Hindi
UTV syndicates movies to Middle East channels
MUMBAI: UTV has signed movie syndication deals with four Middle East channels – MBC, Infinity TV, Kuwait TV and Abu Dhabi TV.
UTV will be exploiting new revenues from its 10 movies, which are to be dubbed in Arabic, over a period of 18 months. The deals vary with the different broadcasters, ranging between 12-to 18 months, with limited airing rights.
MBC, the free to air satellite channel, will telecast four UTV movies – Chance Pe Dance, What’s Your Raashee, Wake Up Sid and Main Aurr Mrs Khanna.
The other three channels, Infinity TV, Abu Dhabi TV and Kuwait TV, will telecast the old lot of six UTV movies – Fashion, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Jodhaa Akbar, Race, Kaminey and Kismat Konnection on their networks.
UTV had first signed the deal with MBC two years back and aired the dubbed version of Jodhaa Akbar in the Middle East, sensing the demand for this kind of content will pick up.
UTV VP international distribution and syndication Amrita Pandey said, “We’re happy with our continued association with MBC on our content since two years. We look forward to our movies airing on channels like Abu Dhabhi TV, Infinity TV and Kuwait TV that widen our audience in Middle East and North Africa Region.”
MBC is the leading free-to-air, pan-Arab, news and entertainment channel in the Middle East. Satellite transmission for MBC first started from London in September 1991, making MBC the first independent Arabic satellite TV station.
Abu Dhabi TV is an Arabic television station owned and managed by the United Arab Emirates‘ largest media group, Abu Dhabi Media Company.
Infinity TV, launched in October 2004, offers entertaining and educational programmes that appeal to members of the whole family. Infinity broadcasts movies, musicals, sitcoms, children shows.
Earlier, UTV had syndicated these movies to Colors, NDTV Imagine, B4U (international) and Channel 4 (UK).
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.
