Hindi
Anshul Sharma helming sequel of Phas Gaye Re Obama
MUMBAI: The second part (yet untitled) of Ashok Pandey‘s critically-acclaimed film Phas Gaye Re Obama is being helmed by Anshul Sharma. He replaces Subhash Kapoor who directed the original.
Confirming the news, producer Ashoke Pandey said, “Without giving away the plot at this early juncture, I would like to say that the story revolves around issues we face in day-to-day life, quite similar to what you have seen before. While Phas Gaye Re Obama was a satire on how the ripple effect of a recession hit America was felt in rural India too, the sequel too will be a satire on similar lines.”
Sharma, who had earlier worked as an associate director to Kapoor Pandey, said: “Yes, Anshul Sharma is directing the film. We had to come to this decision because Subhash is busy with something else right now and our timings didn‘t match.”
The original had Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Sanjay Mishra, Manu Rishi and Amole Gupte in the lead roles. The sequel has retained almost all the entire cast from the original except for Dhupia and Kapoor.
The film, 50 per cent complete, is expected to hit the theatres in summer 2012.
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.
