Hindi
UFO Moviez posts Rs 265 mn consolidated revenue for Q2FY22
Mumbai: In-cinema advertising platform UFO Moviez on Thursday announced its financial results for the quarter and half year ended on 30 September.
Consolidated revenue stood for at Rs 265 million (Q2FY21 – Rs 128 million), and EBITDA at minus (-) Rs 152 million (Q2FY21 – minus (-) Rs 218 million).
Consolidated revenue for H1FY22 was Rs 546 million (H1FY21 – Rs 306 million) and EBITDA stood at minus (-) Rs 332 million (H1FY21 – minus (-) Rs 450 million).
In the quarter under review, theatres reopened from July in a staggered manner, except for Maharashtra, which resulted in Hindi films delaying their release dates. However, in the South and other regional markets, films were released despite restrictions on seating capacity. This led to a gradual revival in the company’s revenue and a reduction in cash losses.
Maharashtra and Kerala allowed the reopening of theatres beginning on 22 October and 25 October, respectively. Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh are operating at 100 per cent occupancy, while most other states are permitted to operate at 50-60 per cent.
“During the quarter, there were no Hindi movie releases as theatres in major markets like Maharashtra were not permitted to reopen. However, regional movies performed well at the box office,” said UFO Moviez joint managing director Kapil Agarwal.
“With the opening of Cinemas in Maharashtra and Kerala, Hindi and Non-Hindi markets are now fully operational. Recently, Sooryavanshi was released on more than 1600 UFO screens and the much-awaited Rajnikanth movie, Annaatthe, distributed by UFO in the Hindi circuit, was released in more than 700 UFO screens in all languages. Despite the occupancy restrictions, both the movies had a blockbuster opening weekend, collecting 100 plus crores each worldwide. This reaffirms the importance of cinemas. Also, the movie pipeline for the next six to eight months is extremely strong. We expect the film exhibition industry to recover at a rapid pace and are confident that UFO’s business and financial performance will be restored very soon,” he added.
Further, the board of directors, in its meeting held on 3 November, approved the preferential allotment of 93,99,933 equity shares aggregating to Rs 96.82 crore to Nepean Focused Investment Fund, a scheme of investment of Nepean Investment Trust II, a category II alternative investment fund registered with Securities and Exchange Board of India at a price of Rs 103.01 per equity share, as per applicable rules and regulations. This preferential issue is subject to necessary approvals.
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.
