Hindi
A week full of damp squibs, despite huge expectations
Some whiz kid got the idea that to make an Indian version of the popular comic book series Adventures of Tin Tin,blending it with a generous dose of Hollywood musicals and the rest will follow. But this just an idea, a one-liner. Not a script. However, a star fell for it for as he had nothing to lose. One can understand that, but how does a studio fall prey to the idea and commits anything between Rs 300 to Rs 1.50 billion?
If last week the result was Jagga Jasoos costing around Rs one billion in the making, this week there was Munna Michael which was a straight but unimaginative ‘inspiration’ taken from the films of 1980s, described as disco films. When they were not branded as Disco films, Jumping Jack Jeetendra ruled and later when Mithun Chakraborty took over the mantle of the dancing star, it was the disco era and, he was the disco star!
While the films in that era boasted of massive twists and turns and emotional appeal, Munna Michael is poorly scripted with nothing except dances and action. Casting Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a film cannot be considered an asset just because he is building a fan base despite not fitting into the scheme of things by any stretch of imagination!
Not surprisingly, Munna Michael proves to be a loser. It opened such a poor response that immediately on its release, the theatre managements decide to reduce the film’s screening slots. The film collected 64 million on day one, lost some ground on Saturday while improving by around Rs 100 million on Sunday. The film collected Rs 205 million for its opening weekend.
Lipstick Under My Burkha, a pretentious film based on the lives of women in Bhopal had the maker raise an issue, highlights the lives of four miserable women with their dreams and aspirations, mainly related to sex and freedom but ending without a remedial conclusion or even a suggestion to this end.
Thanks to the controversy generated at the Film Censors, the film found few viewers mainly in select Delhi and Mumbai multiplexes. The film managed to collect Rs 11.5 million on day one and showed a marginal rise on Saturday and peaking on Sunday to collect Rs 55 million for its opening weekend. The real test for the film will be through the rest of the week.
Jagga Jasoos, having been rejected, managed the first week’s collections of about Rs 431 million. The second week holds no promise as the film managed to add Rs 12 million on its eighth day compared to Rs 79 million on its first day
The highly-touted Sridevi starrer Mom collected Rs 71 million in its second week to take its two-week total to Rs 296 million.
Guest in London added Rs 1.5 million in its second week to take its two-week total to Rs 68.5 million.
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.
