Hindi
Smita Patil retrospective at MIAAC Film Fest, New York
MUMBAI: A retrospective on the late Indian actress Smita Patil titled ‘Bhumika – The Roles of Smita Patil‘ has been planned for the Tenth Annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival scheduled to be held in theatres across New York from 10 to 14 November.
As in the past, the MIAAC Film Festival this year will feature a mix of film screenings, discussions on Indian cinema, industry panels geared specifically to film production in India, special events, nightly networking parties, an award ceremony and gala red-carpet opening and closing night events.
Last year, the festival included the New York premieres of Danny Boyle‘s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and filmmaker Deepa Mehta‘s Heaven on Earth among other events.
Said Mahindra & Mahindra vice chaiman and managing director Anand Mahindra “MIAAC is yet another way of giving back to the communities we operate in. Bringing thought provoking, independent Indian cinema to New York also provides a global platform to Indian talent so that they can rise and get international acclaim.”
Co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, The MIAAC Film Festival is the destination for feature films, documentaries and shorts from the Indian subcontinent.
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.
