Hindi
Kites fracas in Karnataka resolved
MUMBAI: The impasse between Reliance Big Pictures and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) regarding the exhibition of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kites has ended.
Reliance Big Pictures has offered an apology to the KFCC and agreed to comply with the KFCC norms. As per KFCC rules, only 21 prints – 17 in Bangalore and four in the rest of Karnataka – of a non-Kannada film can be released.
Says KFCC member & producer Madhusudhan Reddy: “Now that Reliance Big Pictures has agreed to abide by the rules of the KFCC, the Chamber has allowed the film to be screened in 24 theatres in Karnataka with 17 screens in Bangalore, four in the rest of the state and three new multiplexes. We have allowed them the additional three prints they had earlier asked for, as they have withdrawn the film from the other excess theatres that they were planning to screen it in. The screening of Kites will commence with immediate effect starting from the afternoon show, today.”
Yesterday activists of the KFCC swung into action disrupting shows across Karantaka as the film released in 50 plus screens. They had directed exhibitors not to screen it in the state.
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.
