Hindi
Vicky Donor collects Rs 134 mn in first weekend
NEW DELHI: Eros International Media Ltd has announced an opening weekend collection of Rs 134 million worldwide for Vicky Donor.
Director Shoojit Sircar’s light hearted take at the taboo attached to infertility and artificial insemination has grossed over Rs 114 million in India (net ollection: Rs 79.3 million) and Rs 20 million overseas.
Produced by Eros International and JA Entertainment, Vicky Donor is actor John Abraham’s foray as a producer. The film released across 600 plus screens worldwide on 20 April and has done especially well in metros.
Eros senior VP-Distribution-India Nandu Ahuja said, “We are very happy with the audience as well as critics’ reactions to Vicky Donor. Sunday’s collections showed a 91% jump over Friday figures. The film created a positive buzz right from the launch of its trailer and has delivered on audience expectations. With its unusual subject, characters and dialogues, we are hoping for repeat viewings and a promising run at the box office”.
Added Eros International Plc president – marketing & distribution Pranab Kapadia, “This is an encouraging response considering small films don‘t find much favour with audiences in the overseas markets. Box office performances like this will give a platform for other small but high concept films to release”.
Vicky Donor marks Eros International’s synergy with John Abraham’s JA Entertainment, Rising Sun Films and Rampage Motion Pictures. The film stars veteran actor Annu Kapoor along with debutants Ayushyamann Khurrana and Yami Gautam. Supporting cast includes Dolly Ahluwalia, Kamlesh Gill, Jayanta Das and Swaroopa Ghosh.
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.
