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Salman Khan's 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' To Release On Super-Long Diwali Weekend

Looks Like This Diwali's Box-Office Belongs To Salman Khan's 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'
Bollywood star Salman Khan poses wearing a Being Human t-shirt during the launch of Being Human's first flagship store in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. Being Human is a charitable trust that helps spread education and healthcare for underprivileged children. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
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Bollywood star Salman Khan poses wearing a Being Human t-shirt during the launch of Being Human's first flagship store in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. Being Human is a charitable trust that helps spread education and healthcare for underprivileged children. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

MUMBAI — Family entertainer 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', starring Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor, is set to hit the screens on November 11, on the festival of Diwali, its makers announced on Monday.

"'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' will be releasing during the festival of lights — Diwali. Salman and Sonam star in this complete family entertainer that we hope will tug at the heartstrings of audiences with the 'Indianness' of love, and values it has in its core," director Sooraj Barjatya said in a statement.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted that the film would be releasing mid-week, on a Wednesday, to take advantage of a "5-day weekend."

Yes, #PremRatanDhanPayo will have a mid-week release [Wednesday, 11 Nov]. It will be a 5-day weekend. Expect HUMONGOUS biz!

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 6, 2015

The timing of this release announcement is significant because it upsets the conventional narrative — that of the Diwali weekend box-office traditionally being dominated by rival Shah Rukh Khan's films.

This year, however, SRK's only release is 'Dilwaale', co-starring Kajol, which releases on Christmas.

In 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', Salman is said to be playing a character that he hasn't in a long time.

"He is the quintessential Prem once again that audiences have loved and treasured in their hearts. We are gearing up with release strategies that will unfold soon," added Barjatya.

Produced by Rajshri Productions and distributed by Fox Star Studios, the family drama marks the 'Dabangg' Khan's return to the Barjatya stable for the first time in over 15 years. The duo last worked together in 1999's blockbuster 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

"Sooraj Barjatya and Salman Khan have created magic with their movies in the past, made box office records and with 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' -- a film that has its heart at the right place -- this is definitely the movie of the year releasing this Diwali," said Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios.

Apart from Salman and Sonam, the film also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh, Swara Bhaskar, Deepak Dobriyal, Armaan Kohli and Anupam Kher in key roles.

Salman, meanwhile, will next be seen in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', which also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Directed by Kabir Khan, the romantic drama is slated to release during Eid.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.