Hindi
Prachi Desai to star in ‘Rock On’ sequel
MUMBAI: Actress Prachi Desai, who made her Bollywood debut with the Farhan Akhtar-starrer, Rock On in 2008, is now all set to feature in its sequel Rock On!! 2.
Desai said, “It is going to be a special project for me and Farhan as it was our first film together.”
As she gears up for her upcoming projects, the actress explains why she has stayed away from the big screen. “It wasn’t a conscious move. There are a couple of films, which I was supposed to do, but didn’t happen for various reasons,” she said.
Apart from Rock On!! 2, Desai will feature in cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin’s biopic starring Emraan Hashmi, where she will essay the role of Azharuddin’s first wife Naureen. “We know about Azharuddin’s life on field, but not much about Naureen. I’m getting to know a lot more about her from our director and writers,” said Desai.
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.
