Hindi
Two big films ready for release this week
MUMBAI: Two big films, Teen Patti and Karthik calling Karthik, are set for release this week to combat against the might of My Name Is Khan.
The first film, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley, has been directed by Leena Yadav. It is the story of a man and the situations he gets into when he realises that not everything is random as widely assumed. Venkat Subramanium (Amitabh Bachchan) figures out a mathematical formula decoding the card game of poker that helps him precisely point out which card is held by whom. Thus begins a game of intrigue, greed and avarice that affects all those connected to Venkat, including his colleague (Madhavan) and his students.
On the other hand, Karthik Calling Karthik, based on depersonalisation, is the story of an introvert called Karthik, played by Farhan Akhtar, whose life changes with the help of someone who also claims to be Karthik.
Directed by Vijay Lalwani, the film stars Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone in lead roles while Ram Kapoor and Shefali Shah play supporting roles in the film.
It is going to be quite interesting to see which film takes the lead.
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.
