Hindi
Jalpari to participate at Asia Pacific Screen Awards
MUMBAI: Nila Madhab Panda’s Jalpari-The Desert Mermaid will participate in the sixth edition of Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Queensland, Australia on 23 November.
“I am very much thrilled because the Asia Pacific Screen Awards is like the Oscars of Asia and to be invited for a recognition like this is indeed a matter of great pride and honour,” said Panda in a statement.
The film’s story revolves around the adventures and misadventures of a brother-sister duo Shreya and Sam from a city, who visit their father’s village that is bereft of water and women. The film takes an interesting turn when the children turn the dull village into a land of enchantment and mischief.
“We have believed in the film right from its inception and to see it being appreciated across the world makes us very happy,” observed Ultra Group of Companies MD and CEO Sushil Kumar Agarwal.
The film will hit theatres on 20 July and stars Parvin Dabas, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Suhasini Mulay and Harsh Mayar in the prominent roles.
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.
