Hindi
Rise of the Planet of the Apes grosses Rs 116 mn in two weeks
MUMBAI: Fox Star Studios‘ latest sci-fi extravaganza Rise of the Planet of the Apes has grossed Rs 116 million in two weeks of release.
The James Franco-Freida Pinto starrer released in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, first in single screens and then in select multiplexes like PVR Cinemas.
Touted as one of the most entertaining films of the franchise, the film is also a hit with the Hindi speaking audiences across India with collections from the Hindi screens almost matching those from the English screens.
Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh said, “We are elated with the continuing enthusiastic response to the film from centres across India. Despite the delayed release the collections from the PVR cinemas are very encouraging – four of the PVR properties feature among the top 10 performing properties for the film. Given the positive word-of-mouth, we are confident of increasing the figures in the weeks to come.”
Directed by Rupert Wyatt, Rise of The Planet of the Apes is the seventh in the Apes saga and has gathered a lot of Oscar buzz for its spectacular special effects by Oscar winning agency Weta Digital and also Andy Serkis‘ performance as Caesar, the ape for 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.
