Hindi
‘Alone’ tots Rs 11.4 crore at BO
MUMBAI: Bipasha Basu’s sex appeal and skin show does not quite work at the box office as the content and treatment of Alone don’t back her up. A routine horror film with forced scary moments, which fail to scare, the film opens with tepid response.
Not a film for single screens, its magic has limited appeal even at the multiplexes, where it was aimed. Alone has managed to put together collections of Rs 11.4 crore in its opening weekend with Saturday and Sunday showing a symbolic growth over its opening day.
Sharafat Gayee Tel Lene took home a few lakhs with poor performance at the box office. Crazy Cukkad Family followed suit at the box office, its investment being total waste of resources.
I (dubbed but promoted as the Hindi version) gets better response than all other films of the week though the collections remain at below average levels as South actors and films don’t find ready takers in the Hindi market. The film has collected about Rs 6.5 crore over the weekend including paid previews on Thursday.
Tevar, with its adverse reports and weak opening, ends the first week with uninspiring figures. The film collects Rs 33.15 crore. Not much is expected in its second week.
Coming at the end of its run at the box office, Ugly adds Rs 60 lakh to its second week to take its three week tally to Rs 8.4 crore.
On the other hand, the Aamir Khan starrer PK, which is directed by Rajkumar Hirani, remains rock steady in its fourth week. The film collects Rs 12.5 crore and takes its four week tally to Rs 324.2 crore.
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.
