Hindi
Ghai to inaugurate multiplex in Kolkata in six months
In between helming his film institute Whistling Woods International and wielding the megaphone for his directorial comeback Kaanchi, Subhash Ghai will soon inaugurate a three-screen multiplex spread over 35,000 square feet under his brand Mukta A2 Cinemas in the City of Joy.
Coming up in the next six months at Junction Mall, Barasat, in Kolkata, this will be Mukta A2 Cinemas’ debut in West Bengal after having similar such multiplexes in Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Gulbarga. The first plex was opened in Gujarat back in July 2011.
When contacted, Nice Property director Prabhakar Kumar confirmed the news and said: “Mukta Arts has been in the distribution and exhibition business for a while now and with this chain of multiplexes, they only plan to strengthen their foothold in the industry.”
Junction Mall, Barasat, in a total mall area of 150,000 square feet, is marketed by Nice Property and is a joint venture project with North 24Parganas Zilla Parishad.
Sources said plans are afoot to invite actors the likes of Abishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonali Bendre to Kolkata for the first fifteen days to promote the plex.
Also, tickets will be economically priced, keeping in mind consumer spending behaviour in Kolkata, sources informed. “Mukta Cinemas is looking at 1,200 seats. The pricing is slightly lower than other multiplexes,” a source revealed.
It is further learnt that the company has signed an 18 year lease contract and as per the agreement, the rent will be Rs 60 per sqft.
“Even if Mukta Arts achieves 50 per cent occupancy rate, this venture would give good returns to the company,” observed a media analyst, adding that there are not many high-quality plexes in the vicinity, upping the possibility of the plex doing well in future.
Ghai’s Mukta Arts is primarily engaged in motion picture production apart from production, distribution, and exhibition of television serials and entertainment software, equipment hiring, and generation and distribution of content for the entertainment industry.
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.
