Hindi
Welcome grosses $4.5 million internationally
MUMBAI: The Aneez Bazmee-directed comic caper Welcome has grossed more than $4.5 million (Rs 180 million) at the international box-office in just two weeks and is going strong in its third week as well. Welcome was promoted, marketed and distributed overseas by the international arm of Indian Films-Studio 18.
The movie has recorded pathbreaking collections internationally, emerging as the no. 1 film of Christmas 2007. With no comparable tent-pole release in the weeks to come, Welcome is poised to create even bigger milestones in film history.
Of the total international two-week gross, $3.5 million has been mopped up from the three key markets alone – the US, UK/Ireland & the UAE, and the remaining from other European and Asia-Pacific markets.
In the US, Welcome crossed $1 million on 63 prints at the end of its second week, much the same as the Gulf, where collections touched $1 million on 29 prints at the end of the second week and have held strong over the weekdays as well. Welcome is reported to have beaten some of the biggest Hindi blockbusters in the UAE, including Namaste London, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, making it the highest grossing film ever for Akshay Kumar in this territory.
In the UK/Ireland, Welcome grossed $1.5 million on 51 prints at the end of its second week, making it the highest fortnight gross for an Akshay Kumar title in this market. It was alongisde Hollywood biggies at no. 8 in the coveted “UK Top 10” in its opening weekend and bagged the second highest opening in 2007 after Om Shanti Om. The box-office of Welcome in two weeks in the UK/Ireland has overtaken that of films like Guru, Chak De! India, Ta Ra Rum Pum, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa.
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
