Hindi
Single Window Clearance Mechanism for Shooting of Foreign Films in India Shortly: Tewari
NEW DELHI: A notification is being issued soon for constitution of an Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee which would provide single window clearance for shooting of foreign films in India.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today said the proposed committee would include representatives of the State Governments and key Central Government Ministries. The creation of such an empowered committee would provide the platform and impetus to promote India as a filming destination across the world.
He said the Justice Mudgal Committee constituted to review the mandate and functioning of the Central Board of Film Certification and to recommend measures including statutory changes to enable CBFC to deal with contemporary requirements of certification and increased transparency / efficiency was expected to submit its recommendations shortly. These recommendations would enable the Ministry to review the legal architecture for the film certification process. Tewari added that the mandate of the Committee was extremely comprehensive and would provide the roadmap for the future.
The Committee would also review the categories of certification, existing and proposed, under the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2013. This will be done to review the mandate and functioning of Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in order to make it a more efficacious appellate body and to examine the role of Central Government regarding sanctioning of cinematograph films for exhibition under Entry 60, List I of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India vis-?-vis Entry 33, List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.
Delivering his key note address at the release of the Limca Book of Records 2013 dedicated to 100 years of Indian Cinema, Tewari said this initiative was an important step as the country was celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema. He said the publication was a true tribute to the cinematic heritage of India. It had enabled the country to project the power of cinema across the globe and promote India’s image as a soft power.
On the occasion, the Minister also felicitated cinema luminaries for their contribution to the medium and conferred on them “People of the Year” Awards. They included actor Shabana Azmi, cinematographer Santosh Sivan, director Jahnu Barua, choreographer, actor and director Prabhu Deva, maker of wildlife documentaries Mike Pandey, and Telegu film maker K Viswanath.
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.
