Hindi
Easing of govt clearance attracts foreign filmmakers to India
MUMBAI: Aided by a speedy clearance from the Indian government, foreign filmmakers are increasingly turning to India for shooting of their movies.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has already approved 17 foreign movie projects this year.
In 2008, the I&B Ministry had cleared 27 foreign film productions to shoot in different locations of India. This is similar to 2007, but higher from the figure of 22 projects in 2006.
The Indian government has, thus, granted approval to 93 foreign film productions over the last three years.
While 33 productions are of UK based organisations, 17 are of US origin. The other productions relate to France, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Russia, Georgia, Italy, Israel, Bangladesh and Pakistan among others.
The Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire was granted permission in the year 2007 under the original title of “Q&A”. The celebrated movie A Mighty Heart, featured at the Cannes Film Festival, was approved for shooting near Pune in 2006 with the star cast of Angelina Jolie.
Goa, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Pune, Panchmarhi, Mumbai, Thane, Madh Island, Versova, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad are some of the preferred locations for foreign film shoots in India.
The I&B Ministry has streamlined the procedure for granting permissions for shooting in India. The permission process normally takes not more than three weeks. The production houses are required to apply for permission of feature films in India to the I&B with details of their chosen locations and the script of the production.
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.
