Hindi
Hitchcock to premiere at AFI fest
MUMBAI: The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that the film ‘Hitchcock‘, starring Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren as his wife and Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as actress Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as actress Vera Miles and James D‘Arcy as actor Anthony Perkins ‘Psycho‘ will have its World Premiere on 1 November , as the Opening Night Gala of this year‘s fest presented by Audi.
The film is directed by Sacha Gervasi and also stars Toni Collette, Danny Huston and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Fox Searchlight Pictures will release the film in November. The film a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock, and his wife and partner, Alma Reville, takes place during the making of the director‘s seminal 1960 movie, ‘Psycho‘.
AFI president, CEO Bob Gazzale said, "AFI‘s history with Alfred Hitchcock is a proud one, from a Master Seminar at the AFI Conservatory in 1970 to his receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979. We are honored to celebrate his lasting legacy with the World Premiere of Hitchcock – a bloody valentine to his creative genius and the inspired woman at his side."
AFI Fest director Jacqueline Lyanga said, "Alfred Hitchcock‘s signature style has made him one of the most influential directors in the world. This film pulls back the curtain and takes us behind-the-scenes of his lifelong collaboration with his wife Alma during the making of his 1960 masterpiece ‘Psycho‘ – it‘s the perfect film to welcome our audience of movie-lovers with on opening night."
Alfred Hitchcock was the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979. Four of his movies rank among the greatest films of all time on AFI‘s 100 Years…100 Movies list: Vertigo (#9), Psycho (#14), Rear Window (#48) and North By Northwest (#55). In addition, ‘Psycho‘ was ranked number one on AFI‘s list of most heart pounding American films and, in a serendipitous turn, the Norman Bates character portrayed by Anthony Perkins in ‘Psycho‘ was ranked number two on AFI‘s Top Villains list – just behind Anthony Hopkins‘ Hannibal Lecter in ‘The Silence Of The Lambs‘.
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.
