Hindi
Research is the body and soul of filmmaking, says filmmakers
PANJI: Research is the body and soul of good cinema, and documentary films in particular cannot be made without indepth study of the subject.
This was the general consensus at the Open Forum on the ‘Role of Research in filmmaking‘ organised by the Federation of Film Societies of India as part of the ongoing 42nd International Film Festival of India.
However, the speakers regretted that most makers of the commercial cinema did not bother about research if they had good stars.
Filmmaker Anwar Jamal whose film ‘Dil ki Basti mein‘ is in the Short Film Center said: ‘originality needs sensitivity and research.‘ But this is often ignored if market forces dictate terms or the star value takes over.
In documentaries, he said research has to be authentic and indepth. Even serious feature films need a lot of research, he added.
Filmmaker Ramesh Tekwani who also moderated the discussion said “pure enjoyment gets substance if there is adequate research”. He gave examples of popular films that fail because of bad research. Research should not be confined to the subject of the film, but should also be about public perception.
When asked why film producers do not care about research, he said it is not the producers but the script writer who is “lazy”.
Film analyst Ketan Dewan said a filmmaker may have a gut feel about the subject of his film, but it will come crashing down if there is no research. A good film works from the theme selection to the marketing stage. Content cannot be limited by boundaries and so research has to be such that the film is understood by all.
He said several films run only on word of mouth opinions, and so the media has a major role to play through reviews, just as social networking also can make or mar a film.
Jan Tilman Schwab, a film historian from Germany, said when he set out to write a book on football in cinema, he was told there were hardly any films on the subject. However, he had found films on football in every continent when he set out to do his research and finally produced a book which is over 1000 pages long. The same kind of diligence is needed in research for making films, he said.
U Radhakrishnan of the FFSI said early filmmakers in India did not have to do much research because their works were based on mythology, but this had become very essential in the present-day cinema.
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.
