Hindi
Housefull ends 3-month drought at box-office
MUMBAI: The three-month drought at the box-office has ended with Sajid Nadiawala‘s Housefull, an episodic comedy that has garnered Rs 640 million in the opening weekend.
Among the first of the summer releases post IPL, Housefull collected Rs 480 million in India and Rs 160 million overseas in its opening weekend.
The film, which opened across 2000-plus screens worldwide, has taken a flying start in UK and is positioned at No 11 in that market, having grossed ?2.7 million in three days.
Says Eros International Media senior VP Nandu Ahuja, “Housefull being the first major release post 45 days of IPL cricket frenzy, we were confident that it will open very well. With its excellent weekend performance, the biggest of the year so far, Housefull has lived up to its name”.
Cinemax senior vice president Devang Sampat agrees that the movie has had a strong start. “Housefull has taken a good opening across all our theatres. It should do well in the coming days too,” he says.
Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Housefull is the result of an output deal signed between Eros International Media Ltd and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment with whom Eros has enjoyed a long association.
A comic caper in Sajid Khan style, Housefull stars a mix of actors including Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh along with Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal and Jiah Khan.
Shah Rukh Khan‘s My Name is Khan is the last significant movie release in the year to have moved the box-office, mopping up Rs 1.92 billion after 17 weeks.
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.
