Movies
Paramount+ premieres In Bloom with MTV partnership
Mumbai: Paramount+ announced that an anthology of five compelling short films In Bloom, will premiere on the service globally on Friday, 1 March. Available in tandem with International Women’s Day (Friday, 8 March), the unique collection spans countries and cultures, delving into the complexities of gender issues following characters on the brink of life-defining moments, by choice or circumstance.
In Bloom has been produced by MTV Staying Alive Foundation with continued support of Paramount Global and grant support by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The thought-provoking collection tells unheard stories addressing a range of crucial issues including period poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, HIV self-stigma, family planning and women’s economic empowerment. The anthology comes from five female filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, India, the US and Brazil, creatively championing new voices and enabling insightful conversations to dismantle systemic injustices.
The five films are:
● Period – Like many of her classmates at her underserved school, Fay cannot afford menstrual products, so she sets out on a crusade to get them for free. Written and directed by Nicole Teeny, featuring Yasmina El-Abd.
● Alta – A defiant teenager refusing to come out of the bathroom forces her helpless father to seek help to reason with the girl, but things take a turn when their true relationship is revealed. Written and directed by Priyanka Banerjee, featuring Mazel Vyas.
● Maré – A mother on the edge of her sanity seeks solace from a tumultuous life situation. Written and directed by Giuliana Monteiro, featuring Vanessa Giácomo.
● Kifungo – An ambitious romantic struggles with self-acceptance after finding out that she is HIV positive. written and directed by Voline Ogutu, featuring Brenda Wairimu.
● Aféfé – When her elderly and ailing mother-in-law moves in unexpectedly, life for an impassioned local beautician takes a frightening turn. Written and directed by Dolapo ‘LowlaDee’ Adeleke, featuring Folu Storms.
In Bloom will also premiere on Pluto TV globally on Friday, March 1, prior to a further debut on Friday, March 8, International Women’s Day, on BET and MTV. The anthology will also be available on the In Bloom YouTube Channel in India and Africa.
Alongside the five female directors, In Bloom is executive produced by Georgia Arnold, Richard Chang-Warburton and Sara Piot for MTV Staying Alive Foundation.
The anthology builds upon Paramount’s commitment to make gender equity a focus across the entire ecosystem, a shared journey that the company started long ago, leading to an increased representation of women in leading roles across its content.
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.
