Hindi
Indian films in Festival of India in Lao PDR and 3 other south east Asian countries
NEW DELHI: Selected films from Bollywood are part of a three-day Festival of India in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic inaugurated today by the Lao Minister for Information, Culture and Tourism Dr. Bosengkham Vongdara and Indian’s Culture Secretary Ravindra Singh in the capital city of Vientiane at the National Cultural Hall.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said the Festival of India in Lao PDR would encourage people to increase India’s cultural ties with the south east Asian countries and deepen the historical bonds. He thanked the Lao Authorities for contributing towards the development of the Nalanda University. The South Zone Cultural Centre is the nodal agency for conducting the event.
Official level delegation talks were also held on a wide range of subjects between the two countries. The Indian side was led by Singh while the deputy prime minister and foreign minister Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith led the delegation of Lao PDR.
Indian Ambassador to Lao PDR Gururaja Rao said that the talks were cordial and constructive and India and Laos would seek to sign the Cultural Exchange Program in the coming days as also enhance people to people contact efforts.
Selected films of Bollywood would also be presented in the Festivals of India to be held in Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.
The films include Jodha Akbar, Dil Chahta Hai, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam etc. The film festival would be presented by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
They will be part of the Festival being organised by the Culture Ministry. The Festivals of India in Cambodia would be held from 14 to 19 February. The Festivals of India in Vietnam will be held from 6 to 15 March and in Myanmar from 17 to 21 March.
The Indian delegation to the Festivals of India led by Culture Secretary Ravindra Singh will have artiste delegation of 75 artistes.
The two festivals would also comprise a Dance Festival of Classical Dance on Ramayana; a Buddhist Exhibition Dhamma Darshan presented by the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara; a Buddhist Mahotsava by the Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies in Dahoo, Arunachal Pradesh; a Food Festival by the Tourism Ministry; and aMehendi Art and Yoga festival by artists from the South Zone Cultural Centre and Yoga teachers from the Department of Ayush.
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.
