Hindi
Political thriller Shanghai almost ready
MUMBAI: With his ambitious political thriller Shanghai almost ready, Dibakar Banerjee will soon fly to Greece to show his film to author Vassilis Vassilikos on whose novel ‘Z’ the film is based.
Ideally, Banerjee would have liked the author to come down to India to watch the film. But if that is not possible, considering the author‘s age, the director is all set to fly down to Greece to show his film.
“The author has every right to see what has been done to his work, and in what context,” feels Banerjee. “It‘s amazing how relevant Vassilikos‘ novel
is to present day Indian politics although he wrote it 45 years ago. He must see the deep and far-reaching resonance of his words. He is now a sprightly 78. But if he can‘t come to India, I‘d most certainly take Shanghai to Greece for his viewing.”
Dibakar also plans to screen the film at Greece‘s Thessaloniki International Film Festival in November.
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.
