Right on the day when Allu Arjun and Mahesh Babu announced that Jan 12th will see the release of 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo' and 'Sarileru Neekevvaru', it was clear that one or both of them will be moved front or back. It's inconceivable that they both will clash unless majestic egos search for inventive ways to descend into a race to the bottom.

The buzz in the industry, as reported by some sections of media, is that 'AV' will release on Jan 11th and 'SN' on Jan 13th. As per someone in the know, this is not going to happen. "Mahesh Babu will definitely not come after Bunny," the industry observer says social media. So, if this take is to be believed, 'SN' will come two days before the Bunny-Trivikram outing.

The film that releases first will have the first-mover advantage. The one whose product arrives earlier will have two extra days of Sankranthi bonanza.