Hindi
Saif Ali Khan shoots special anti-smoking video to be played before screening of Go Goa Gone
MUMBAI: In response to protests by the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication for showing Saif Ali Khan sporting a cigar in his mouth on the poster for his upcoming film Go Goa Gone, the actor has shot a special video to spread awareness about ills of tobacco.
The video will play in the beginning of the movie where he plays the role of a cigar smoking Russian mafia lord Boris who turns into a zombie killer.
Khan said, "I think smoking is a form of drug abuse. I do not believe in censorship, as in blanket banning. An appropriate age certificate must be set and then enforced. That is what the censor board is for. However, I understand with this freedom comes a social responsibility and I would like to warn the youth that smoking is a very dangerous habit."
Earlier, health ministry had issued an order banning smoking scenes on screen, demanding that cigarette products be blurred or edited and such scenes be accompanied by a disclaimer.
Speaking on the sidelines, producer and Khan‘s partner Dinesh Vijan said that initially Khan was reluctant to play a smoker onscreen.
The film also stars actors Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwary and Puja Gupta.
The film, directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, will release on 10 May.
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.
