Hindi
Nikhil Tanwani’s appointment as CMD gets Baba Arts shareholders’ assent
MUMBAI: Film and TV production and distribution company Baba Arts is moving on to the next generation to give it a new thrust. Whole time director and CMD Gordhan P Tanwani’s son Nikhil G Tanwani was appointed as the microcap company’s chairman & managing director effective 1 November 2024, a couple of days after his father stepped down due to old age and ill health.
The company had approached its shareholders to give their consent to the proposal through an e-voting ballot process between 3 December 2024 and 1 January 2025. With the evoting closing yesterday, the scrutiniser gave his report which showed that the proposal got 100 per cent of the shareholders assent. Film star Ajay Devgn is one of the shareholders of the company.
Baba Arts informed the Bombay stock exchange on 2 January as part of its regulatory process that the company and its shareholders had approved of Nikhil’s appointment.
Baba Arts reported a topline of Rs 12.48 crore and a net profit of Rs 1.97 crore in the year ended March 2024.
Baba Arts and Baba Films have together produced several films such as Ishq, Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha, Dhulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Tumko Nahi Bhool Paayenge, Taarzan – The Wonder Car, Life Main Kabhie Kabhiee, My Friend Ganesha franchise, Action Jackson and many more.
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.
