Dunki vs Salaar to Raees vs Kaabil: Shah Rukh Khan's top 5 Most Controversial Box Office Clashes

Shah Rukh Khan is the undisputed King of Bollywood. With the back to back successes of his films Jawan and Pathaan, he extended his reign over the box office as well. However, his climb to the top has not been without his share of controversy and shocking allegations. Ahead of the release of 'Dunki', the film was surrounded by some negatie report, after 'Salaar' makers alleged that the team had resorted to 'unfair' practices.

In the latest episode of Bollywood's box office clashes, Shah Rukh Khan's 'Dunki' goes head-to-head with Prabhas-starrer 'Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire'.The makers of 'Salaar' raised eyebrows by announcing a boycott of multiplex cinema chains, alleging preferential treatment towards 'Dunki'. "They have opened all shows/screens for 'Dunki' alone which was against what they had agreed. They had agreed that they would give equal showcasing when discussed but now they are not doing so," the spokesperson for the production house backing 'Salaar' said in a statement. Responding to the allegations, PVR boss dubbed it as nothing more than "commercial disagreements." He added that these disagreements tend to arise when big films release on the same date.

The clash between 'Raees' and 'Kaabil' in 2017 is etched in the memories of Bollywood enthusiasts. Shah Rukh Khan's crime thriller went head-to-head with Hrithik Roshan's revenge drama. Accusations of screen allocation discrepancies were levelled by an angry Rakesh Roshan who also slammed the exhibitors for not ahearing to the 50-50 screen allocation rule. Reports state that he even tried on a personal level to ask SRK and Farhan Akhtar to 'play fair'. As the box office reports suggest, for Kaabil, it was a losing battle since day 1.

In another Christmas showdown, Shah Rukh Khan's 'Dilwale' clashed head-on with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus, 'Bajirao Mastani'. Allegations of screen dominance and aggressive marketing strategies marred the clash. SRK reportely took monopoly over multiplexes, leaving the single screens for the SLB film starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. While rubishing claims of any foul play in this box office clash, theatre chains still refused to divulge details about screen distributions. The tussle not only divided box office collections but also led to a clash of fan bases, intensifying the competition beyond the theaters. 'Dilwale' went on to take the lead at the box office, but great review for the Bhansali epic helped it emerge as the winner.

Diwali of 2012 witnessed an explosive face-off between Shah Rukh Khan's 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' and Ajay Devgn's 'Son of Sardaar'. Accusations of monopolizing screens and blocking wider releases for the competition filled the air. Devgn famously slapped YRF, the makers of the SRK starrer with a legal notice for 'arm-twisting distributors' to allocate 80-90% screens for their film. Ajay eventually lost the case.

The clash between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's 'Om Shanti Om' and Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor's 'Saawariya' marked a historic clash at the box office in 2007. The controversy revolved around the aggressive promotional campaigns followed by both camps. It a first, the Diwali clash had been played up by the media for weeks on end. Ahead of the release, the stars of both films had been all over TV, ads and even reality shows to woo in the crowds. Finally, SRK with his rock-hard 8-pac abs emerged victorious. This reportedly set the stage for future battles, and laid the foundation for a culture of high-stakes clashes in Bollywood.