Hindi
Viswaroopam cleared for screening by Madras High Court
NEW DELHI: Renowned actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan has received a major relief with the Madras High Court lifting the ban on his film ‘Vishwaroopam‘ which had been imposed by the Tamil Nadu government for allegedly anti-Muslim content.
After a day-long hearing, Justice K Venkataraman passed the orders, paving the way for the screening of the movie reportedly made with a budget of nearly Rs one billion. The judge had personally seen the film on 26 January.
The court also kept in abeyance prohibitory orders imposed by the District Collectors across the state under section 144 of the CrPC.
During the hearing, the Tamil Nadu government questioned the ‘UA‘ certificate issued for the film and alleged that the certification of films itself was a “very big scam” and sought a probe into it by a law enforcing agency.
Advocate General A Navaneethakrishnan said the “UA” certificate to ‘Vishwaroopam‘ was not issued by the Central Board for Film Certification, but only by an Examining Committee not mandated by provisions of the Constitution.
Rejecting the charge, Additional Solicitor General Wilson said the certification was done by procedure. The application for certification came to the Board on 4 October 2012, the film was viewed on 8 October and a show cause notice to cut certain scenes sent on 10 October, he said.
The cuts were accepted and removed and the final certification given on 17 October. Scenes to a running time of 1.08 minutes were cut, he said.
Even at a meeting with the Home Secretary on 23 December last, the Examining Officer said objectionable scenes were deleted from the film, Wilson said.
Interestingly, the film has been released globally and has also been doing well in Karnataka though it is being screened there under heavy security
Hindi
Dhurandhar the revenge storms past Rs 1,000 crore in a week, rewrites box office records
Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller sets fastest run to Rs 1,000 crore with record-breaking weekday hold
MUMBAI: The box office has a new juggernaut—and it is moving at breakneck speed. Dhurandhar the revenge has smashed past the Rs 1,000 crore mark worldwide in just a week, clocking a staggering Rs 1,088 crore and resetting the rules of the blockbuster game.
Backed by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, and directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy action sequel opened to the biggest weekend ever for an Indian film globally—and then refused to slow down. Unlike typical tentpole releases that taper off after Sunday, this one powered through the weekdays with rare muscle, posting Rs 64 crore on Monday, Rs 58 crore on Tuesday, Rs 49 crore on Wednesday and Rs 53 crore on Thursday.
The numbers stack up to a formidable first-week haul. India collections stand at Rs 690 crore nett and Rs 814 crore gross, while overseas markets have chipped in Rs 274 crore, taking the worldwide total to Rs 1,088 crore in just eight days.
The film’s opening weekend alone delivered Rs 466 crore, laying the foundation for what is now being billed as the fastest climb to the Rs 1,000 crore club in Indian cinema. Every single day of its first week has set fresh benchmarks, from the highest opening weekend to the strongest weekday hold—metrics that typically separate hits from phenomena.
A sequel to the earlier hit Dhurandhar, the film has not just built on its predecessor’s momentum but obliterated previous records, emerging as the biggest global blockbuster run by an Indian film to date.
At this pace, the film is not merely riding a wave—it is creating one.
