Hindi
Yuvraj Singh in animated film Captain India
MUMBAI: Miami-based Motion Pixel Corporation (MPC) and India-based Cornerstone Entertainment have finalised the signing of India‘s cricket player Yuvraj Singh to star in an animated film Captain India.
The story will show Singh growing up in Mumbai and encountering a magical cricket stick that he realises has special powers and uses it to help fight crime and become a star player of the country to help India win the cricket World Cup.
The film, now in its pre-production stage, is scheduled to release in early 2012.
Said MPC chairman Manny Bains, “We felt Yuvraj was the best fit for the project which we think will be a mega hit with all the Bollywood and cricket fans not only in India but throughout the World.”
Commented Bunty Sajdeh of Cornerstone Entertainment, “Cornerstone has always made best efforts to promote brand Yuvraj as uniquely as possible. This project is one such opportunity for Yuvi to reach out to the millions of children across the countries who aspire to be like him one day. We are happy to partner with MPC and are looking forward to an entertaining movie”
Averred Singh, “I am extremely excited to be a part of this film. As a child I always enjoyed watching animation films and today I am humbled to be portrayed as an animated character. It is such an entertaining film which I hope the entire family would love watching together.”
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.
