Hindi
Indian Filmfest in Houston in October invites entries for documentaries and features
NEW DELHI: The 5th annual Indian Film Festival at Houston in the United States, to be held from 4 to 6 October, has invited entries by the end of this month for features and documentaries.
The festival showcases Indian related films that can compete in the world stage and beyond Bollywood zany entertainers.
The Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) is an official event on the International Film Festival circuit and some of the previous winners have been recognised on the international film circuit – one is an Oscar winner and another is an Oscar-nominated film.
IFFH offers Jury awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short and Special Recognition Awards for Industry Leaders. IFFH will also be giving scholarships to students who are interested to attend Film and Television School in Houston.
The festival will span three nights and will present more than 12 screenings daily. This makes it one of the most unique and original Indian film festivals in the south of the US. The festival will feature film screenings, special symposia and educational events presented throughout the Houston area.
The full Indian Film Festival of Houston line-up will be announced at 31 August.
Film producer and Festival founder Sutapa Ghosh said: “Not all Indian films are done in the Bollywood style. We love Bollywood, but we are beyond Bollywood. The new generation has evolved into something new now. There was stagnation for a long time, where we were doing the same thing over and over. Now, the younger generation is doing something different. We have documentaries, short films, off beat independent films. We want to showcase the best of Indian related cinema at the world stage”
The permanent house for the IFFH Festival is Asia Society, which is very prestigious all over the world.
The Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation devoted to education in the fields of film and television and in creating a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing quality films that honor entertainment industry performers and film makers while promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora through an annual event.
Ghosh is the Founder and Festival Director of Indian Film Festival of Houston. Born in Kolkata, she moved to USA 20 years ago. She earned her Master’s Degree (MS) from Rhode Island, USA and also has a Bachelor’s degree in Music (Sitar). Ghosh has produced two Bengali Feature Films, Utsab and Titli, both directed by Rituparno Ghosh. She was also recognised as the 100 most Creative People in Texas in 2012.
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.
