Hindi
Viacom 18’s G.I. JOE: Retaliation releasing in India ahead of international release
MUMBAI: G.I. JOE: Retaliation, the follow-up to the 2009 release G.I. JOE: Rise of the Cobra, is releasing in India first ahead of its international release.
Out in theaters on 27 March, director Jon M. Chu‘s movie stars an ensemble cast of biggies like Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson along with D.J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce and Ray Stevenson.
Additionally, the team behind the film has associated with WWE for a very special contest and bonanza for fans.
The contest will give audience an opportunity to see Dwayne ‘The Rock‘ Johnson aka the WWE Champion live in action and get an all expense paid trip to New York to watch Wrestle Mania 29, Hall of Fame & Fan Axxxess.
The creative team of Viacom 18 Motion Pictures will leave no stone unturned to publicise the promos of the contest on a popular English movie channel, along with radio campaigns on top stations backed by outdoor hoardings as well.
Says Viacom18 Motion Pictures head of marketing Rudrarup Datta, "Viacom18 Motion Pictures and & WWE India join hands in activating a nation wide contest with the international summer 3D blockbuster GI Joe-Retaliation starring Dwayne ‘The Rock‘ Johnson and Wrestle Mania 29. Dwayne who is the current WWE champion will be the face of the campaign.
The campaign is built on the synergised attributes of "Raw Power", "Never say die attitude" and "Global scale" which is common to both the properties.
As part of the promotion two "lucky" winners will get an All Expense paid trip to New York to witness Wrestle Mania on the 7 April in New York Live. People also stand a chance to win interesting official WWE merchandise and invites to a special WWE Party in Mumbai.
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.
