Hindi
Indian Film Company set for recast; CEO Sandeep Bhargava quits
MUMBAI: Network18’s AIM-listed The Indian Film Company (TIFC) is set for a recast.
Sandeep Bhargava, the chief executive officer, has quit even as the company is working out a revival plan. He will be serving his notice period till 30 June.
TIFC posted a net loss of ?4.56 million for the fiscal ended 31 March 2010 compared to a net profit of ?3.89 million a year ago. Revenue fell to ?19.88 million, as against ?40.90 million in FY‘09.
The group released nine films during the fiscal ended March 2010, all of which bombed at the box office. These included Shortkut – The Con is On, Luck, Life Partner, Fruit ‘N‘ Nut, London Dreams, Rann, Striker, Road, Movie and Hum Tum Aur Ghost.
Network18 and Viacom18 Group CEO Haresh Chawla will now take interim charge of the operations at TIFC.
“Over the last two years Sandeep has made TIFC a successful business venture and we wish him luck in his future endeavours,” Chawla said. “We will soon will start the next phase of our growth in the films business through TIFC and Studio18 and we shall share the details of that in time to come.”
Bhargava had joined the company in mid 2006 to launch Studio18. In the early period, TIFC and Studio18 had given blockbusters like Jab we Met, Welcome, Golmaal Returns, Singh Is Kinng and Ghajini. Two films from portfolio with debutant directors Sooni Taraporwala (Little Zizou) and Amrit Sagar (1971) got critical recognition and received National Awards.
In January this year, Studio 18 senior vice president marketing, distribution and syndication Priti Shahani had quit to join Reliance Big Pictures.
TIFC is a film investment company which was admitted to trading on the AIM market in June 2007 and raised ?55 million in order to invest in a diverse portfolio of Indian films targeted at the Indian audiences across varying genre, language and budgets.
During the year, Network18 made mandatory cash offer for the entire issued share capital of TIFC and increased its holding from 36.02 per cent to 80.38 per cent.
“After a lull, affected by the global crisis, there is a revival proposal that will be announced,” a source said.
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.
