Hindi
Eros International inks deal with Thirrupathi Brothers
MUMBAI: Eros International Media has joined hands with N Lingusamy’s Thirrupathi Brothers Media. As part of the tie-up, Eros will release two of the most anticipated films in Tamil cinema with Telugu dub namely Kamal Haasan’s Uttama Villain and Shiva Karthikeyan’s Rajini Murugan.
Uttama Villain, the first of the two films under this deal, also starring Anushka Shetty is a comedy written by Haasan and directed by Ramesh Aravind. The trailer of the film released on Pongal 2015 and the release is slated for 2 April.
Rajini Murugan, is also a comedy, starring Sivakarthikeyan and directed by Ponram, whose last venture with the actor was the hit film Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam.
Eros International Media managing director Sunil Lulla said, “We are delighted to partner with ace director N. Lingusamy’s Thirrupathi Brothers on these exciting films with the legendary Kamal Haasan and upcoming talent like Sivakarthikeyan. The films will be high on the entertainment quotient and promise to connect with fans and audiences.”
Thirrupathi Brothers Film Media managing director Lingusamy added, “We are extremely proud to associate with Eros, the most powerful and successful name in contemporary Indian cinema to co-produce our prestigious Uttama Villain starring Kamal Hassan and Rajini Murugan starring the emerging popular hero of Tamil Cinema Sivakarthikeyan only to mark the beginning of a long and successful journey with Eros.”
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.
