By Priyanka Khanna, IANS

The trend of mergers and acquisitions sweeping across various industries the world over is redefining business dynamics in the Hindi film trade as well, leaving small-time operators out of action.

While production studios are turning into conglomerates that can make, distribute, market and even exhibit films, the ever-increasing investment required for a movie venture and the paucity of saleable stars are squashing starry dreams of many.

All saleable stars are simply out of dates. The situation is exasperating for new entrants and even corporate houses that have big funds and great scripts in hand aren't getting any stars who have the time.

This week by releasing DHOOM 2 on their terms and conditions, the famed and illustrious Yash Raj Films (YRF) movie studio has once again shown that it is all-powerful.

News reports say that YRF demanded a 50 percent share in the first week as against 48 percent, which is the norm. Many distributors who did not give in are left licking their wounds given the staggering box office opening that the film starring Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan has garnered.

YRF had made similar demands for their previous release FANAA as well. News reports quoted trade analyst Amod Mehra as saying: "It is unethical for any distributor to make outrageous demands. This matter should be dealt with collectively at the association level. Individual demands should not be entertained."

He is echoing the sentiments of many in the industry but is highly unlikely to have any effect on YRF that is set to grow from strength to strength, especially now that DHOOM 2 is about to become a blockbuster.

And then there are some production houses going in for pacts with leading stars and directors for a series of films under their banner. Hrithik, recently, signed a Rs.350 million deal for three films with Adlabs and Akshay Kumar got into a contract with them for four films.

The Anil Ambani company has also signed up director Vipul Shah for eight films at Rs.200 crore and Ram Gopal Varma for 10 films at Rs.100 crore, including the SHOLAY remake and SARKAR 2.