Hindi
Telugu remake of Johnny Gaddar in offing
MUMBAI: Remember the 2007 made Neil Nitin Mukesh debut film Johnny Gaddar. The film, not only got mixed reviews but got back the thriller genre back to Bollywood.
The film, now to be made in Telugu, will be produced by Kubera Cinemas and directed by Lakshmikanth Chenna.
Newcomer Krishi Arimanda will play Neil‘s role, while other actors include Sai Kumar and Gracy Singh.
“Keeping new trends in cinema in mind I chose a subject that would attract the present generation and not just make a regular movie with three fights. So, we bought the official rights of Johnny Gaddaar from Reliance Entertainment.” Deepak Baldev of Kubera Films said in statement.
Johnny Gaddar, directed by Sriram Raghavan, was a crime thriller depicting the story of a group of five men involved in gambling and other illegal businesses.
The shoot of this untitled remake is already under way.
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.
