Bollywood and cricket "are often referred to as the two popular religions of India," according to Prashant Singh of the HINDUSTAN TIMES. The upcoming few months "will see the Indian cricket team play back-to-back tournaments." The upcoming India tour to Australia "will mark the beginning of a long cricketing season," and will end with the Indian Premier League in May. Bollywood has "faced stiff competition from the IPL ever since it kicked off." Do "filmmakers have reason to worry this time around too?" Filmaker R Balki said, "I don’t think other tournaments, including the IPL, are any longer a huge threat. But, a series like the World Twenty20 will surely affect business a bit." Like Balki, other directors believe that there is "nothing to worry about." Director Sabbir Khan said, "We don't expect everyone to keep watching films or cricket all the time; I am sure they can both co-exist." Not many movies starring big actors will hit theaters till May, "with a few exceptions." Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, "I don't think there's any need to panic. People will make time for both the passions as per their tastes and interests." But Balki reveals that when the release date of his film was being finalized, "the schedule of the World Twenty20 tournament was checked first." Balki: "We decided on April 1 [as the release date], as there are no matches on that day and the next day as well" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 1/7).
