Hindi
Rajkumar Hirani receives Maestro award from Whistling Woods
MUMBAI: The Whistling Woods International (WWI) instituted Maestro Award 2009 was awarded to director Rajkumar Hirani for delivering three exceptional films with strong social messages that have resonated with audiences worldwide.
The awards were initiated to felicitate professionals who‘ve had an impactful career in the artistic or technical fields in the industry, subsequently raising the bar for young filmmakers.
It is interesting to note that Hirani conducted the first Master Class of 2010 at Whistling Woods International (WWI), Asia‘s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute.
Hirani visited WWI to talk about his filmmaking experiences and learning the blockbuster of 2009, 3 idiots and the importance of pursuing education in what you love doing.
Talking to the WWI students about the important elements when making a film Hirani averred, “The most important thing is ‘scripting‘. If you have a good script, execution is simple. More time you spend on the script, you face fewer problems while making the movie. If you are spending a year fine-tuning the script, it is a good investment.
Pre-production and casting are also extremely critical. I advise students to plan in as much details as possible. Do all groundwork before commencing the shoot.” He also added, “Large film budgets are not necessarily a good thing. Lack of resources promotes innovation”.
Hirani had earlier directed films like Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai. He got his big break as film editor with Mission Kashmir.
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.
