Hindi
Viacom18 takes ‘digital first’ marketing route for Ajay Devgn’s ‘Drishyam’
MUMBAI: Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam, which is slated to release this year, has become the talk of the town with its first look trailer launch, which depicts Devgn in the all new avatar of Vijay Salgaonkar.
Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Drishyam has employed innovative marketing strategy and released the trailer on Facebook, which went viral in no time, scoring one million hits in 24 hours. The trend soon caught up on other social media platforms as well.
Viacom18 Motion Pictures vice president marketing Rudrarup Dutta said, “Drishyamis a film, which is high on content and intrigue. We went ‘digital first’ with the trailer as the target was richer engagement with our audiences. We are delighted with the response on all social platforms, where not only did the trailer generate views but also a high no of likes and shares too setting the pace for a unique and innovative campaign that is to follow.”
Effectively using social media as a platform, the Unlock Drishyam App was launched on Facebook, where the gamer must find clues and answers, which eventually led along Vijay’s trail in the film. Unfolding the game’s mystery gave the gamer insights into the trailer much before its launch. In this exclusive tie up with Facebook, winners had the trailer appear automatically on their timelines.
The concept was extended to on-ground promotions at multiplexes, where in association with Mid-Day, Mail Today and I-next (Dainik Jagran), people saw a ‘real news’ front page cover on the newspapers distributed at theaters, brining alive the real and relatable content of the film.
Drishyam is directed by Nishikant Kamat and also stars Tabu essaying the role of a female police officer IG Meera Deshmukh. The movie is set to release on 31 July.
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.
