Hindi
1987 Bond girl to star opposite Emraan Hashmi in Danis Tanovic film
MUMBAI: Bollywood‘s serial kisser Emran Hashmi has signed a film to be directed by Danis Tanovic. It is now official that Maryan d‘Abo who reprised the role of the bond girl in the 1987 hit The Living Daylights will share screen-space with Emraan in Tanovic‘s An Episode in The Life of an Iron Picker.
In a statement, producer Guneet Monga confirned, "Yes, she is doing the film and we are happy to have Maryam on board. At this point, we can‘t divulge anything else". What‘s confirmed for now is that Maryan d‘Abo was the first choice for the role and her character is pivotal to the film‘s narrative.
Produced by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga ‘s Sikhya Entertainment, international banner Cinemorphic and Prashita Chaudhary , Danic Tanovic‘s untitled film will be shot extensively in India and abroad.
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.
