Hindi
Dangal benchmarked; new big race on cards
MUMBAI: It has been tough going for the exhibition trade for the last couple of weeks as there has been nothing to feed the screens. Thankfully, Dangal sustained the trade for three weeks and still, in its fourth week and fifth weekend, has been drawing better footfalls than the new releases could do.
The new week comes as a windfall for the exhibition trade as two major films, Kaabil and Raees, release midweek, on 25 January, to cash in on the Republic Day holiday on Thursday. In fact, this is more than the exhibitors could have asked for as their acumen is on test on which film should be given how many screens!
The scale will probably tilt in the favour of whichever film looks more likely to go with the multiplex audience. Such competition and simultaneous release between two major star-cast films coming from established banners, is not wise and also rare in the high stakes scenario.
*Coffee With D proves to be another film made on whim! The makers fancy with the don Dawood has caused many losses among investors. And, to think that a poorly conceived idea of shaming the don could work, the idea was amateur. Not to mention that so was the scripting and direction besides the poor casting.
The film remained below a collection of Rs 15 lakh on its opening day and faced the same fate as other such films do, no viewers leading to cancelled shows. The film collected a total of around Rs 50 lakh for its opening weekend.
*Haraamkhor makers shared the ‘success’ of their film with the media the other day! For a film that was rejected outright and failed to find audience on most days of its opening week, this must be quite an achievement. The film’s collection figures barely crossed merely a crore-mark, for the week.
*OK Jaanu is poor; but managed to collect just Rs 16.85 crore in its first week. The big names of Karan Johar and Mani Ratnam didn’t help, only the content does.
*Dangal has sustained very well in its fourth week by collecting Rs 15.08 crore taking its four-week total to Rs 374.95 crore. The film has added further Rs 6.12 crore for its fifth weekend to take its 31-day tally to Rs 381.07 crore.
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
