Hindi
Kamal Hassan to helm Barrie Osborne film
MUMBAI: So taken away was Lord Of The Rings series producer Barrie M Osborne with Kamal Hassan’s latest film Vishwaroop, that he decided to produce a film that would star Hassan who will also helm it.
“It’s really not the right time to talk about it, but Osborne watched Vishwaroop and suggested we do something together,” said Hassan in a statement.
It is said that right after the screening of Vishwaroop in Los Angeles recently, Osborne got in touch with the actor-director and asked him to find a suitable script that he would both direct and star in. Initially Hassan didn’t take the matter seriously but Osborne was so persistent that Hassan had to consider the offer. He has since zeroed in on a suitable subject.
Osborne, known for his big-budget Hollywood productions such as Dick Tracy, The Big Chill and Fandango (the film that apparently inspired Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), has liked Hassan’s script after which production details are being worked out.
Osborne has also produced The Great Gatsby, the screen adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald’s novel that has Amitabh Bachchan in a cameo role.
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.
