Hindi
Life of Pi works its magic; SOS battles it out
MUMBAI: Hollywood director Ang Lee‘s Life Of Pi did well at the elite multiplexes in metros in its opening weekend collecting Rs 136.5 million.
Yash Chopra‘s last directorial venture Jab Tak Hai Jaan seems to have made the most of the post Diwali holidays, especially at the multiplexes to complete its ten-day first week with Rs 984.1 million. The collections, however, tapered down from Monday (Rs 53.6 million on Monday and Rs 35.4 million on Thursday). The film collected Rs 113 million in its second weekend as the shows were reduced at most screens.
Ajay Devgn-starrer Son Of Sardar, which had been deprived of the better patronised single screens, went on to collect Rs 812 million in its first ten-day week.
1920 – Evil Returns could not sustain in front of two major releases despite Diwali holidays.
Student Of The Year added about Rs one million in its fifth week to take its total tally to Rs 609 million.
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.
