Hindi
Gujarati film Harun-Arun bags Light of Asia awards
MUMBAI: After winning the Liv Ullman Peace prize at Chicago in 2009, Children‘s Film Society’s cross-border Gujarati film Harun-Arun, directed by Vinod Ganatra, recently bagged the Light of Asia award at the Buddhist Film Festival held at Colombo.
The festival had as many as 268 entries classified in the documentary, short film and feature film categories. Harun-Arun was chosen best film from among 18 films in the feature film category.
The film is now scheduled to travel to Munich Film Festival, Giffoni Film Festival, Italy, and Stuttgart Film Festival in the coming months.
Harun – Arun explores the story of Harun, a young boy who is extremely fond of Indian films and songs. The rough life in a hostile environment has taught young Harun a lot of survival skills. He proves to be an exception as he can do many things that normal children of his age would not even dream of doing. Harun has been hearing stories about his family in India and wants to visit them too. The visit excites him doubly but when the two are separated while crossing the border, Harun is compelled to undertake the rest of his journey to Lakhpat on his own.
On the Indian side, Harun comes across three Indian children who take him under their wings hiding and protecting him without the knowledge of their mother Valbai until he can find his new home. An exuberant game of hide-and-seek ensues in this heartwarming story of youthful courage and powerful friendship in a divided nation.
On the winning of the Light of Asia award, director Viinod Ganatra said, “This is not my first film that has won an award. Earlier, my film Heda-Hoda (Blind Camel) did the rounds of 58 film festivals the world over and has won as many as eight international awards. With this film I have tried to prove that the issues of the heart are the issues of the world, not limited to any community or clan or geographical boundaries.
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.
