Hindi
Satyajit Ray’s ‘Apu’ trilogy among top films in Asia: Busan Filmfest
NEW DELHI: Indian cine craftsman Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy stands at the fifth place in the top ten films in Asia drawn up during the 20th Busan International Film Festival.
In a separate list of the top ten directors, Ray again figures at the fifth place.
Ray is the only Indian filmmaker to have won an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, and the Oscar Committee had come to Kolkata to give him his honour as he was ill at the time. He passed away in April 1992 at the age of 71.
The top film is Tokyo Story from Japan whose director Ozu Yasujiro features at the top in the director’s list.
The ‘Asian Cinema 100’ for the Special Programme in Focus this year at the Festival aims to celebrate its history and is a collaboration project with the Festival and the Busan Cinema Centre to shed light on the values of Asian film.
The list will be updated every five years to act as a guide for the aesthetic value and history of Asian cinema and to discover hidden masterpieces and talented directors of Asia.
For the project, 73 prominent film professionals included film critics such as Jonathan Rosenbaum, Tony Rayns, Hasumi Shigehiko, and festival executives, programmers, and directors Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Bong Joon-ho, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
They recommended their top 10 films, resulting in 113 selections and 106 directors (including joint rankings) for the final 100 list.
Akira Kurosawa had two films in the top 10 list that included Rashomon (1950) in second place and Seven Samurai (1954) at sixth place.
The top 10 (a total of 11 films) will screen under Asian Cinema 100. A special book containing the details and reviews of the films on the list by 29 film professionals will be published during the Festival.
Interestingly, Close Up from Iran is listed at the eleventh number, while its popular director Abbas Kiarostami figures at number three in the Directors List.
There are three Japanese films and two films each from China and Taiwan in the list of eleven films.
The Apu Trilogy (Satyajit Ray, 1955) depicts the life of Apu in Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito; (1956), and Apur Sansar (1959). A masterpiece that realistically and placidly portrays Indian society. Ray is called a master of Asian film as well as the father of Indian cinema.
[Special Program in Focus: Asian Cinema 100 – Top 10 Screening List (11 total, including joint ranking]
[Special Program in Focus: Asian Cinema 100 – Top 10 Directors (including joint ranking]
Hindi
Dhurandhar returns to theatres worldwide on March 13 ahead of Dhurandhar The Revenge release
Jio Studios re-releases blockbuster across 500 screens globally before sequel
MUMBAI: The spy saga of Dhurandhar is gearing up for a big-screen encore before its next chapter arrives.
Ahead of the release of Dhurandhar The Revenge on March 19, Jio Studios and B62 Studios are bringing the original Dhurandhar back to cinemas worldwide in a rare international theatrical re-release.
The global blockbuster is returning across nearly 500 screens, including around 250 in India from March 12 and another 250 overseas beginning March 13.
For fans of the franchise, the move offers a chance to revisit the film that ignited the high-octane spy-action universe just days before the sequel lands in theatres. It also sets up a rare back-to-back big-screen experience, allowing audiences to relive the original before diving straight into the next chapter.
While re-releases of popular films are occasionally seen in India, international re-runs of Hindi films remain uncommon. The scale of the rollout reflects the growing global appetite for the franchise.
In North America alone, Dhurandhar will return to theatres across nearly 185 screens, highlighting the strong anticipation surrounding the upcoming sequel.
The excitement is set to build further with special Wednesday premiere shows of Dhurandhar The Revenge scheduled across the US and Canada on March 18, a day ahead of its global release. Many of these premieres will be hosted on premium large format screens, featuring wall-to-wall displays, immersive sound systems such as Dolby Atmos, enhanced projection and luxury seating.
These formats are typically reserved for major Hollywood event films, and early bookings suggest strong demand with several shows already sold out.
The recently released trailer of Dhurandhar The Revenge has also sparked buzz among exhibitors and trade circles, with expectations running high for the film’s international performance.
Dhurandhar The Revenge is written, directed and produced by Aditya Dhar. The film is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar.
Jio Studios presents a B62 Studios production, an Aditya Dhar film.
The spy-action thriller will release worldwide on March 19, 2026, in five languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
The film arrives in theatres globally on the occasion of Gudi Padwa and Ugadi, just ahead of Eid, setting the stage for a festive box office run.
