Hindi
Dharma Productions prepone the release of ‘Brothers’
MUMBAI: Brothers starring Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Jacqueline Fernandes and Jackie Shroff will be ready to open in theatres months before the original release date, on 31 July 31 2015.
The film went on floors in September and a considerable amount of scenes have already been filmed. Now, Brothers is likely to be completed way before the originally scheduled release date of 2 October 2015. However when Karan Johar zeroed in on 31 July, he realised that Akshay had already decided to release his home production on that day. Johar had a word with Akshay, who, thrilled about his upcoming Dharma project, offered his July date to Johar.
Producer of the film, Johar confirms the news, saying, “The energy of the shoot has been incredible, so we have actually decided to prepone our release to 31 July. Akshay and Ashvini have graciously given us that date and we have given them our previous date.”
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.
