Hindi
Anti-piracy cell seizes latest Hindi and Hollywood titles
MUMBAI: The pirates seem to be unfazed by the several raids that lead to confiscation and arrests. And if it was mainly the DVDs and VCDs of Hindi films that used to be available a day before their release, now it‘s gone down to Hollywood films.
The Mumbai police along with AA Khan & Associates conducted a raid at Lower Parel station, a western suburb of Mumbai, on 6 May that led to the seizure of 3000 pirated DVDs and CDs of many Hindi and English films.
Interestingly, the team laid their hands on 100 DVDs of Iron Man 2, a day prior to its theatrical release in India.
Along with the DVDs of Iron Man 2, 300 pirated discs of Housefull were also uncovered in the raid along with DVDs of Paathshala and Phoonk 2. However, no arrests were made in the raid.
Earlier this week, a joint team of AA Khan & Associates and SS Branch, Mumbai Police, also conducted a raid outside Andheri Station, another western suburb, and the team seized close to 4000 DVDs.
Two arrests were made during the raid and the accused where booked under sections 51, 52(A), 63, 68(A) of Copyright Act along with sections 292A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Says AA Khan, “The recent launch of the anti-piracy coalition between Hollywood and Hindi studios will help us push this initiative further. People need to remember that besides denying the creators of the content their fair share, the proceeds from such sales fund several illegal activities including terrorism in India and abroad.”
In the first quarter of 2010, VCDs and DVDs of over Rs 5.5 million were seized and over 50 arrests made in Mumbai.
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.
