Hindi
Ashutosh Gowariker Productions celebrates 10 years
MUMBAI: Years ago, Ashutosh told his wife Sunita that he wanted to start a production house under which he would direct his films but only on the condition that she holds the reigns of production. On 17 December 2004, their first film Swades released and it was clear that they made a formidable team and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt. Ltd. (AGPPL) quickly became a respected production house in the industry.
Celebrating its 10 year anniversary, AGPPL travelled back in time to bring the audiences the epic romance of Jodhaa Akbar. A visual big screen extravaganza with memorable performances from both Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the film went on to gross over Rs 100 crore at the box office, and became a popular benchmark.
AGPPL has previously produced films like Swades, Jodhaa Akbar, What’s Your Raashee?, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey and the recent television production, Everest. Their recent foray into television production began this year with one of the most ambitious projects in Indian television till date. Everest is the unique combination of an emotional story with scale and action.
AGPPL is now focused on what awaits them in the next decade. 2015 begins with the filming of their Hrithik Roshan starrer, Mohenjo Daro. Set during the Indus Valley Civilization, Mohenjo Daro is an epic adventure-drama love story, set in an ancient era but in a modern context. The film brings together award winning international technicians and also introduces new find Pooja Hegde, opposite Hrithik.
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.
