was not an easy decision to move the film. We understand that _Raees_ is highly anticipated. However, a
film of such magnitude requires the appropriate showcasing and therefore, we have decided to shift our release date to 26th January, 2017," the producers said in a statement. Shah Rukh
had earlier hinted in an interview with PTI that he would want to avoid the box-office clash with good friend Salman. _Sultan_, where the _Dabangg_ star plays a Haryanvi wrestler, will now
enjoy a solo release this Eid, which has in the past seen Salman deliver many blockbusters like _Bajrangi Bhaijaan_ and _Kick_ among others. Interestingly, the Republic Day weekend of 2017
is already booked with Ajay Devgn starrer _Baadshaho_ and Hrithik Roshan's _Kaabil_. _Raees_ is set in 1980s Gujarat. It tells the story of bootlegger Raees Khan (Shah Rukh) whose
business is challenged and eventually thwarted by a police officer, played by actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui.