Hindi
‘Ludo’ makers trademark the film title, create history
MUMBAI: Bengali cinema’s controversial duo, Nikon and Q are ready with their latest film – Ludo. A film entering the unchartered territory of fantasy thrillers, the movie is bound to both – shock and leave audiences awestruck – with its brand new storytelling.
The makers of the movie have gone ahead and applied for registering the film’s title Ludo as a trademark, as an entertainment idea after sensing its strong potential of building a franchise around the movie/concept.
Idyabooster co-producer Nandini Mansinghka says, “To acquire/own a film title, one needs to register it with a film association, in this case we have done with EIMPA (Eastern Indian Motion Pictures Association). But that’s not enough in case of a dispute. If one trademarks the title, which is registering it with the government, it protects our interest and refrain others in the country from using it (in that category) as a film name.”
The film features the sensuous Rii Sen, Joyraj, Subholina, Ronodeep, Ananya and Soumendra. Q and Nikon are already looking forward to a sequel, especially after the strong buzz the film has created at Cannes Festival this year.
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.
