Hindi
Dhurandhar storms box office; sets new records
MUMBAI: Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller has done what spies do best: infiltrated enemy territory and extracted maximum value. Dhurandhar, the Ranveer Singh-led action spectacular, has raked in Rs 552.70 crore worldwide in just ten days, making it the fastest Hindi film to breach the half-billion mark since records began keeping track.
The film notched up Rs 58.20 crore net on its second Sunday (15 December)—the biggest Sunday ever for a Hindi film—taking its total India net haul to Rs 364.60 crore. India gross stands at Rs 430.20 crore, with overseas markets chipping in Rs 122.50 crore. That’s a lot of popcorn.
Released on 5 December, the film opened with Rs 218 crore net in its first week, then refused to slow down. Second Friday brought Rs 34.70 crore, second Saturday Rs 53.70 crore, and then came Sunday’s monster haul. The makers boast that every day has been bigger than the previous from the first Monday onwards—a claim that suggests audiences are either spreading the word or buying multiple tickets.
Dhurandhar has now registered the biggest second Friday, second Saturday and second Sunday in Hindi cinema history. Packed houses, midnight screenings and round-the-clock shows continue unabated. “The Dhurandhar wave has now become a worldwide phenomenon,” crowed the makers, “driven by unprecedented word of mouth.”
The high-octane thriller, directed and written by Dhar, follows covert intelligence operations against a backdrop of real events: the Kandahar plane hijack, the 2001 Parliament attack and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Singh leads a cast that includes Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan and others. Set largely in Lyari, a rough neighbourhood in Karachi known for gang wars and turf battles, the film has sparked polarising reactions from critics and audiences alike.
Produced by Aditya and Lokesh Dhar’s B62 Studios with Jio Studios, the film proves that in Indian cinema, nothing succeeds like excess. Whether Dhurandhar can sustain this blistering pace or will eventually run out of ammunition remains to be seen. For now, it’s conquered the box office with military precision.
Hindi
AI directors take the spotlight at India AI Impact Summit
LTM, NFDC and Waves Bazaar curate first AI Cinema Showcase with human-hearted films.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera, algorithm action! India’s film scene is about to get a futuristic twist as artificial intelligence steps into the director’s chair (well, sort of) at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. LTM, in partnership with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Waves Bazaar, is rolling out the AI Cinema Showcase under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s watchful eye. The event runs from 16 to 20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, pulling in policymakers, tech innovators, global creators and crucially storytellers who’ve already let AI into their edit suites.
This isn’t about robots churning out blockbusters overnight. The showcase spotlights a hand-picked collection of short films made by Indian filmmakers solo creators, collectives, studios and even students who’ve used AI as a genuine creative collaborator rather than a shortcut. Every selected piece has been judged on narrative punch, artistic vision, cinematic polish and, importantly, responsible AI use. The lucky films will screen in the sleek Immersive Room AI Theatre inside the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting pavilion.
The move builds on last year’s momentum, back in November 2025 at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, the same trio Waves Film Bazaar, LTM and NFDC staged India’s debut AI Film Festival and Hackathon. That experiment proved there’s real appetite for exploring where code meets creativity.
By bringing the conversation into the cultural spotlight, the AI Cinema Showcase aims to nudge discussions beyond dry policy papers and tech specs into something far more human, how emerging tools can amplify storytelling without drowning out the soul. It’s part of a bigger push for ethical, human-centred AI that keeps the artist firmly in the driving seat.
So while the rest of the summit debates algorithms and governance, this corner of Bharat Mandapam will be quietly proving that the future of Indian cinema might just feature a very clever co-writer, one that never asks for coffee breaks. Catch the screenings if you’re in Delhi next week; who knows, you might spot the next big twist coming from a prompt rather than a pen.
