Hindi
Two films shot in India nominated for Golden Globe Awards
MUMBAI: Two films that were shot in India have been nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards.
The show is organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and takes place next month at the Beverly Hilton.
‘Life of Pi‘ directed by Ang Lee and shot in Pondicherry was nominated for best picture drama among other nods. Its competition includes ‘Lincoln‘ which got the most number of nominations – seven.
Lee said, “I am deeply honored and grateful to the HFPA for these very generous nominations. Making ‘Life of Pi‘ was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. I am proud of the film we all made and it is wonderful to get this recognition.”
In the same category getting a much needed boost was Quentin Tarantino‘s ‘Django Unchained‘ which got five nominations along with Ben Afflecks Argo. ‘Zero dark Thirty‘ also features in the best picture list. Missing from the list, however, is ‘Beasts Of the Southern Wild‘ which was completely ignored.
‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel‘, which was filmed in Rajasthan, got a nomination for best picture comedy or musical. Competing in hat category is ‘Silver Lining‘s Playbook‘ and the musical ‘Les Miserables‘. What is a surprise though is that neither of those two films‘ directors David O Russell and Tom Hooper were nominated.
A surprise nomination for best picture comedy is ‘Salmon Fishing In The Yemen‘. Its two stars, Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor, have also been nominated. ‘Moonrise Kingdom has also been nominated for best picture comedy or musical. Paul Thomas AAnderson‘s The Master got a boost with its three stars getting nominated.
But it is Lincoln that is faring the best in terms of nominations in different awards so far. Earlier it got 13 nominations from the broadcast film critics Association, an all time record. Oscar ballots have to be submitted in a few days time and it will be interesting to see how the nominations at these different awards influence voters.
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.
