Hindi
Censors clear Shanghai with U/A certificate
MUMBAI: The Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared Dibakar Banerjee‘s upcoming film Shanghai with a U/A certificate. However, the Board has effected one major cut: a scene where a local politician is shown being abused.
Earlier this week, the Mumbai unit of the Congress party had called for a ban on the song Bharat Mata Ki Jai saying that it hurts patriotic sentiments and degrades India. In a letter addressed to union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni, Mumbai Congress vice-president Charan Singh Sapra has contended that the content of the entire song is an insult to all countrymen who respect India as their motherland.
The song in mention contains controversial words like Sarkari Hathiyaar, Dhandha, Chanda, Dengue, Malaria, Gobar (cowdung), that Sapra alleged are deliberately used to defame the country.
Sapra had sought an immediate and total ban on the song from being broadcast/telecast in any manner, deleting it from the movie and to fix accountability and initiate action against the concerned censor board officials who cleared the offensive number.
In another development, the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea seeking stay on the release of the film by Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga, president of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena who, through a PIL, had sought an interim stay on release of ‘Shanghai‘ until its song ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai‘ was deleted.
A division bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rajiv Shakdher remarked, “We do not find anything objectionable in the said song. In a democracy, every person has a right to voice his views and opinions… the same right to speech and expression cannot be curtailed except under some circumstances.”
“The author of the song has merely sought to portray the existing state of affairs in India, once considered a golden bird… is now infested with diseases like dengue and malaria,” the bench observed.
Based on the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos, Shanghai is a political thriller directed by D. Banerjee and stars Emraan Hashmi and Abhay Deol. The film is slated for release on 8 June.
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
