Hindi
‘Piku’ first look: Big B dons a pot belly
MUMBAI: When the entire industry is moving in the direction of six-pack abs, Amitabh Bachchan dons a pot belly for his next project Piku.
The first look of the movie shows a pot-bellied Big B dressed in a checked overshirt and wearing an angler’s hat with longish silver locks peeping out.
Revealing the first look on twitter, the official twitter ID of the movie, PikuTheFilm tweeted “He’s at it again! @SrBachchan pulling off yet another character with ease.”
Directed by Vicky Donor and Madras Cafe fame Shoojit Sircar, the movie is a quirky roller coaster ride of a crazy father-daughter relationship, essayed by Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. The supporting cast includes actors Irrfan Khan, Moushumi Chatterjee and Bengali star Jisshu Sengupta. Piku also marks coming together of Shoojit Sircar and Ronnie Lahiri with Juhi Chaturvedi, who has scripted the film and earlier won accolades and awards for Vicky Donor.
“Piku is a story that will warm your heart and make you smile! We have the best of the talent coming together for a refreshing tale of a father-daughter relationship. I am privileged to direct Mr. Bachchan along with Deepika and Irrfan. They are three powerhouse performers and it doesn’t get better than this for me,” said Sircar.
Adding to that, Bachchan further stated, “What makes the process of filming Piku extremely enjoyable is that it is helmed by Shoojit Sircar and also stars the immensely talented Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan. The film has an interesting story and there is a lot of excitement on the sets.”
The film is also ready to kick off its second schedule in Kolkata from November 2014 after having a successful Mumbai schedule in August and September 2014.
“There are several projects that I undertake in a year but there’s always that one film that you look forward to and to me Piku is that film. I am really excited and look forward to begin work on this one,” reckoned Irrfan Khan.
Produced by MSM Motion Pictures, in association with Saraswati Entertainment Creations and Rising Sun Films, the movie is slated to release on 30 April 2015.
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.
