Hindi
Priyanka Chopra gets applauded for her performance in ‘Mary Kom’
MUMBAI: Mary Kom, which features Priyanka Chopra in the lead, is on its way to become the highest grosser women oriented film in Indian Film Industry. On its opening day the film has made 8 Cr, 9.25 Cr on Saturday and will cross 10 Cr on Sunday as per the ongoing trade buzz. Mary Kom, a biopic on the five-time boxing champion M C MaryKom’s life, is directed by first time director Omung Kumar and co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
The film has been shot for the better part in Imphal, Manipur, where the sportswoman was bred. Born in a humble home in Kangathei, Mary was only a teenager when she decided to pursue boxing, despite inviting her father’s ire.
A story of a strong willed Manipur-based girl, who faced all odds to pursue her passion and who continued to follow her love for boxing even after becoming a wife and a mother of two, Mary Kom released in 1,800 plus screens in the country.
The movie is perched comfortable on its way to profitability. The movie has earned the distinction of breaking even in record time. Trade analysts and distributors reveal the movie is set to maintain collections over the weekend and should hit the Rs 30 Cr mark by Monday quoted a leading business daily.
“Priyanka Chopra has outdone herself. She has played Mary Kom to the hilt. She definitely deserves a National Award for this performance. Also with this Mary Kom is on its way to become the highest grosser of the year in the league of out and out woman oriented cinema. Just like Mary Kom, this film is a sure-shot winner”, says Vajir Singh, Trade Analyst and Editor of Box Office India.
Another Trade analyst and Editor of Film Information Komal Nahta says, “First day collections were 8 Cr, second day 9.25 Cr and I am sure that it will pick-up on Sunday also.Priyanka lives the character of Mary Kom and proves that she was born to play the role. She has put in tremendous effort to essay the role and all the hard work seems to be worthwhile because she shines with a mind-blowing performance which is absolutely award-worthy. It’s her most memorable performances. Mary Kom is a box office champion.”
A leading distributor of Delhi, Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts says, “First weekend collection will be 32-33 Cr and it will made 55 Cr in its first week of release. I think that it will become tax free all over India in coming few days. Priyanka does a good job of getting into the part. She has brought the boxer to life convincingly enough. Priyanka will win most of the awards this year for her outstanding performance in Mary Kom. It leaves you rooting for our sportsmen who have put India on the world map. We should make such kind of commercially viable real life stories more often.”
Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines, a leading distributor from Mumbai says, “Mary Kom didn’t disappoint as it opened decently and minted about Rs. 8.5 crore net at India box office, as per early trade estimates. Its PriyankaChopra’s best act to date. Mary Kom has shown fantastic growth of 20% on Saturday from Friday. Mary Kom is doing very well in multiplexes. This is however much bigger opening than what Mardaani and Queen got so that in itself is commendable. Mary Kom also had a benefit of no tax inMaharshtra and other states which helped boost its collection. MaryKom will also likely to have good Sunday and will have one of the top 10 opening weekends of 2014.”
Mary Kom is on its way to being a part of the slew of medium budget movies which have reaped rich dividends for its makers after box office collections, satellite rights and music rights.
Hindi
Jio Studios, Sanjay Dutt team up to revive Khal Nayak
Rights acquired for new version, format under wraps as remake plans take shape.
MUMBAI: The villain is back and this time, he’s rewriting his own script. Jio Studios has partnered with Three Dimension Motion Pictures and Aspect Entertainment to revive the 1993 cult classic Khal Nayak, marking a fresh chapter for one of Bollywood’s most iconic anti-hero stories. The original film, directed by Subhash Ghai under Mukta Arts, was a commercial and cultural milestone, with Sanjay Dutt’s portrayal of Ballu becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most memorable performances.
Dutt, along with Aksha Kamboj, has now acquired the rights from the original creators, bringing on board Jio Studios and its President Jyoti Deshpande to steer the project creatively.
While the exact format whether remake, sequel, prequel, or a completely new narrative remains undisclosed, the collaboration aims to reinterpret the story for contemporary audiences while retaining the essence that made the original a defining film of the 1990s.
The move taps into a broader industry trend of reviving legacy intellectual property, particularly characters with strong recall value. “Khal Nayak” was notable for pushing mainstream Hindi cinema into morally grey territory at a time when heroes were largely one-dimensional, making Ballu’s character a standout.
The project also marks the film production debut of Aspect Entertainment, signalling a push towards more technology-led storytelling frameworks. Meanwhile, Jio Studios continues to expand its slate, having built a library of over 200 films and series, with more than 60 titles collectively winning 500-plus awards.
For Dutt, the revival is as much personal as it is strategic, a return to a role that reshaped his career. For the industry, it is another sign that nostalgia, when paired with scale, remains a powerful box-office proposition.
Because in Bollywood, some villains never fade, they just wait for the perfect comeback.
