Hindi
Time ranks Devdas 8th among 10 best films of millenium
MUMBAI: Just as Sanjay Leela Bhansali is celebrating ten years of his 2002 film Devdas, the Time Magazine has ranked the film eighth among the ten greatest films of the millennium.
With this, the Shah Rukh Khan- Madhuri Dixit-Aishwarya Rai starrer finds place among Hollywood biggies like WALL.E (2008), The Lord of the Rings (2001-03), Avatar( 2009), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), The White Ribbon (2009), The Hurt Locker (2009), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Artist (2011).
The magazine has showered praises on Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit describing Khan as an “all-world charismatist” and Dixit, as “a hot number who had danced flamenco on men‘s libidos for a decade or so before appearing in this worldly-wise role” of a prostitute.
“The piece is played with such commitment that the tritest plot twists seem worth believing – and dancing to, in nine nifty production numbers. But the fervid emotion is what makes the thing sing,” the magazine goes on to add.
“Beyond that, Devdas is a visual ravishment, with sumptuous sets, fabulous frocks and beautiful people to fill them; it has a grandeur the old Hollywood moguls would have loved,” Time observes.
“The news couldn‘t have come at a better time as Devdas completes 10 momentous years. It is a very proud and happy moment for me,” Bhansali says.
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.
