Hindi
Rajesh Khanna retrospective at Siri Fort
MUMBAI: As a tribute to the cinema legend Rajesh Khanna, the Directorate of Film Festivals has organised a three-day retrospective of the country‘s first superstar. The event, to be held from 18 to 20 August at the Siri Fort auditorium in the capital, will screen ten of the actor‘s landmark films.
The film‘s include Aap Ki Kasam, Aradhana, Aakhri Khat, Amar Prem, Kati Patang, Ittefaq, Avishkaar, Bawarchi, Safar and Anand.
The retrospective will be inaugurated in the afternoon of August 18 and will open with the screening of Aap Ki Kasam, followed by Aradhana.
On August 19, four films viz Aakhri Khat, Ittefaq, Amar Prem and Kati Patang will be screened. On the same day a panel discussion on ‘The Star and his Style‘ will be organised.
On August 20, Bawarchi will be screened and followed by Avishkaar and Safar. Later at 3.30 pm there would be another panel discussion on ‘Melodies‘ in Rajesh Khanna‘s films.
The event would conclude with the screening of the last film of the retrospective Anand.
Entry to all the screenings and panel discussions will be open to all and on first come first served basis.
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.
