Hindi
2014, a year of spy films?
MUMBAI:However, it seems it’s going to change soon with a line-up of many detective movies in the coming year. So while we have Dibakar Banerjee’s highly anticipated spy thriller, Byomkesh Bakshi starring Sushant Singh Rajput and actress-turned-producer Dia Mirza’s Bobby Jasoos with Vidya Balan in the lead produced under her banner Born Free Entertainment, we also have a detective film for kids Jagga Jasoos with Ranbir Kapoor playing a 17-year-old. And not just this, there’s a franchise in the offering too – the Rajshri banner led by Kavita Barjatya with Samrat & Co starring Rajeev Khandelwal has announced a franchise of detective films.
Samrat & Co that is set for release on 1 May, 2014 aims to target India’s young audiences with the very nuances of crime solving, human nature and the world of standalone private investigators will be presented on the big screen.
The filmmakers seem to be investing some precious time in developing the detective characters. Dibakar Banerjee has been quoted as saying that the idea of an urban sleuth simply does not exist in the Indian popular culture and the Hindi film viewers have been watching recycled imitation that combine James Bond with a Sherlock Holmes and thus he is giving full-time in the development of his detective character.
Even for Samrat & Co., it’s learnt that Kaushik Ghatak, the director of the film along with the producers is spending a lot of time on the lead character so that the storyline can be fleshed out well.
It seems finally Indian filmmakers are taking a different route and experimenting with newer ideas.
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.
