“It’s been a grueling but rewarding time. I’ve been virtually sleeping on the sets. We have finally zeroed- in on January 25 as the date of release. It’s a good week because we get the full 3-day holiday weekend, Republic Day and all” says Ashutosh Gowariker.

Rang De Basanti was released during the same weekend two years ago. “Was it?” Ashutosh seems unaware of the coincidence. “It just seems like the right moment. It’s a pity we couldn’t make it on schedule on October 12.”

Ashutosh still has one song to shoot which he will do as soon as Aishwarya returns from Boston from shooting her Pink Panther movie.

The epic’s postponement has given two other biggish films Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Bhool Bhulaiya to slip into the Eid Friday. “We aren’t attaching the trailer to any of the two films,” informs Ashutosh. “It goes into theatres independently.”

But it is just a coincidence that the Jodhaa Akbar trailer is being released during the same week that the film was earlier supposed to release? “You can call it a pleasant coincidence,” ends Ashutosh.