Hindi
Ajay Devgan to lend support to Bulgarian Tourism
MUMBAI: After announcing southeastern European country Bulgaria as the shoot location for his next directorial film Shivaay, Ajay Devgn will now promote the country’s tourism.
Devgn and his team are currently in picturesque Bulgaria for the film’s recce.
Being the first within the industry to zero in the exotic location, Bulgaria tourism minister Nikolina Angelkova has announced that the actor-filmmaker will be lending his support to promote Bulgarian tourism. Devgn will take part in local activities and will shoot a promotional video when he returns for the shoot, which will be shown in India.
Devgn said, “The Bulgarian Tourism Ministry has been really supportive to me and my team. To show our appreciation, I will be lending a helping hand to promote Bulgarian tourism. It’s a great initiative.”
Along with directing the film, Devgn is also playing the lead in Shivaay. Sayesha, grandniece of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu will be seen making her debut with Shivaay.
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.
