Anthony to strike before Munna: "The Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi combo, which took the nation by storm with MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S., will feature in ANTHONY KAUN HAI?, exactly a month before LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI hits the screens. Although ANTHONY KAUN HAI? started much after LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI [ANTHONY went on floors in March in Thailand, was completed in April and will be released on July 28], there�re whispers that producer Nikhil Panchamiya is keen that his film arrives before MUNNABHAI so as to capitalize on the star-combo.

�Let�s not compare ANTHONY KAUN HAI? with LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI. Munna and Circuit are brands already, while my film stars Sanju and Arshad. I am not trying to be one-up on Vidhu Vinod Chopra [the producer of LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI]. I am not competing with him,� Panchamiya defends his move of overtaking LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI.

But Panchamiya could�ve released ANTHONY KAUN HAI? after the MUNNABHAI sequel hit the screens. �I was ready with my film in April, so does it make sense to hold on to it unnecessarily? For someone like me who has just stepped into the production arena [he made his production debut with DIL MAANGE MORE], every penny counts and every day makes a difference. If I don�t release my film in July, the next date I can look at is November/December, after Ramzan and after DHOOM 2 and DON. I�d be killing my film if I delay ANTHONY KAUN HAI? any further,� he states.

Panchamiya feels both ANTHONY KAUN HAI? and MUNNABHAI can co-exist without harming each other�s prospects. �The two films are diametrically diverse in content, so there�s no cause for worry. The only similarity is its heroes, but beyond that there�s nothing remotely identical. And that�s what makes me all the more confident of the two films,� he adds.

What next? Panchamiya has deci"