Hindi
Get set for festival celebrating animation and VFX
MUMBAI: ABAI one if India’s primary associations supporting the digital and creative arts sectors is organising Abai Fest 2013 at the University Grounds in Mysore on the 6 and 7 December 2013. This is going to be the first ever festival screening exclusive footage from all over the world in “animation and visual effects”.
“Computer Graphics has become part and parcel of International and local content creation in film and television. It provides the digital intermediation needed by filmmakers, directors and studios to mount bigger and bolder stories, themes and projects. Too little of how this is done has been exposed to the Indian public,” said ABAI & Country Head – Technicolor India president Biren Ghose.
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Gravity, Superman, Man of Steel, World War Z, The Croods, Epic, Skyfall, Life of Pi and many other recent releases are testimony to the fact that computer graphics (CG) in digital production is now the new norm in filmmaking.
India is rapidly becoming a global hub for major VFX production and the domestic film industry is also adopting CG rapidly as a tool helping the director to go beyond the limits of the camera.
“Not enough awareness and screenings of animation and VFX takes place and we want to be a ‘melting pot’ venue for fun, discussion, participation and exclusively presenting content in this part of the world. Not much ‘animation’ is seen outside of the few cartoon channels,” said Ghose.
The festival would bring some of the world’s latest showcase featuring the best of what has been created in the recent past. Directors, producers and professionals will be at hand to present, meet, discuss and exhibit the state of the art.
“This will help open minds, hearts and doors in animation, gaming and visual effects (VFX). Come join us in experiencing the fun and festivity,” concluded Ghose.
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.
