Hindi
B’desh and West Bengal film industries join hands
MUMBAI: The film industries of Bangladesh and West Bengal have come together in their zeal for mutual cooperation for co-production and exhibition of Bengali movies.
In the presence of Bangladesh information minister Hasanul Hoque Inu, members of the two film industries announced that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be signed by them in the next few days.
“We have always felt that the film industries at both places have been kept divided. If we can unite the two industries as one, then the resultant market would be a huge one,” said Bengali actor-producer Prosenjit Chatterjee.
The West Bengal film industry has proposed to release all current Bengali films produced this year in Bangladesh. They also want to join hands in creating and developing cinema halls together on both sides of the border. Besides exhibition, the MoU will also harp on increasing joint venture production of films.
“Our final target is to ensure that Bengali films get releases in both places on the same day,” Prosenjit said.
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.
