Hindi
Viswaroopam case adjourned to tomorrow; Judge wants Haasan to work out an amicable solution
NEW DELHI: Actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan failed to get any relief from the Madras High Court over the ban on the release of his film ‘Viswaroopam‘ in Tamil Nadu, as Justice K Venkataraman on Monday advised Haasan to work out an amicable solution with the state government.
The High Court‘s advice followed a special screening of the film for the judge on Saturday, 26 January.
While adjourning the case to Tuesday, Justice Venkataraman said the court had to take into account the state government‘s law and order concerns, communal amity in the state and also the actor‘s investment in the movie. “Why don‘t you negotiate the matter and settle the issue amicably?” asked the judge.
Responding to the advice, Haasan‘s senior counsel P S Raman said, “The hero and director of the movie had returned to Chennai only this morning, and I will discuss the matter with him.”
Raman said they had filed petitions separately challenging the district collector‘s individual prohibitory orders restraining theatres in the respective districts from screening the film.
Justice Venkataraman said the main matter, along with the new petitions, could be heard together on Tuesday.
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.
