Hindi
UTV to start theatrical release of world cinema next month
MUMBAI: UTV World Movies will start the theatrical releases of films from the first week of April. The channel, which had announced the plan of venturing into the theatrical release and home video segments at the time of launch, had deferred the plans due to exhibition hassles.
The channel has lined up a slew of movies to release in theatres across Mumbai, Delhi and Mangalore over a span of two months.
The movies to be screened in theatres are The Song of Sparrows (4 April), The Counterfeiters, La Zona, Murderers, I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster, Wrap Up and A Ton Of Luck.
Says UTV World Movies business head Sameer Ganapathy, “When we started the UTV World Cinema channel, we had decided to tap the other two verticals. Though the Home Video section was launched last year, we had to defer theatrical release due to the exhibition problems in the wake of the multiplex strike.”
Meanwhile, UTV World Movies will also hold Arties festival in association with NCPA on 26 and 27 March, wherein an international band is scheduled to perform.
Adds Ganapathy, “It is a matter of privilege for UTV World Movies to be associated with this unique endeavour. Music lovers are in for a delight with the celebrated band Quatuor Eben of France belting out their finest numbers.”
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.
