Hindi
Anurag Basu’s Barfi! gets 13 nominations at IIFA 2013
MUMBAI: The votes for the 14th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards are in, after the IIFA voting weekend ended in March.
The nominations reflect the diverse and thriving landscape of the Indian Film Industry today, showcasing 2012 as an eventful year for Bollywood with more than 155 new releases receiving global acclaim.
Taking the lead with an impressive total of 13 nominations is Anurag Basu’s Barfi, followed by Shoojit Sircar’s comedy Vicky Donor that has garnered nine nominations. Following closely is Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and Dharma Productions‘ remake of Agneepath. Films like Cocktail, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar and the Yash Chopra‘s last film as a director Jab Tak Hai Jaan have also secured themselves a place in the 14th IIFA nominations.
This year’s award will have directors, Anurag Basu (Barfi), Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur-1), Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani), Tigmanshu Dhulia (Paan Singh Tomar) and Shoojit Sircar (Vicky Donor) compete for the accolade of being the best director.
Hrithik Roshan (Agneepath), Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!), Manoj Bajpayee (Gangs of Wasseypur-1), Shahrukh Khan (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Irrfan Khan (Paan Singh Tomar) and Ayushmaan Khurrana (Vicky Donor) are all contenders for the prized IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) while among leading ladies Priyanka Chopra (Barfi!), Deepika Padukone (Cocktail), Sridevi (English Vinglish), Huma Qureshi (Gangs of Wasseypur-1), Kareena Kapoor (Heroine) and Vidya Balan (Kahaani) will battle it out for the Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female).
Pritam has got two nominations in the category of Best Music Direction for his scores in the films Barfi! and Cocktail. Other nominees in the category include A.R. Rahman (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Ajay-Atul (Agneepath) and Sneha Khanwalkar (Gangs of Wasseypur-1).
Mika Singh for ‘Pungi’ (Agent Vinod), Sonu Nigam for ‘Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin’ (Agneepath), Ajay Gogavale for ‘Deva Shree Ganesha’ (Agneepath), Mohit Chauhan for ‘Main Kya Karoon’ and ‘Aashiyan’ (Barfi!) and Ayushmann Khurrana for ‘Paani Da Rang’ (Vicky Donor) are in contention for the Best Playback Singer Male award.
In the female category, those battling for the Best Playback Singer Female are Shreya Ghoshal for the songs ‘Chikni Chameli’ (Agneepath) and ‘Ashiyan’ (Barfi!) along with Rekha Bhardwaj for ‘Phir Le Aya Dil’ (Barfi!), Kavita Seth for ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ (Cocktail) and Shalmali Kholgade for ‘Pareshan’ (Ishqzaade).
Wizcraft International Entertainment and IIFA director Sabbas Joseph said, “It’s been a phenomenal year for the Indian Film Industry and the nominations for this year will definitely reflect this. The growth has been remarkable. 2013 will witness the 14th year of the IIFA celebrations, honouring the best of the year gone by.”
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.
