Movies
Cricket comes to the big screen: PVR INOX to show Champions Trophy matches
MUMBAI: PVR Inox, India’s largest cinema chain, has partnered with JioStar to screen live matches from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, beginning with the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash on 23 February in Dubai.
The cinema exhibitor will broadcast matches across more than 150 screens nationwide, including the India versus New Zealand fixture on 2 March. Additional screenings of semi-finals and finals will be arranged should India progress in the tournament.
“This association combines two of India’s greatest passions: cricket and cinema,” said Gautam Dutta, chief executive of revenue and operations at PVR INOX. He noted that similar screenings last year drew substantial audiences across cities, demonstrating strong demand for communal sports viewing experiences.
The initiative will span major metropolitan areas and tier-2 and tier-3 cities, including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Lucknow. Viewers will have access to PVR INOX’s full range of food and beverage offerings during matches.
The partnership represents a significant move by PVR INOX to diversify its entertainment portfolio, leveraging its cinema technology to create stadium-like atmospheres for major sporting events. All matches will be shown at 1:00 PM GST (Gulf Standard Time).
The screenings mark an interesting convergence of traditional cinema exhibition and live sports broadcasting, potentially opening new revenue streams for the theatre chain while providing cricket fans with an alternative viewing experience.
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.
