Hindi
Reliance Entertainment sells rights of 3 films to Japan
MUMBAI: In a move that breaks the long impasse of any Indian film releasing in Japan in a big way, Reliance Entertainment has sold the distribution rights of 3 Idiots, Don 2 and Makkhi for their International release in Japan. This deal was inked at the Mumbai Film Mart held in 2012 under the aegis of Mumbai Film Festival.
The release of India‘s highest grossing film may well mark the opening up of Japan as a significant territory in the international distribution of Hindi movies.
Japan‘s oldest production and distribution company Nikkatsu will release the first two films in Japan in summer this year and Unplugged Inc. will release the animated creature film in autumn. The Aamir Khan-starrer will see the widest ever release for a Hindi movie in Japan on 18 May in approximately 50 screens.
Commented Reliance Entertainment, CEO, Sanjeev Lamba, "Reliance Entertainment broke fresh ground in the international markets with a tie-up with Nikkatsu- Japan‘s oldest & century old movie studio. Nikkatsu will release Reliance Entertainment‘s top grossing film of all time internationally – 3 IDIOTS & the third ranking international grosser of all time DON-2. This initiative of Reliance Entertainment should pave the way for opening up of Japan as a major international market for Indian films in the future".
The Japanese companies are determined to make the release of Indian films a success in order to grow the market and build long term relations. Strategizing for the same, they collaborated with the Indian Embassy in Japan and for the first time ever an international media contingent was sent to Mumbai for the promotions of these films back home.
This contingent comprised representatives from Television, Radio, Press, Magazine and online website. They had very candid and detailed interviews with Rajkumar Hirani, Priyanka Chopra, producer Ritesh Sidhwani talking about their body of work, future projects, and specifically on the Japanese release of their films.
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.
