Hindi
Ajay Kapoor’s experience will benefit our film venture: Wadhawan Group
MUMBAI: The Rajesh Wadhawan Group, with interest in finance, real estate, hospitality, and sports, is now entering Bollywood with their foray into film production. The Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan-led group’s new venture will take shape under the able leadership of T- series’ former director Ajay Kapoor.
Rajesh Wadhawan Group vice chairman Dheeraj Wadhawan said, “His wealth of experience and the body of work till date makes him a major force to reckon with in the industry. We hope Ajay’s vision and leadership skills will create strong foundation for our production house.”
Starting a new chapter of his career, Kapoor felt it was time he took up new challenges. “Over the years, T-Series has given me a lot of love, strength and recognition in the market. It was time I took the experience I have gained and make use of it for exploring newer and bigger opportunities. I share the vision of this group’s foray into film production business and hope to make a difference together as envisioned.”
At T-Series, Ajay was famous for having produced box-office hits like Ready, Tum Bin, Bhool Bhulaiya, Roy, Bhootnath Returns, Baby, Airlift and Hate Story among other. He worked with T Series Group for over 15 years.
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.
