Hindi
Expert panel recommends two-tier jury for national film awards
NEW DELHI: There is need to adjudge entries submitted for the National Film Awards at two levels – regional and central – and the number of award categories should be increased, according to the Expert Committee on National Film Awards headed by eminent filmmaker and member of Parliament Shyam Benegal.
The Committee said in the report submitted to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni today that there should be a two-tier viewing of films by the Jury to facilitate the selection process. It has proposed a Central Jury and five regional Juries to cover languages in different regions. It has also outlined guidelines for the regional jury composition.
It has also been stated that in view of the need to fine tune the awards according to the emerging realities of cinema, new awards should be introduced in audiography, music, best screenplay and dialogue. In order to make the nomenclature of Awards more contemporary, the Committee has recommended the Award for Best Art Direction should be called Best Production Design. It has recommended the raising the number of awards in the feature film category from 31 to 34. The cash prize for special jury award in feature films should be raised from Rs 1,25,000 to Rs 200,000.
Receiving the report from Benegal who was accompanied by actor Sharmila Tagore and filmmaker Rajiv Mehrotra, Soni said the Ministry would now process the recommendations made by the Committee. Also present on the occasion were I and B Secretary Raghu Menon, Special Secretary Uday Kumar Varma, Film Festivals Director S M Khan and JS (Films) D P Reddy.
The Committee was constituted at the initiative of Soni to make recommendations for upgradation of the National Film Awards. The committee studied in detail the various categories of awards, mode of selection of awards by the Jury as well as the awards function.
The Committee has made some key recommendations for non-feature film awards. It has recommended that the awards for Environment, Agriculture and Education may be split in two categories: Best Educational Film and Best Film on Environment. The cash component of Awards for Best non-feature Film and Best Direction may be doubled from Rs. 100,000 to Rs 200,00 and brought on par with Feature Films. The Best Scientific film should be called Best Science & Technology Film. The Committee also recommended raising the Cash Component of Special Jury Award from Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000 and that of Best First Non-feature Film Award from Rs. 50,000 to Rs 1,25,000 on par with the similar award in the feature film category.
The Committee also consisted of Ms Sai Paranjpye, Ashok Vishwanathan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Nagesh kukunoor, Mohan Agashe, Ms. Waheeda Rehman, Jahnu Baruah and Shaji N Karun.
The National Film Awards were instituted in 1954 and aim at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence, and social relevance, contributing to the understanding and appreciation of cultures of different regions of the country in cinematic form and thereby promoting integration and unity of the nation.
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.
