Hindi
Famous studios to make way for high-end residential property
MUMBAI: Well-known Famous Studios based bang opposite the Mahalaxmi racecourse will soon go in for a joint redevelopment with the Ajay Piramal-led Piramal Realty entering into a deal with Arun Roongta, the owner of Famous Studios.
The builder can develop around one lakh sq ft space on this plot. However, the final development potential will depend on approvals from civic authority. The transaction for the prime property spread over around one and a half acre is expected to be worth around Rs 3.50 billion.
The deal will have Piramal Realty and the owner of the studio jointly develop a high-end residential property overlooking the racecourse for which the developer has offered to pay around Rs 8 billion upfront, it has been reported by a leading financial daily. The realty firm has also offered nearly 40 per cent share in the project revenue to the landlord.
Famous Studios was set up in 1946 and has as many as ten floors that were rented out for shooting purposes. Currently, it has only eight with the other two being used for post-production purposes. It also has a preview theatre, and around 10 to 15 offices of production houses.
Around two years ago, DB Realty had initiated talks with Roongta for the property but the talks fizzled out owing to the structure of the proposed transaction then.
Since its launch, Famous studios has made an invaluable contribution to the sphere of films, ad films and TV shows.
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.
