Hindi
Ban on new film releases lifted in Kerala
MUMBAI: Fearing possible losses that it could incur, producers and exhibitors connected to the Malayalam film industry have decided to lift the ban on releases of new films.
The release of Katha Thudarum, which had got delayed due to the ban, will now release on 7 May. Alexander the Great, the Mohanlal starrer, will hit the silver screens on 5 May and Mammootty‘s Pokkiriraja will open on 6 May.
At a meeting with Kerala Culture Minister M.A. Baby, all the stakeholders of the industry decided to appoint a four-member government committee to which all concerned could meet and convey their problems in writing. The matters would be heard on 12 May.
On 16 April, the state government decided to intervene after the Kerala Film Producers‘ Association decided that no new Malayalam film would be allowed to start shooting as a protest against rising production costs. Further, exhibitors threatened to close down theatres if the stalemate between the producers and Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) was not resolved.
The producers association is at logger heads with the AMMA to cut production costs but without any positive results.
Though the new films release issue was settled on Tuesday, no solution could be found for commencing shooting of new films.
One of the highlights of the festival will be a retrospective of films of David Lean.
Five films are being screened in the documentaries and short films section. This includes a documentary by Sharathchandran, the award-winning documentary-maker who recently passed away.
The festival is being held in association with the National Film Archive of India, Chalachitra Academy, the State department of Culture and the Federation of Film Societies.
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.
