The tie-ups with Hollywood biggies like George Clooney's Smokehouse Productions, Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment, Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures and Nicolas Cage's Saturn Productions are planned to scale up the company's entertainment business.

The films are likely to have production budgets ranging from $25 million to $150 million. Reliance Entertainment plans to deal with around 30 projects and eyes big revenues from Hollywood blockbusters.

Industry sources say that this is Ambani's strategic move to rake in profits in an industry that makes big budget hit films. The weekly collections of some of the new releases like The Incredible Hulk are examples of how lucrative the Hollywood business is. But rivals doubt the timing and financing of these Hollywood deals.

Ambani, unfazed by these naysayers, has big US plans...

Image: Amitabh Bachchan and close friend Anil Ambani on a visit to The Lord Venkateshwara Temple at Tirupati | Photograph: Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images