Hindi
High Court stays Goa film fest’s selection
NEW DELHI: Even as the Kerala High Court today stayed the publication of the results of the selection of the Indian Panorama for the International Film Festival of India in Goa next month, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry was tight-lipped on the plea that it had not received any order so far.
A Ministry official who refused to be quoted told indiantelevision.com that in any case, it would be premature to comment as the matter was sub judice. However, the source said Court orders would be obeyed and any further action will only be taken after legal advice.
Directorate of Film Festivals sources also repeated the same line, adding that the matter was now pending with the Ministry as the report had been submitted to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
A member of the jury who did not want to be named admitted that there had been some objections by prominent members to others remaining absent for long duration during the screenings.
Meanwhile, in the petition before Justice P N Ravindran of the Kerala High Court, film director Ranjith said that a film critic who was a member of the jury had posted a comment on a private website announcing the results. Noting that there had been no official announcement, Ranjith indicated that all is not well with the selection process.
The petitioner sought a direction to the Ministry to conduct an inquiry into the selection process immediately with particular reference to leaking of the results by a jury member and to conduct the selection process afresh.
The jury was chaired by filmmaker Muzaffar Ali and included Raja Mitra, Bobby Bedi, J Mahendran, Joseph Pulinthanananth, Leslie Carvalho and Gautaman Bhaskaran.
Ranjith has sought a direction from the I&B Ministry to conduct an inquiry into the selection process and how the leak took place, with one of the members itself leaking out the results before the official briefing!
Ranjith also alleged that some of the best Malayalam films of the year – Pazhassi Raja, Brahmaram, Rithu, Sufi Paranja Katha, Thalapavu and two films directed by him (the critically acclaimed Thirakatha and yet to be released Kerala Café) which were sent for the Panorama selection – was rejected.
Only two films from Kerala have been chosen: Shaji.N Karun’s Kutty Sranku and veteran cameraman Sivan’s Keshu.
Hindi
Dhurandhar the revenge storms past Rs 1,000 crore in a week, rewrites box office records
Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller sets fastest run to Rs 1,000 crore with record-breaking weekday hold
MUMBAI: The box office has a new juggernaut—and it is moving at breakneck speed. Dhurandhar the revenge has smashed past the Rs 1,000 crore mark worldwide in just a week, clocking a staggering Rs 1,088 crore and resetting the rules of the blockbuster game.
Backed by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, and directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy action sequel opened to the biggest weekend ever for an Indian film globally—and then refused to slow down. Unlike typical tentpole releases that taper off after Sunday, this one powered through the weekdays with rare muscle, posting Rs 64 crore on Monday, Rs 58 crore on Tuesday, Rs 49 crore on Wednesday and Rs 53 crore on Thursday.
The numbers stack up to a formidable first-week haul. India collections stand at Rs 690 crore nett and Rs 814 crore gross, while overseas markets have chipped in Rs 274 crore, taking the worldwide total to Rs 1,088 crore in just eight days.
The film’s opening weekend alone delivered Rs 466 crore, laying the foundation for what is now being billed as the fastest climb to the Rs 1,000 crore club in Indian cinema. Every single day of its first week has set fresh benchmarks, from the highest opening weekend to the strongest weekday hold—metrics that typically separate hits from phenomena.
A sequel to the earlier hit Dhurandhar, the film has not just built on its predecessor’s momentum but obliterated previous records, emerging as the biggest global blockbuster run by an Indian film to date.
At this pace, the film is not merely riding a wave—it is creating one.
