Hindi
NFDC Labs announces Romance Screenwriters’ Lab in association with Harlequin
MUMBAI: Got a romance story idea that you wish to see manifest into a book as well? NFDC Labs, the Training and Development arm of NFDC (The National Film Development Corporation Ltd), announces today the Romance Screenwriters’ Lab in association with the world’s leading publishers of the most popular romance fiction series Mills and Boon, Harlequin. The lab, a three-part program, organized and spearheaded by NFDC, is the first of its kind with romance and women-centric plots as the themes, where popular Indian film writers/directors, to be announced soon, will mentor the final selected scriptwriters. The deadline for the submission of the entries is 23 May 2014.
The objective of the lab is to help aspiring Indian scriptwriters develop their scripts with inputs and consultation from well-known Indian writers/directors. The first round of selection from the entries received will be done basis the synopsis submitted, post which the selected participants will need to submit a detailed script with dialogues, where the best few will be zeroed on.
While NFDC will conduct the three-part workshop with the selected participants on scriptwriting mentored by writers/directors, Harlequin too will have separate book-writing workshops led by well known authors, offering novel writing tips and editorial feedback to the writers. The partnership between NFDC and Harlequin brings in innovative and collaborative efforts where Harlequin will offer book deals to select writers.
Commenting on the launch of this initiative, Nina Lath Gupta, Managing Director, NFDC India, said, “We are thrilled to introduce the first of its kind Romance Screenwriters’ Lab this year. With romance as an eternally entertaining genre worldwide, where India is no exception to stories and films in this space, our partnership with Harlequin, world’s leading publishers, for this initiative couldn’t be a better fit. There is a vast pool of exceptionally talented writers with unique and diverse stories in this country and offering this opportunity to enhance their skills with talented mentors will only help us compliment our ongoing developmental mandate.”
“Entertaining stories that connect with people can transcend formats and be told successfully through books or cinema. Harlequin India is excited about the Romance Screenwriters Lab partnership with NFDC. It is a unique arrangement to identify storytellers who can write both screenplays and novels. We are looking forward to getting original and compelling romance stories, which could have elements of drama or thriller or comedy or even darker issues, and be set in contemporary times or any time in the past.” – said, Amrita Chowdhury, Country Head & Publishing Director, Harlequin India.
Duration of the Lab: The lab will be held in three sessions, namely: the first session – last week of July 2014; second session – third week of Sept 2014; the third and the final session – 16th November – 20th November 2014, culminating just before Film Bazaar 2014. NFDC will offer an opportunity to the selected participants to attend Film Bazaar and pitch their projects to the attending India and international delegates, comprising producers, investors, distributors, sales agents, and the likes.
For more details on rules and regulations of the lab, please visit: http://filmbazaarindia.com/programs/romance-screenwriters-lab/
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.
