Hindi
Shemaroo’s Ishqiya gets ‘A’ certificate; to release on 29 January
MUMBAI: The Censor Board has passed Shemaroo Entertainment‘s Ishqiya without any cuts with an ‘A‘ certificate.
Set in western Uttar Pradesh, the film is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Two thieves, Khalujan and Babban are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq (Salman Shahid).
They tend to seek refuge with an old friend but instead meet his widow, Krishna (Vidya Balan). As they plan their escape, their time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalujan with his vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lascivious heart.
The film, directed by Abhishek Chaubey, has Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Salman Shahid and Vidya Balan as the main protagonists of the film.
Says Shemaroo director Hiren Gada, ‘‘ Being an adult subject, we were expecting an ‘A‘ certificate. At the same time, we were expecting some cuts that would seem objectionable to the Board.
“But when we found that there was not a word on the language and neither was any cut effected, we knew that the Board was well aware of the language that was spoken in that region of UP.”
The film is set to release on 29 January.
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.
