Hindi
New face of the 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival
MUMBAI: As the Bollywood industry unfolds its dynamism, the 15th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival too, organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), and is all geared to sport a revamped look. With a heritage of 100 years and the pace of ever evolving art and industry of cinema, the cultural event eagerly awaited by all has shown tremendous growth in both size and power over the years.
Creating an altogether new visual identity, the festival which is a Reliance Entertainment initiative represents and rebuilds its strong association with the most important centre of the Indian film industry.
The new logo by which the festival will be known is an interpretation of the coveted Golden Gateway Award, the premier award recognising the best film at the festival, to give it a familiar and modern feel. Also the new icon will sport Mumbai‘s historic craft, The Gateway of India in a contemporary and edgy rendition. Broadly representing the particular award categories at the festival and also reflecting the diverse cultural mosaic of the financial capital of India, the international festival‘s new identity will accordingly dazzle with an array of colors.
Filmmaker and chairman of MAMI Shyam Benegal said, “This year we have an exciting new logo that incorporates both the city of Mumbai and the iconic gateway of India.”
Commenting on the new logo, Festival director Srinivasan Narayanan added, “The festival has evolved into one of the most important film festivals in this part of the world, showcasing the best cinema from all over the globe. The new logo stands for the dynamic and fluid integration of the iconic with progress and evolution which I cannot wait to share with the world.”
The 15th Mumbai Film Festival will take place from the 17-24 October 2013.
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.
