Hindi
Ormax Media study ranks Singham top favourite in 2011
MUMBAI: The Rohit Shetty directed Singham is the top favourite film of Bollywood audiences in 2011 while the Zoya Akhtar film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and the Imtiaz Ali directed Rockstar take the next two positions respectively, according to a recent study.
The next three positions are occupied by Salman Khan’s Ready and Bodyguard just a notch ahead of Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2, according to Ormax Media’s consumer-based yearend report titled ‘Front Page 2011’.
The latter half of the chart consists of more experimental films that lacked a big star. In particular, No One Killed Jessica performs creditably at No. 7. It is the only film in this list that had an opening weekend of less than Rs 150 million and yet found appreciation on the strength of its content.
Commenting on the results, Ormax Media CEO Shailesh Kapoor said, “There are various award shows that give away Best Film awards. However, this ranking is based on structured consumer data from more than 32,000 cinegoers across India. There can’t be a bigger award than this!”
The ranking of the top ten favourite Bollywood films of 2011 was derived on the basis the ‘Word of Mouth’ (WOM) score of the film, using data collected through consumer research throughout the year. The WOM score represents the percentage of audiences who liked the film enough to recommend it strongly to their friends.
While box office business is heavily influenced by the opening weekend of a film, the WOM score reflects the audience feedback on the content alone, irrespective of the marketing or the distribution of the film.
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.
