Hindi
Iranian band slaps legal notice on Agent Vinod’s music director
MUMBAI: Saif Ali Khan‘s spy thriller Agent Vinod has been embroiled in a legal hassle. An Iranian band has slapped a legal notice on the film’s music director Pritam Chakraborty and its distributors for alleged copyright violation. The film’s song Pungi…has reportedly been lifted from the band’s album titled Soosan Khanoom.
According to the legal notice issued by law firm Vidhii Partners, Barobax Corp had on 16 January 2010 produced and released the album that later became a rage. “On 12 March this year, the band came across the promotions of the movie ‘Agent Vinod‘ on satellite television in Iran. The song Pungi… was being aired. On listening to the song, the band realised that the initial portion of the song is lifted without any change from the title song of their album,” the notice said.
According to the notice, the band is the owner of the copyright of the song ‘Soosan Khanoom‘ which is registered under the Copyright Act in Canada on 30 June last year and, hence, the music of the song cannot be used without the band‘s permission.
Soon after learning about the copyright infringement, the band sent their representative Nargis Kazerooni to India to initiate legal action.
The music band was founded in 2003 by three Iranian nationals – Kashayar Haghgoo, Kevian Haghgoo and Hamid Farouzmand.
Apart from music director Pritam, the notice has also been served to Eros International Media, Illuminati Films and Super Cassettes.
Starring Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the film is slated for release on 23 March.
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.
