Hindi
3 Idiots grosses Rs 9 mn in 2-week run in Hong Kong
MUMBAI: After almost two years of its releasing in India and breaking all box office records, the Vidhu Vinod Chopra film 3 Idiots released recently in Hong Kong and within two weeks, has done a business of over Rs 9 million.
Said Vinod Chopra Films CEO Sameer Rao, “The phenomenal success of 3 idiots in its Hong Kong re-release is testimony to the power of its content and the universality of its message. All of us at VCF are extremely proud of the film‘s continuing run in various international markets, including Taiwan, Korea and now, Hong Kong.”
The film has grossed over $600,000 in 4 weeks and is currently ranked no. 4 in the box office. The Aamir Khan-starrer is being aggressively promoted with print and advertising budget of about $1.5 million.
In Taiwan, where the Rajkumar Hirani-helmed film had a longer box-office run as compared to other English releases, 3 Idiots raked in half a million dollars.
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.
