Khalnayak Returns First Look Review: Sanjay Dutt In This Dhurandhar Cum Animal Makeover With A BGM Sounding Like Choli Ke Peeche Is Making Me Question – Why?

Sanjay Dutt will be back in Khalyanak Returns after almost 3 decades and my only question is why - here is the first look!

- April 26, 2026 | 5:02 PM IST

Khalnayak Returns First Look Review: Sanjay Dutt In An Unnecessary Dhurandhar Cum Animal Makeover — Khalnayak Returns First Look Review: Sanjay Dutt Is Making Me Question – Why? ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

I have been a Sanjay Dutt fan since his Munnabhai days! But then watching him in Agneepath made me go wow! He is such a good villain! That streak continued through Shamshera and KGF 2, and the recent blockbuster Dhurandhar! So, I agree that he is the OG villain, but do I need Khalnayak Returns as an audience to watch the actor’s negative streak on screen? I am not sure!

In fact, after watching the first look of his upcoming sequel to the cult classic, I am very skeptical! Sanjay Dutt is back as Ballu Balram, but the first look video feels less like a comeback and more like an unnecessary effort to cash in on his Dhurandhar success! This 1-minute 17-second video itself looks like some Animal meets Dhurandhar makeover, to be honest!

Just when you thought the alpha male trend in Bollywood was going overboard, Sanjay Dutt decided to drop the first look for Khalnayak Returns. While the original 1993 classic remains a benchmark for anti-hero cinema, the first look at the sequel has left me asking – why do we need this?

The first look video opens with a rugged, blood-soaked Sanjay Dutt, sporting a look inspired heavily from Animal – Dhurandhar – there’s the long, unkempt hair, the menacing stare, and a level of gore that feels like it’s trying too hard to be edgy. Sanju Baba definitely has the screen presence, but seeing him replicate the modern-day toxic hero aesthetic feels like a step backward for this franchise already!

Then comes the music. The makers have opted for a reworked, slowed-down, dark version of Naayak Nahi Khalnayak hun main in a very Ila Arunish voice that only reminds me of Ku Ku Ku Ku…Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai. The voice and the style have been turned into a thumping background score that accompanies Sanjay Dutt’s slow-mo walking shots.

I agree nostalgia is a powerful tool, but bringing Sanjay Dutt in an unnecessary sequel was not on my list this year! The first look suffers from a major identity crisis! By trying to combine a Khalnayak-era Sanjay Dutt with a post-Animal aesthetic, the first look seems to have no soul!

Check out the Khalnayak Returns First Look here.