Hindi
Red Alert to release with 550 prints in Hindi version
NEW DELHI: The film ‘Red Alert’ dealing with the Naxalite and Maoist problem is to be released this week with 550 prints in the Hindi version.
The film has also been made simultaneously in English, Telugu and Chattisgarhi and a dubbed version in German.
Actor Suniel Shetty won the best actor award for the film directed by Ananth Mahadevan at the South Asia Film Festival in New York and was shown as part of Directors’ Vision at the international film festival in Stuttgart in Germany. It was given a red carpet at the International Film Festival of India at Goa last year.
Director Ananth Mahadevan told indiantelevision.com that he had been inspired to make the film when he saw a report in a newspaper and so it was based on a true story. It was a strange coincidence that the film should get released at a time when the Maoist menace was at its peak, he added, denying that it had been deliberately timed.
Referring to the script by Aruna Raje who is a director in her own right, he said it had definitely given the film a different and humane touch. He described the film as one of an individual caught in a dilemma.
In an interview, Shetty said he had learnt a lot from the making of the film and felt that if the governments came forward to do what the non-governmental organizations were doing, the menace would disappear. He said the so-called Naxalites or Maoists were like other people concerned about jobs and making ends meet and if these needs were fulfilled, the problems would get solved. But he said the communication gap remains because the rich are getting richer and the poor are being forgotten in the race.
Shetty, who said he himself belongs to a farmer family from Karnataka and therefore could emphatise with the central character Narasimha, said he was lucky to be at a stage where he could choose the kind of films he wanted to act in after having acted in over 125 films in 20 years.
He had tried his hand at production but did not feel satisfied though ‘Bhagam Bhag’ and ‘De Dhana Dan’ had done well. He, therefore, preferred to stick to acting. He also ruled out direction.
Producer Rahul Aggarwal said the subject had appealed to them as it was the need of the present time and the film had sought to present a solution to the Maoist and Naxalite problems.
Hindi
Dhurandhar 2 hit by YouTube leak amid record box office run
Cam-rip surfaces online but blockbuster streak continues at record pace
MUMBAI: It has been a dramatic week for Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Even as the espionage thriller smashes box office records, a piracy scare briefly threatened to steal its thunder after a full-length version surfaced on YouTube.
The leak emerged on March 30 via a channel titled “A2z movie”, which uploaded what appeared to be a cam-recorded print of the film. Clocking in at nearly three hours and 49 minutes, the footage was reportedly blurry but complete enough to spark spoilers and fan outrage online.
Soon after, users on X began flagging the issue, explicitly naming the “A2z movie” channel in their posts while tagging the film’s makers and urging swift legal action. Fans of director Aditya Dhar and lead star Ranveer Singh were particularly vocal, helping the issue gain rapid traction.
Within hours, the video was taken down, likely through a mix of platform detection systems and intervention by producers Jio Studios and B62 Studios.
Despite the leak, the film’s theatrical run remains virtually unshaken. As of March 31, the sequel has raked in an estimated Rs 872.17 crore net in India, with worldwide collections soaring to Rs 1,392.23 crore. Its Hindi opening day alone brought in Rs 102.55 crore, setting a new benchmark.
In a notable milestone, the film has matched Pushpa 2 as the fastest Indian release to cross the Rs 1,000 crore mark globally, achieving the feat in just seven days.
Interestingly, the version leaked online is believed to be an earlier cut. Midway through its theatrical run, the makers issued revised prints after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a fleeting editing error involving a cameraman’s reflection. The corrected version now plays across cinemas, adding an unusual twist to the film’s release journey.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the high-stakes sequel stars Ranveer Singh alongside Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun. The film has drawn praise for its scale and action sequences, though some critics have pointed to its intense violence and layered political themes.
For now, piracy may have made noise, but it has not slowed the juggernaut. If anything, the episode underlines the film’s cultural grip, proving that even a leak cannot derail a box office storm already in full force.
