MAY 3 - A raging
rivalry between two of Bollywood's biggest screen stars has
worsened after a marriage in one of their families obliged
actors and producers in the world's largest film industry to
begin taking sides.
For years, India has watched the popularity battle between
the iconic Amitabh Bachchan - who ruled the Bollywood box
office for decades and remains very popular - and superstar
Shah Rukh Khan - the reigning hero with a massive fan
following.
In recent years,
the two stars have taken subtle digs at each other in public
although the rivalry was seen to have remained healthy in an
industry known for its cliques.
Apparently no
more, industry analysts said, after the April wedding of
Abhishek and Aishwarya created the ultimate Bollywood power
family.
"With the
marriage, the Bachchans have become a formidable commercial
package," said Bollywood commentator and author Derek Bose.
"Brand Bachchan
is now a threat to others. It has worsened the Bachchan-Khan
rivalry, sparking new power equations."
The Bachchans
omitted to invite Khan and most of Bollywood to the wedding,
leaving little doubt about who their friends were.
On the other
hand, Khan is suddenly seen bonding more with Bollywood's
two other stars - Salman and Saif. A few other stars too
like Hrithik Roshan, once close to the Bachchans, are seen
to have fallen out with them.
"There seem to be
two clear groups in Bollywood now - the Bachchans and the
Khans," said Bollywood analyst Taran Adarsh.
Bachchan, 64, and
Khan, 41, say their so-called rivalry is a media creation,
but those claims have often been contradicted when they've
taken potshots at each other.
With the
Bachchans getting bigger in brand equity, the Khan-Bachchan
rivalry is not confined to the Bollywood popularity stakes
but has taken on an economic dimension too, analysts said.
Prahlad Kakkar,
an Indian advertising guru and friend of the two warring
stars, said the formation of two big camps could limit
producers' options and raise the cost of filmmaking.
"The polarization
in Bollywood will cause casting problems for producers," he
said.
The rivalry has
not only split Bollywood - with only a few big producers on
good terms with both actors - but also divided loyalties
among influential industrialists and politicians.
While Bollywood
is no stranger to cliques, analysts say the Bachchan-Khan
spat has taken star rivalry to a new low. And this could
change the complexion of Hindi cinema-making.
"It's a bit like
the corporate war of two big brands," said Bose.
(Reuters)
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