There was a time when Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan were considered the closest pals in the industry. From appearing on talk shows together, Koffee with Karan episode where they appeared with their better halves but spoke more about each other to hijacking the screen with their phenomenal chemistry as brothers; Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan were almost inseparable once. What led to the two of them drifting apart remains unknown but what made it worse was the clash between their films in 2017 and papa Rakesh Roshan openly lambasting Shah Rukh Khan over it.

Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan
Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan

The clash

Raees
Still from Raees

It was said that Rakesh Roshan had announced his release date for Kaabil as January 26 much in advance. And Shah Rukh Khan, fearing the tough competition with Salman Khan's Sultan, changed the date of Raees to that of Kaabil's.

Talking about it, Rakesh Roshan told Spotboye, "I am relaxed because I feel that you will get what's in your destiny. But one thing I know about myself is that if someone else had announced his/her release date before I did, I wouldn't have come out with my film on the same day. We have to be professional. I picked up the date in February this year when I was going to start the film and I had finished the film sometime in August. I could have come out with the film in October, November or December--- but looking at this year's calendar I found that a number of films were lined up in the those months and January was free. So I picked up January 26 to not disturb anybody else's release date. It's not fair to do that, but somehow it has happened (shrugs). Now, we will see what happens."

Kaabil, kabil, kaabil box office collection
Kaabil posterTwitter

The fight

On being prodded about what had happened when SRK came to meet him and talk about the clash, Roshan said, "I told him we both will lose money. But he didn't understand. I don't know why. I told him that I am hearing good reports about your film, it can do a business of Rs 300 crore. I also told him that his contemporaries are Salman and Aamir who are making Rs 300 crores (each) with their films; compete with them, not Hrithik. Hrithik is junior to him. In front of me, he agreed to what I was saying. He said, 'Yes sir, yes sir'. But he didn't change the release date of Raees and is now coming out on the same day as Kaabil. I wish him good luck. Both of us together will make Rs 300 crore. That's the good part."

While Hrithik had taken to Twitter to wish him on the day of the release and even called him his 'mentor', Shah Rukh too retaliated with an inspiring response. However, Rakesh Roshan's outburst seemed to have left a bigger dent in their friendship.