Hindi
No value for money
While the demonetisation affected film collections to an extent, the dropping temperatures are also affecting box office, especially in the North India, not to speak of poor quality of films made with no concern for content.
*Befikre did raise some expectations within the exhibitor community as well as the audience. Coming as it does after a prolonged dull period and a lineup of poor films, the combination of Yash Raj Films, Aditya Chopra’s direction after eight year gap and Ranveer Singh’s growing popularity meant value for money, scarce as it may be nowadays.
The film did not quite meet up with the expectations as it met with mixed reactions the first Friday first show onwards. The film lacked a clear concept as the whole length of the titles were attributed to couples kissing, not sparing even the toddlers from the act. The rest turned out to be a misplaced idea of the life of today’s youth; being in Paris can’t be an excuse for going berserk with youth in a relationship.
However, what helps the film is its controlled budget and the release period enjoying both, a solo release status as well as an additional holiday today (Eid E Milad). The film had fair number of footfalls on Friday early shows but showed a declining trend thereafter as the first day figure barley managed to cross double figure of Rs 10 crore. Saturday added over a crore compared to Friday figures while the Sunday sustained well as the film closed its opening weekend with Rs 34.35 crore..
*Kahaani 2, a poor attempt to use the title and the face of Vidya Balan from the successful franchise, Kahaani, backfires as the sequel turns the very character of Vidya topsy-turvy. The rest of the content also lacks coherence.
With an opening weekend of Rs 15.8 crore, the film adds only a little more in the remaining four days to end its first week with a total of Rs 23.8 crore. The film stands to lose at the box office.
*Dear Zindagi will be a losing proposal for its India theatrical distributor. The combined following of the rising star Alia Bhatt and the veteran star Shah Rukh Khan fails to work as the theme of the film as well as the pretentious approach don’t go down well with the audience.
The film adds Rs 14.1 crore in its second week to take its two week total to about Rs 58.3 crore.
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.
