MUMBAI: Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision is investing Rs 9 billion for production of 20 films which will include its foray into regional language cinema.

A producer of Hindi hits like Jab We Met and Bhagambhag, Shree Ashtavinayak intends to produce four films in the Tamil and Telugu segment.

In the "multiple" production pipeline, the first to release will be Shivam Nair’s suspense thriller Maharathi, starring Naseruddin Shah, Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, Boman Irani and Neha Dhupia. The film will hit the screens on 22 August.

This will be followed by the release of Sanjay Gadhvi’s Kidnap on 2 October and Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Returns on 24 October. While the cast of Kidnap include Sanjay Dutt, Minnisha Lamba, Vidya Malvade, Rahul Dev and Imran Khan, Golmaal Returns stars Ajay Devgan, Tusshar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade and Kareena Kapoor.

Meanwhile, the ongoing projects from the Ashtavinayak kitty that are currently under production include Blue and Luck. Directed by Anthony D’Souza, Blue stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Kumar, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif and Zayed Khan. The cast of Soham Shah’s Luck, which marks the debut of Kamal Hasan’s daughter Sruti Hassan, include Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Ravi Kissen and Mithun Chakraborty.

Also, the projects in pipeline include Neeraj Vora's two films namely Run Bhola Run starring Govinda, Tusshar Kapoor, Tanushree Dutta and Amisha Patel and One Way Ticket starring Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna.

Shree Ashtavinayak has also closed two separate co-production deals with Sri Jaganaath Entertainment and Sanjay Dutt Productions. While it will be co-producing Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Ke with the former, it will co-produce Bond with the latter.

The company has also signed up directors like Rummi Jaffery, Vivek Sharma, Rohit Shetty and Imtiaz Ali for its untitled projects.

Shree Ashtavinayak raised $33 million via FCCBs (foreign currency convertible bonds) last year. The issue had an additional option to raise $5 million.