Bollywood Box Office clashes have become a thing now but you’d be surprised to know how rare they were in the ’90s and early ’00s. As Veer-Zaara and Aitraaz complete 20 years of being the ultimate cult classics to date, they are also prime examples of a mega Box Office clash. Imagine this – Yash Chopra’s Veer–Zaara starring Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Preity Zinta competing against an equally compelling cast of Aitraaz casting Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, and Kareena Kapoor. How did they manage to thrive individually?

Veer-Zaara vs Aitraaz: Diwali 2004 clash

Veer-Zaara and Aitraaz came with extremely diverse plots and genres that paved the way for healthy competition. The YRF-produced Veer-Zaara tells a unique tale of lovers separated because of religion and geography. Veer (Shah Rukh Khan), an Indian Air Force pilot, falls in love with Zaara (Preity Zinta), a beautiful Pakistani girl. When the former is imprisoned in Pakistan on false charges of terrorism, Saamiya (Rani Mukerji), a Pakistani lawyer, steps forward to defend him.

Standing on the opposite end, Aitraaz explores the story of a man being sexually harassed by his ex-girlfriend. In this film too, the protagonist Raj (Akshay Kumar) is convicted without any concrete evidence as Sonia (Priyanka Chopra) plays the victim. That’s when Raj’s wife, Priya (Kareena Kapoor), a lawyer, takes up the case to fight for her husband. Aitraaz was also Priyanka Chopra’s first movie where she played the devil. How did the audience react to both the movies?

Time to reveal the real badshah

A die-hard Bollywood fan can never refuse a romantic movie starring SRK and that shows. Veer-Zaara became a Bollywood blockbuster in 2004 with a net collection of ₹41.86 crore. Its first-day collection swept the Box Office charts with ₹2.46 crore. Aitraaz showed an average performance with an overseas net gross collection of ₹15.58 crore. However, it did unexpectedly well by earning ₹1.18 crore on the first day of its release, fighting it out with Veer-Zaara. As the audience continues to shower their endless love on Veer-Zaara, the romantic thriller Aitraaz received much-deserved appreciation after its theatrical release.

Veer-Zaara was also recently re-released in India on September 13, 2024. It made nearly ₹1.80 crore, surpassing ₹100 crore of total revenue. The movie is again set to play on 600 screens starting November 2024. It will also make its debut in new international markets covering Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar. Additionally, it will be re-released in Toronto, New York City, Melbourne, and Singapore. So, it’s time to celebrate 20 years of Veer-Zaara and Aitraaz. Get your snacks ready to watch these amazing cult classics.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to keep a big box of tissues while watching Veer-Zaara.

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