It looks like Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial period drama Padmavati is finally set to hit the screens on January 26 this year. After several hiccups, the film was recently green-signalled the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification), but there was no clarity on when it would release.

Sources told India Today that the film might come out on the Republic Day holiday. An official announcement from the makers is expected soon.

If the film does release on January 26, it will give stiff competition to R Balki's Padman, which releases on January 25. A box office clash is inevitable, as the makers of Padman have maintained that they will not shift the release of their film for any other.

Prernaa Arora, one of the producers of Padman, told PTI that they will release the film, which features Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte in the lead roles, on schedule. "I am clueless what is happening... with clash. I have no idea about it. Even we have heard about it. All we know is Padman is releasing on January 25. Akshay announced it officially," she said.

Padmavati, which stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmini, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji, will release as Padmavat, after Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem of the same name on which it is purportedly based.

(With inputs from Piya Hingorani)

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