Hindi
Biopic on Punjabi poet Batlavi in anvil
MUMBAI: After the success of Paan Sing Tomar, biopics seem to be the flavour of the season. Yesterday we had a story that said Tigmanshu Dhulia was making a biopic of Begum Samru with Rani Mukerji.
It has now come to light that Mudassar Aziz is set to direct a biopic on the life of the renowned Punjabi poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi produced by Sunil Bohra.
The film will revolve around the poet’s troubled love life and will be helmed by Mudassar Aziz. Casting for the film is yet to take place. “Batalvi’s poems have been an inspiration for many and Batalvi Sahab is loved across borders, in India as well as Pakistan. He was one of the most romantic poets and what can be a bigger tribute than a film on his own love story that ended tragically though,” said Bohra in a statement.
Batalvi was the youngest recipient of Sahitya Akademy Award for his epic verse play, Loona. After he couldn’t marry the girl he loved deeply, he took to alcoholism.
Later, he married another girl chosen by his family, who he thought resembled his love. Batalvi died due to chronic alcoholism at 35.
The lyrics of Batalvi’s famous poem, Ajj Din Chadeya Tere Rang Varga, were used in a song from actor-producer Saif Ali Khan’s film, Love Aaj Kal.
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.
