Hindi
UTV acquires filming rights of Chetan Bhagat’s Revolution 2020
MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has acquired the filming rights of Chetan Bhagat‘s latest fiction novel Revolution 2020.
UTV said that the novel will be turned into an epic drama with strong roles for the lead cast. The book has great roles for its key protagonists, as it narrates the story of three central characters – Gopal, Raghav and Aarti whose destinies are intertwined.
UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “We have been in discussions with Chetan for a while to do something together. When he shared his latest book with us even before it was published, we read it cover to cover in a single sitting.
“It‘s simply un-putdownable. He has crafted such a dramatic plot with such sharply defined characters, that you‘re constantly wondering how things will play out. The issues he deals with in the book are those today‘s youth will instantly relate to and identify with. We‘re very excited to work with him on making a great film from what we all believe is a great book.”
Chetan Bhagat added, “Yes, UTV finally managed to seduce me. A great offer, immense excitement about the story and a wonderful team with a track record makes me feel they can do justice to Revolution 2020, a story very close to me and the readers‘ hearts.”
Every book authored by Bhagat so far has been optioned for movie rights. Rajkumar Hirani‘s 3 Idiots was based on Bhagat‘s first novel, Five Point Someone; while Hallo was made on One Night @ Call Centre.
His later works like 2 States and 3 Mistakes of my Life are also slated to be made into movies by other production houses.
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.
