Hindi
Neil Nitin Mukesh-Puja Gupta starrer Shortcut Romeo to be screened at Cannes Filmfest
NEW DELHI: Shortcut Romeo, Hindi remake of a popular Tamil film, will be among the new Indian films to be screened at Cannes in the festival‘s 66th instalment.
A new romantic thriller, it has been produced, written and directed by southerner Susi Ganeshan under his own banner, Susi Ganesh Productions. Much of the present film was shot in Kenya in East Africa.
This is a remake of his own 2006 Tamil box office hit “Thirittu Paysale”. The current Bollywood version stars Bollywood hearthrob Neil Nitin Mukesh as Romeo, with Puja Gupta as his love interest. Ameesha Patel appears in a negative role.
Ganeshan has already helmed half a dozen features in Tamil since 2002 and is a disciple of senior Tamilian director Mani Ratnam, who currently works mostly in Mumbai and is regarded as one of the most original and creative of all Indian directors whatever the language.
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.
