Hindi
Mahayoddha Rama (Animation): Combines myth and comic for kids
When it comes to animation films, our filmmakers usually fall back on Indian mythology probably thinking that the viewer will be familiar with the story already. Few, if ever, attempt a theme outside the myth such as the recent one MotuPatlu: King Of Kings.
Mahayoddha Rama adopts a different approach in that this tale has been told from Ravan’s perspective who wants to destroy Rama, the avatar of Lord Vishnu, prophesied to be his doom. The approach is comical with a dash of martial art.
As the story goes here, Ravan has been trying to get rid of Rama since his childhood and trying every trick from sending a tiger to kill Rama to sending his sister Surpankha to lure him and brother Laxman.
Ravan’s 10 heads are the funny part of the film as each head has a different voice. While the main head has the voice of Gulshan Grover to go with his villain image, the rest are voices of Roshan Abbas, Gaurav Gera, Kiku Sharda, Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Amin Sayani, and others. One of the heads of Ravan also keeps chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ frequently!
Kunal Kapoor has done the voiceover for Rama, Jimmy Shergill for Laxman and Suchitra Pillai for Surpankha.
This animation film looks more like a comic take on the epic myth as the character of Ravan here is more like a caricature meant to evoke laughter though his surroundings are dark and he is surrounded by all sinister looking aides.
While the animation is not up to the mark with the characters having limited expressions. The film has taken a long time hitting the cinemas having been made in 2008. It aims more at kids seeking fun out of this comical version of the Ramayana.
Producer: Contiloe Films.
Direction: Rohit Vaid.
Cast (voices): Gulshan Grover, Kunal Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mouni Roy, Amin Sayani, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Sameera Reddy
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.
