Hindi
Rajula, a love tale from the hills
NEW DELHI: Rajula, a film directed by writer-director Nitin Tewari, which is based on the famous folk tale of Uttarakhand Rajula-Malushahi, released today under PVR Director’s Rare Cut.
Several eminent personalities from Uttarakhand, including Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat, attended a premiere in the capital last evening.
Shot in the hills of Uttarakhand, the film portrays the changing dynamics in Rajula’s different relationships – with her father, brother or lover. This love story explores the strength of woman and the sacrifices she must make to achieve her love.
Rajula weaves two eras in a very interesting manner. The narrative of the film attempts to understand and connect the two mindsets prevailing in the two different eras – the ancient era and the present-day generation.
Ravi, a documentary filmmaker, returns to India after the death of his parents in an accident to research the story of Rajula-Malushahi. The story is popular in the area among different sets of people in different versions. He meets many people, who give him different inputs, before finally meeting Bhavna, a young lady from Uttarakhand, who helps him in his research.
He gradually falls in love with Bhavna, who is bound by various social taboos. However, it is while trying to understand the real story of Rajula-Malushahi that Ravi also gets an insight into the existing mindset in the area and is able to resolve a long-pending family dispute that began when her parents disapproved of his mother marrying against their will.
The film in Hindi, Garhwali and Kumaoni stars Ashima Pandey and Karan Sharma in the title roles along with Hemant Pandey, Chandra Bisht and Anil Ghildiyal. The music has been composed by Milind and Sudhir Rikhandi, giving the essence of Uttarakhand.
Presented by Himadri Productions and produced by Rama Upreti and Prianka Chandola, it has already won the Best Film – Audience’s Choice Award at the Delhi International Film Festival in December 2012.
Tewari said, “Writing and directing Rajula has been amazing experience for my team, the cast and me.”
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.
