Hindi
Directorate of Film Festivals ropes in Sabu Cyril as art director for IFFI 2015
NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Film Festivals of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, which organises the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has roped in four-time National Award winner production designer Sabu Cyril to design all the sets for different components of this year’s festival.
The 46th International Film Festival of India will be held from 20 – 30 November, 2015.
Right from the motif of the peacock as the logo for the festival to creating an appealing ambience at different event venues for delegates at Panaji in Goa, he will be bringing alive cinema in different shades at the IFFI.
With a career spanning over two decades, Cyril has been associated with some of the landmark films in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil cinema.
Speaking about his association with IFFI 2015, Cyril said, “I am very pleased to be a part of one of the biggest film festivals of Asia. In a commercially competitive world of filmmaking, the International Film Festival of India is doing a great job of promoting aesthetically rich Indian films, which are no less than a masterpiece in the context of cinematography and art direction. It feels good to handle the creative responsibilities of one of the prestigious film festivals in the world. IFFI is a great platform for aspiring as well as established filmmakers to showcase their talent to global audience and let them experience the creativity of Indian cinema.”
Directorate of Film Festivals director C. Senthil Rajan added, “Saby Cyril is a perfect combination of great credentials and imaginative skills and has been a part of some of the best and globally renowned Indian films. Under his creative guidance, I am sure the 46th IFFI would be a wonderful journey of visual opulence that will impress the film lovers across the globe.”
Cyril began his production designing career in 1988 and till date has directed more than 2500 advertisements, three tele-serials and 115 feature films in various languages. In 1996, he directed the stage design for the Miss World beauty pageant.
IFFI will showcase movies across sections including Indian and International Panorama, Indian and Foreign Retrospectives, tributes, special focus, workshops, short films, Master Classes and the Film Bazaar.
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.
