Hindi
APFCC, MPDA to jointly address content theft
MUMBAI: The Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce (APFCC) and the Motion Picture Distributors Association (India) Pvt Ltd (MPDA) have come out with an initiative to address the growing content theft under the banner of Content Protection Alliance.
The alliance between the APFCC and MPDA (India) will work on initiatives to tackle
cam-cording, content theft online and on cable as well as to promote public awareness campaigns and education on the importance of content protection.
The Content Protection Alliance has received support from the Andhra Pradesh State Government. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has offered government support to further strengthen this alliance.
The Telugu film industry is one of the largest in south India. With the support of the Andhra Pradesh government and the APFCC, the Anti-Video Piracy Cell was instituted in 2005.
The cell has since put in place processes and systems to combat content theft and build awareness among government officials, police officials and the general public about the importance of content protection.
Hindi
Dhurandhar 2 trouble: BMC moves to blacklist Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios
Blacklist move follows torch, drone and permit violations; producers lean on a legal workaround
MUMBAI: Mumbai’s civic bosses have turned up the heat on a big-ticket sequel. The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has moved to blacklist Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios after a string of safety and permit breaches during the shoot in Mumbai. The message is blunt. Flout the rules, forfeit the privileges.
Officials cite repeated violations, including lit torches in a high-security heritage zone, a drone flown without clearance, location changes, a terrace used without permits, and two generator vans run without approvals. Mumbai Police stepped in during a night shoot in the Fort precinct, seizing five mashals and warning the crew to avoid flammable props. A separate case was filed at MRA Marg Police Station against location manager Rinku Rajpal Valmiki for flying a drone without permission.
The civic playbook is escalating. A-ward officials have recommended blacklisting the studio from the state’s single-window filming portal, forfeiting a Rs 25,000 deposit and imposing a Rs 1 lakh penalty. The deputy municipal commissioner has cleared the proposal for action, with notices to follow.
Yet the production’s pulse remains steady. A source close to the unit says filming continues and the March 19 release, timed for Eid, Gudi Padwa and Ugadi, remains intact. Co-producer Jio Studios can route fresh permissions through an unblacklisted applicant, a loophole that keeps cameras rolling even if named applicants are barred. The ban bites, but it does not block.
The film, starring Ranveer Singh, arrives with commercial heft. The previous instalment minted over Rs 1,300 crore worldwide, sharpening the incentive to stay on schedule. The sequel also faces competition from Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups by Geethu Mohandas, headlined by Yash.
For now, the crackdown raises compliance costs, not curtains. Permits can be rerouted, penalties paid and shoots rescheduled. In Mumbai’s film economy, the show rarely stops. It simply finds a new entry point and races to make its date.
