Hindi
Eros Q3 net jumps 48% to Rs 651 mn
MUMBAI: The pure play film producer and distributor company Eros International has reported a 48 per cent jump in consolidated net profit (before minority interest) on the back of commercially successful movies like Ra.One and Rockstar for the third quarter ending 31 December 2011.
Eros has posted a net profit of Rs 650.9 million in the quarter, as against a net profit of Rs 439.9 million in the year-ago period.
Total income during the quarter under review went up 44.8 per cent to Rs 4.12 billion, compared to Rs 2.84 billion it had posted in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
Eros’ Ebit for the quarter stood at Rs 1.03 billion, up 57.1 per cent, compared to Rs 653.5 million a year ago.
Eros International Media MD Sunil Lulla said, “Eros International has performed well for Q3 FY2012 on account of successful releases such as ‘Ra.One’, ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Desi Boyz’.”
We are continuing to enhance our existing film slate by further adding new films such as Kochadaiyaan starring Rajinikanth, Yohan Adhayam Ondru starring Vijay, Go Goa Gone to name a few to our existing film slate which includes ‘Housefull 2’, ‘Cocktail’, ‘Khiladi 786’, ‘Hum Se Pyar Kar Le Tu’ and many others that also include regional language releases, thus maintaining a leadership position in this rapidly evolving sector.
Eros has announced that it has over 50 films on its slate which will be released during 2013 and 2014. It expects to release 7-8 Hindi movies in the next six to nine months, prominent among them being Agent Vinod, Khiladi 786 and Housfull 2 among others.
“We continue to focus on making advances towards regional movie releases including Tamil and Punjabi movies in order to widen the overall product portfolio by adding a few Tamil movies on global scale. With regards to this, we recently announced a co-production deal with Media One for Kochadayiaan starring Rajinikanth and Photon Kathaas Productions for a Tamil film titled ‘Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru’ starring Vijay.”
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.
