MUMBAI: The clash of the titans — Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan — at the box office has been averted. SRK’s Raees, which was slated to release on Eid this year, has been pushed ahead.

The film will now be making its way into the theatres on Republic Day, which falls on January 26, next year.

A lot of buzz was created when the news about Raees releasing on the same date as Salman’s Sultan came out.

Set in 1980s Gujarat, Raees tells the story of a bootlegger whose business is thwarted by a tough policeman. The film is produced by Excel Entertainment and Red Chillies Entertainment.

The producers shared the news of change in release date via an official statement. The joint statement by Ritesh Sidhwani, Shah Rukh and Farhan Akhtar read, “It was not an easy decision to move the film. We understand that Raees is highly anticipated. However, a film of such magnitude requires the appropriate showcasing and therefore, we have decided to shift our release date to January 26, 2017.”