Padmavat has a release date, finally!

The film clashes with Akshay Kumar's PadMan at the box office.

It's all systems go for the beleaguered epic Padmavat (previously Padmavati).

Yes, a release date has finally been locked in, and it's January 25 -- the coveted Republic Day weekend when R Balki's Akshay Kumar starrer PadMan is scheduled.

Neeraj Pandey's Aiyaary -- starring Manoj Bajpayee and Sidharth Malhotra -- was also going to release on January 26, but has now been postponed.

A source very closely connected with PadMan can't believe Padmavat is jumping the queue to make it for Republic Day.

"It's insanity. We announced the release date for PadMan six months ago," the source said. "Now for them to jump in with Padmavat at this late hour is absurd. I am still hoping they will change their mind and release later."

But Padmavat is confirmed for January 25.

"It's January 25 for us," says a source very close to the film. "We've waited too long. We can't wait any more. Huge financial stakes are involved."