Hindi
Cinerama inks distributor deal with Sling Media
MUMBAI: Cinema sound and projection company Cinerama Pvt Ltd has announced an exclusive sub distributor deal in the West and South India with Sling Media for its product the Slingbox. This partnership will enable Sling Media to leverage Cinerama‘s existing network in over 20 cities catering to high net worth individuals (HNI).
Cinerama will play an integral role in helping Sling Media extend its product reach in India, which in the past has focused on large format retail stores and ecommerce websites. Through Cinerama‘s existing and well established network, Sling Media intends to focus on tapping the fast growing markets in up and coming cities in India.
Cinerama director Sanjay Agarwal said, “We are delighted to partner with Sling Media in their new go-to-market strategy. We are confident that Sling Media‘s unique product and our expertise with the HNI segment in south and west regions will result in mutual growth and benefit.”
The Slingbox is a unique consumer electronics product that allows customers to watch their home TV live (or access recorded programming or VOD) in and around the home or away from home using popular devices such as PCs and Macs, tablets and smartphones. It was launched in India in 2011 and is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Chennai.
“The consumer market in west and south India has evolved phenomenally with the growth of tablets and smartphones. We believe that Cinerama has the competence and expertise needed to reach potential Slingbox customers and build a strong proposition for our products in these markets,” said Sling Media, India general manager and head of operations Raman Venkatachar.
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.
