MUMBAI: Prakash Jha’s loss (not really) is John Abraham’s gain. Madras Café, which was scheduled to release on 30 August, is now set to release a week before.

Madras Café will now hit screens on 23 August. The date was initially reserved for Prakash Jha’s ‘Satyagraha’. Since ‘Satyagraha’ has now been shifted to 30 August, John Abraham and Shoojit Sircar will release the film.

While we had reported that Satyagraha was shifted a week ahead, thanks to some smart thinking from UTV (Read Report Here), we wonder why John Abraham has shifted to an early date?

With three big films – ‘Chennai Express’ (8 August), ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai’ (15 August), ‘Kaanchi’ (15 August) –releasing before Madras Café, it already is having competition.

Moreover, Madras Café will not have a clear window as ‘Satyagraha’ releases immediately the subsequent week and there already is huge competition. Wouldn’t shifting the film to a later date, probably a September be a better idea? Considering that there is – ‘Bullet Raja’, ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’ and ‘Ungli’, which are all comedies set for release.

Madras Café is John Abraham’s second production venture after ‘Vicky Donor’ and also stars Nargis Fakri in the lead. The film directed by Shoojit Sircar and is a political thriller.

We tried to get in contact with John Abraham for his views on the release but he was unavailable for comments.

All we can say that John Abraham is lucky to have grabbed the free deal, how far it works in his favour only time will decide.