Movies
South Indian International Movie Awards set to enthral Dubai in August
NEW DELHI: The fourth edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) is slated to be held in Dubai on 6 and 7 August.
Title sponsored by Micromax, the awards enjoy the highest popularity in South India with over 45 per cent of South Indian TV viewers watching the award ceremony every year.
The nomination process of the movie awards is executed by a panel of veteran judges from Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam industries, followed by online voting for the final verdict of winner selections.
The event will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre. SIIMA chairman Brinda Prasad said, “This year, SIIMA is back in Dubai and we are looking forward to a grand night that will only get bigger and better with over 20 stars performing over two days in Dubai.”
Kick starting this year’s Micromax SIIMA Celebrations is Ivede, a Malayalam crime and drama thriller holding its premiere in Dubai with the star cast- Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nivin Pauly and Bhavana.
Sukumaran said, “I am excited about the premier of Ivede happening in Dubai. SIIMA believes in taking the South Indian film industry globally and it gives us immense pleasure to be associated with the event. Also, Dubai has always been a great market for South Indian movies and I would love to see the movie response with our Dubai audience”
Micromax Informatics CMO Shubhajit Sen added, “Micromax is proud to partner with SIIMA, which has been a part of the magical journey of South Indian cinema. Being an iconic youth brand, we have been consistently connecting Indians to their passions and nothing, not even cricket, evokes as much engagement as movies. I would like to thank all the members of the organizing committee for their effort of bringing together best talent in the industry and felicitate their notable contribution to South Indian cinema.”
Those present at a press meet in Chennai to announce the awards included Rana Daggubati, Shriya Saran, Pranitha Subhash and Yash.
Saran said, “To be representing the South film industry globally, is both a responsibility and a privilege and SIIMA is just the right platform to be a part of. I am now eagerly looking forward to the awards ceremony in Dubai.”
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.
