Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui

It has been more than a year and a half since the news first started making the rounds around the cold war between Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. While both actors have maintained a dignified silence around the whole issue, the media has time and again picked even silences surrounding two of the most accomplished actors in the industry today, and tried to hunt for a spark, if any.

Well, it won’t be long before this spark is ignited all over again, now that their films are clashing with each other. Come 20th February and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Badlapur and Irrfan Khan’s Qissa will be arriving in theaters together. Our source informs:

This is a last moment development, as Qissa has been ready for over a year and a half was in fact also screened at 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. It even won a few awards for itself. However, the theatrical release has been long awaited, though there were talks of the film arriving a few weeks ago. Now the film, which is predominantly in Punjabi, is being released simultaneously in theaters as well as DVD on 20th February.

While it is understandable that the NFDC produced Qissa will have a niche release for itself, one awaits Irrfan Khan’s arrival on screens as the Sikh man Umber Singh who is forced to raise one of his daughters as a man. The tragic tale, set in post-partition era, also stars Tillotama Shome, Tisca Chopra and Rasika Dugal.

On the other hand, Badlapur is a hardcore commercial film with Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the antagonist, who has Varun Dhawan on his trail. After Kick, this is another film with which Nawaz is taking further strides in the big league. As the Sriram Raghavan film is entirely centered on the face off between the Gangs of Wasseypur actor and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya lead, who will be seen in his first ever thriller, this movie is really awaited!

The insider adds:

Of course Badlapur is a big ticket release and hence Nawaz would fetch quite some eyeballs for himself. However, for the discerning audience, there is Qissa, which brings Irrfan Khan back on screen after a fabulous performance in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider. For those in hunt for some good performances, next weekend is going to be pretty exciting.

Apart from superlative performances, we know this clash will also serve as fodder for those who would want to pitch them again in the battle of supremacy. Who do you think will win?