Hindi
Big B to lead Indian film delegation for MIFF
MUMBAI: Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan will lead the delegation of Indian artistes and filmmakers for the 12th edition of Marrakech International Film Festival, Morocco.
While the exact dates for the event has not been finalised, the festival will be held in November-December.
The list of the attendees to the festival also includes Bachchan’s wife and actress Jaya Bachchan, besides son Abhishek Bachchan and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The delegation also boasts of the Khan trio Shah Rukh, Saif and Aamir Khan, former minister and Congress leader Shashi Kapoor, ace film-makers Yash Chopra and Shekhar Kapur, Nandita Das, Preity Zinta and Aparna Sen.
The festival will have events dedicated to Indian cinema including screening of Indian films and felicitation of Indian talent. Every evening the festival will be invited to the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square of the city to watch outdoor screenings of a selection of recent films from India.
The Marrakech International Film Festival held under the patronage King Mohammed VI is run by a foundation headed by Prince Moulay Rachid.
The festival had in the past promoted Indian cinema, which is celebrating its centenary year this year.
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.
