Hindi
3 Idiots sweeps IIFA Awards
MUMBAI: Overshadowed by protests by minority Tamils and boycotted by South Indian stars like Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam, the IIFA awards were presented at an extravagant ceremony in Colombo.
As expected the Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots swept this year‘s IIFA awards bagging eight honours including the best film award.
The film had been nominated in 12 of the 13 main categories of which it had already won eight of the 12 technical awards announced last month including best screenplay and best cinematography.
Amitabh Bachchan won the best actor award for his role as a progeria-afflicted child in Paa, while the best actress award was shared by Vidya Balan for Paa and Kareena Kapoor for 3 Idiots.
The best director award was lapped up by the 3 Idiots director Rajkumar Hirani. Also, Hirani along with Abhijat Joshi and Vidhu Vinod Chopra won the best story award for the same film.
While Sharman Joshi who played a stellar role in 3 Idiots won the best male supporting actor award, Divya Dutta received the best supporting actress award for her performance in Dilli 6.
3 Idiots won another laurel when Boman Irani clinched the award for his negative role in the film.
The surprise of the evening was when Sanjay Dutt was called to collect the award for best performance in a comic role for All the Best.
Composer Pritam edged out AR Rahman to win the best music director award for Love Aaj Kal. While Shaan was adjudged the best singer (male) for ‘Behti hawa sa tha woh‘ (3 Idiots), Kavita Seth won the best singer (female) for ‘Iktara‘ in Wake Up, Sid!
Swanand Kirkire won the best lyrics award for 3 Idiots.
While Omi Vaidya (Chatur Ramalingam of 3 Idiots) shared the debut male honours with Jackky Bhagnani (Kal Kissne Dekha), Jacqueline Fernandez shared the best debut female actress award with Mahie Gill for their roles in Aladin and Dev.D respectively.
Veteran filmmaker J Om Prakash, maternal grandfather of Hrithik Roshan and yesteryear actress Zeenat Aman were awarded with the Lifetime Achievement award.
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.
