Hindi
A flavour of north-east India at three-day festival of films, music and art
NEW DELHI: A festival of films and cultural heritage of the north-eastern states of India, ‘Fragrances from the North-East’, is to open in the capital from 22 August.
To be held between 22 and 24 August, the festival is being held at the Sirifort Auditorium by the Directorate of film festivals of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B).
The opening film of the festival will be Khawnglung Run (The Raid of Khawnlung) in the Mizo language. The 122 minute-long movie has been directed by Mapuia Chawngthu. The closing film will be RI: Homeland of Uncertainty in Khashi directed by Pradip Kurbah.
Other films being screened are: Yarwng in Kokborok by Joseph Pulinthanath; Phijigee Mani in Manipuri by O Gautam Singh; Sonam in Monpa by Ahsan Muzid and Ajeyo in Assamese by the renowned Jahnu Barua.
In addition, some other films will be screened about the north east states, each followed by a quiz about the region. These are Going the Distance in Nagmese/Digibeta by Tiainla Jamir; Bamboo Shoots by Steven Ao produced by the Satyajit Ray Film Institute in Kolkata; Kathaain Gorkhali/Bluray by Prashant Rasaily; and the closing film Ri.
It will open with a live programme by Papon along with his band The East India Company and close with Nise Meruno and Nagaland Singing ambassadors.
Moreover, it will also include an exhibition of paintings, exhibition-cum-sale of handicrafts and artifacts from the north east organised by the Culture Ministry and special north east food stalls representing cuisines from all eight states of north-east.
The film festival has been curated by veteran journalist and filmmaker Utpal Borpujari.
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.
