Hindi
UTV denies buying rights of Dabaang 2
MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has rubbished rumours going around in trade circles about it purchasing the rights of the sequel to Salman Khan-Sonakshi Sinha starrer Dabangg 2.
Refuting all talk that the production house has picked up the rights of the Salman Khan film for Rs 1.40 billion including the print and advertising costs, UTV Motion Pictures has denied it totally and issued a statement.
“There have been irresponsible reports in certain sections of the media that UTV has bought the rights for Dabangg 2 for Rs 1.40 billion, despite us clearly denying this. We would like to clarify that UTV has not purchased the rights of the movie in question. We have been very open about announcing our new projects and communicated them to the media and will continue to do so. We hope this puts all speculations to rest, ” reads an official statement from UTV Motion Pictures.
The 2010 action film was directed by Abhinav Kashyap and produced by Arbaaz under the Arbaaz Khan Productions.
To be directed by producer Arbaaz Khan himself, Dabaang-2 would see the appearance of our ex-cricket captain Sourav Ganguly in a guest role. Ganguly will reprise the character of a player and the proposed name of the character that he would be playing is called Daddu Singh.
The sequel is expected to go on floors in March and the film has been scheduled to release during Christmas this year.
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.
