EXCLUSIVE: Producer Deepak Mukut reveals that he holds the rights to Nayak: “Siddharth Anand can’t go ahead and make Nayak 2 as he DOESN’T have the rights”

Yesterday, a report surfaced on the internet stating that Pathaan (2023) and Fighter (2024) director Siddharth Anand is all set to produce the sequel to the much-loved film, Nayak (2001), starring Anil Kapoor. The report further said that Milan Luthria, of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011) fame, will be directing Nayak 2. The news came as a shock to producer Deepak Mukut, who has made films like Sanam Teri Kasam (2016), Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana (2017), Mulk (2018), etc. in the past. He told Bollywood Hungama exclusively that he holds the right to Nayak.Deepak Mukut told us, “For a long time, I have the rights of Nayak. Siddharth Anand and I were in talks. But nothing was finalized. So, I am the one who’ll decide with whom I’d like to make the film. I am also in talks with someone else.”He further added, “I really don’t know how this news has come up. It’s quite shocking for me.”Deepak Mukut then stated, “If he wants to make Nayak 2, then he has to do it with me. He alone can’t go ahead solo as he doesn’t have the rights.”Was Deepak Mukut aware that Siddharth Anand was planning a sequel and that he had signed Milan Luthria? The veteran producer replied, “I was not aware at all.” When asked what if Siddharth Anand goes ahead and makes the film, he said, “He can’t. How can he when he doesn’t possess the rights?”Deepak Mukut then explained how he bagged the rights to Nayak saying, “I got the rights from Nayak’s producer, Mr A S Rathnam. I also have the negative rights to his other films like Tejasvini (1994), Dil Hi Dil Mein (1999), etc. It was 10 years ago that I procured these rights.”There was also buzz in the market that producer and distributor Vikas Sahani, too, holds the rights to Nayak. When Bollywood Hungama spoke to him, he clarified, “I hold only the negative rights of the first part, barring the IP rights. I don’t hold the prequel and sequel rights either.”Also Read: Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Nikita Dutta kick off shoot for Siddharth Anand’s production titled Jewel Thief: Report