Hindi
Cutting Chai to release on 18 November
MUMBAI: Salt N Pepper Entertainment is all set to release its film, Cutting Chai, on 18 November.
Produced by Govardhan Reddy Maane and Vijay Varma Pakalapatti, the film delves into the psyche of the youth who may survive on cutting tea but are ready to conquer the world. It is a story of four friends. While one works in a call centre, the second is in the film industry, the third is a software engineer and the fourth a D.J. who wants to make it big in the music world.
Says Vijay Varma, producer of the film, “It has all the ingredients which touch today‘s youth life. Filled with funny moments, the film also explores today‘s youth ambition and their problems. Very soon, we are going to make another film with a big star cast.”
Choreographer turned director Flavin Luicien, who has worked hard on his directorial debut, says, “The audience will identify themselves with the characters of the film and will feel as if it‘s their life being shown on the screen.”
The film has been produced under the banner of Salt n Pepper Entertainment in association with Filmy Box and Pandros Box.
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.
