Hindi
Paa exempted from entertainment tax in Gujarat and West Bengal
MUMBAI: The Gujarat and West Bengal government have exempted Paa from entertainment tax with immediate effect.
A three-member committee consisting of Principal Secretary – Finance, Secretary, Youth and Culture and State Information Commissioner of the Modi Government has recommended that Paa be exempted from entertainment tax in the state.
The government‘s decision came after producers AB Corp organised a special screening of the film for the Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Amitabh Bachchan in Gandhinagar.
Bachchan who had specially come from Mumbai for screening of the movie had appealed to the Chief Minister to exempt it from entertainment tax in the state.
It may be noted that there are hundreds of cinema houses including 22 multiplexes in the state and annual income from the entertainment tax is around Rs 220 million.
According to the West Bengal government the tax exemption in the state will help reduce ticket prices so that the film can reach out to more people.
Till date, Paa has grossed Rs 58 crore worldwide.
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.
