Hindi
South African distributor releasing Khiladi 786 and Dabaang 2
MUMBAI: South Africa-based Ster-Kinekor that brings all the major movie titles from across the globe to its big screens across the South Africa,is gearing up to release two major Bollywood titles grace the big screen this December. The first film to release would be Khiladi 786 on 7 December while Salman Khan’s Dabangg 2 will release two weeks later on 21 December.
Both films boast of big names and feature music and dance that is expected from blockbuster Bollywood titles. Fans in Durban can look forward to Khiladi 786 as well as Dabangg 2 at Ster-Kinekor Gateway, while Johannesburg audiences will be able to experience all the thrills and action of Dabangg 2 at Ster-Kinekor The Zone in Rosebank.
Eros International‘s Khiladi 786 in which Akshay Kumar plays the hero Khiladi that also celebrates 12 years of the Khiladi film series. Playing the female lead opposite Kumar, in the role of Indu Tendulkar, is actress Asin Thottumkal. Mithun Chakraborty, Paresh Rawal and Himesh Reshammiya also appear in pivotal roles in Khiladi 786. The film, directed by Ashish R Mohan has been produced for HariOm Entertainment Company and HR Musik by Twinkle Khanna, Sunil Lulla and Himesh Reshammiya, who has also composed the music of the film beside being part of the cast.
With Dabangg 2, Salman Khan returns to the big screen as Chulbul Pandey in the second adventure of one of the most successful franchises of all time in Indian cinema and, one of the most anticipated Bollywood films of 2012. Starring opposite Khan in the lead role is Sonakshi Sinha.
The film also stars Prakash Raj as the negative lead while Vinod Khanna, Deepak Dobriyal and Nikitan Dheer are in supporting roles.
The movie is directed by Arbaaz Khan and produced by Khan and his wife, Malaika Arora Khan, for Arbaaz Khan Productions in association with Shree Ashtavinayak.
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.
