Hindi
‘Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain’ wows American audiences
MUMBAI: Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, the social thriller scripted around the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, has opened to rave reviews in American theatres. Directed by Ravi Kumar and produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment, the film has found an emotional resonance with audiences and critics alike.
Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times calls the film “a revolutionary cautionary tale” applauding how “Kumar vividly recreates the Bhopal disaster.”
Gurinder Chadha, director of much-loved films like Bend It Like Beckham, calls Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain “outstanding, a must see film!” Kerry Kennedy, niece of former US President John F Kennedy, tweeted: “Saw Bhopal starring Martin Sheen tonight… powerful film must see for all interested in business and human rights.” Naomi Canton of Asia House called the movie “better than Slumdog Millionaire and 12 Years A Slave” while Liza Forman of Financial Times London wrote that Bhopal is “a story that needed to be told.”
Sheen, who plays Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson in the film says: “When I was invited to participate in the film about the Bhopal incident I felt compelled to accept. And the response to the film here reinforces the faith I had in the subject. It has been 30 years since the tragedy but it is as relevant as ever.”
Reacting to the overwhelming response to the film in the US, Sahara Movie Studios producer Seemanto Roy said: “We are very happy with the way the film has been received in America and now hope that Indian audiences take to the film and the youth becomes aware of the mistakes that were made in the past.”
Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment will release in India on 5 December 2014.
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.
