Hindi
Mukta Arts sells 29 films to Zeel for Rs 200 million
MUMBAI: Subhash Ghai-promoted Mukta Arts has sold the satellite telecast rights of its almost entire movie library to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) for Rs 200 million, a clear indication that acquisition prices are getting corrected barring the recent Bollywood blockbusters.
Zeel will get 29 movies to telecast for five years from the dates on which the current satellite rights expire.
“We have sold almost 90 per cent of our library to Zeel. Many of these movies were already with Zeel and are contract extensions. We will get the entire payment of Rs 200 million this fiscal,” says Mukta Arts consulting CEO Ravi Gupta.
In 2007, Mukta Arts had sold telecast rights for 12 movies to Zee in a deal worth Rs 220 million. Ghai had then stated that he would expect to rake in Rs 400 million from the movie library over a five-year window.
Mukta Arts will receive the payment of the entire amount during the current financial year.
The films made by Mukta Arts include Karz, Khalnayak, Hero, Ram Lakhan, Karma, Pardes, Saudagar, Taal, Yaadein,Bombay To Bangkok, Good Boy Bad Boy, Khanna & Iyer, Sham Ghanshyam, Apna Sana Money Money, Jaan, 36 China Town, Trimurti, Socha Na Tha, Aitraaz, Karma, Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, Badhai Ho Badhai, Rahul, Kalicharan, Joggers Park, Aitraaz, Iqbal, Black & White, Yuvvraaj, Paying Guests, Hello Darling, Right Yaa Wrong, Kisna, Valu Sanai Chaughade (all Marathi).
Mukta Arts plans to release two movies this year. While Hollywood Darling, made on a budget of Rs 100 million, will be released in the first quarter of this fiscal, Rituparno Ghosh‘s Nauka Dubi is expected to hit the screens in the subsequent quarter.
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.
