Hindi
3 Idiots, Chennai Express & Hera Pheri hold maximum franchise potential in Hindi cinema: Ormax’s latest report
Mumbai: Media consulting firm Ormax Media today announced the launch of its new report titled ‘The Bollywood Franchise Report: 2023’. The report identifies Top 100 Hindi film franchises (current & potential), based on audience equity. The research is the result of a survey conducted amongst 3,000 regular Hindi film-goers across India, in Oct-Nov 2023.
Films released between Jan 1990 to Sep 2023 were assessed in the report. Ormax Media released select findings, which reveal that 3 Idiots, Chennai Express, Hera Pheri, Jawan, and Drishyam are the top 5 franchises (current/ potential) based on audience equity. Notably, Shah Rukh Khan has four entries in the top 10 – Chennai Express (no. 2), Jawan (no. 4), Chak De! India (no. 8) and Pathaan (no. 10). Drishyam stands out as the only suspense thriller franchise amongst the top 10.
Commenting on the significance of the report, Ormax Media business development (theatrical head) Sanket Kulkarni said, “Franchise films have been a dominant force driving the growth and stability for Hollywood over the past two decades. The contribution of franchise films to the Hindi theatrical domestic box office has grown from a mere 17 per cent in 2019 to 45 per cent in 2023. As the theatrical landscape increasingly leans toward event-driven films, choosing the right film to expand or initiate the franchise can go a long way in creating a powerful theatrical product. This report will aid studios, producers & content creators take more informed and audience-centric decisions related to greenlighting, budgeting and marketing franchise-based projects in the Hindi film industry.”
The detailed report, available upon subscription, has the list of top 100 franchises, and insights related to how franchise equity varies across various demographics, such as age, gender, markets, etc.
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.
