Hindi
Raajneeti nets Rs 105 mn on opening day
MUMBAI: Raajneeti has mopped up Rs 105 million on the opening day, posting UTV‘s first big movie release success this year.
The Prakash Jha-directed political thriller, built on a budget of Rs 450 million, has recorded strong collections from Mumbai, Delhi/UP, East Punjab, CP Berar, CI and Rajasthan with almost 80-90 per cent average occupancy. The response, as expected, was weak in the South Indian market.
Producers UTV Motion Pictures and Manmohan Shetty‘s Walkwater Media, who have invested a further Rs 100 million in promoting the film, are optimistic that the movie will rake in profits.
UTV, in fact, claims Raajneeti to have recorded the second highest opening ever after 3 Idiots, which grossed Rs 129.8 million on its opening day last year (25 December). Raajneeti is closely followed by Kites (Rs 100.4 million) and Housefull (Rs 90 million).
Raajneeti stars Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpai and Naseerrudin Shah along with newcomer Sarah. The music of the film is composed by Wayne Sharpe and screenplay is by Jha and Anjum Rajabali.
Before Raajneeti, UTV had suffered a setback in the year with the Shahid Kapoor-starrer Chance Pe Dance failing to click at the box-office. UTV also released a Marathi movie, Harishchandrachi Factory, during the year.
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.
