United News of Bangladesh

Ranveer Singh is set to begin filming his upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller Pralay in August 2026, with insiders rejecting recent reports of “creative differences” between the actor and director Jai Mehta. The project, which gained attention following the success of the Dhurandhar franchise, had recently been the subject of speculation suggesting it faced delays due to disagreements between the lead actor and the filmmaker. However, a source close to the production dismissed the claims, saying the film is progressing as planned. “Reports suggesting any uncertainty around Pralay are completely baseless,” the insider told NDTV. “Ranveer and Jai have been in continuous discussions and have firmly locked the script. The project has already moved into pre-production, with the entire team actively gearing up to create a never-before-witnessed gigantic spectacle out of Indian cinema. As it stands, Pralay is on track to go on floors by August 2026.” The film is being developed as a large-scale, VFX-driven action thriller set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, with elements of the zombie genre rarely explored at this scale in Hindi cinema. Jai Mehta has reportedly spent the past year shaping the project, which is expected to be mounted with a budget of around Rs 300 crore. The screenplay has been written by Mehta along with Vishal Kapoor, known for his work on Lootere. The film is being produced by Hansal Mehta under his banner True Story Films, along with Ranveer Singh’s Maa Kasam Films, in collaboration with Applause Entertainment. For Ranveer Singh, Pralay marks a major shift as he explores a new genre and prepares to adopt a completely different look for the role. The actor has not officially signed any other project at the moment, though discussions are underway for a possible collaboration with Aditya Dhar after the completion of Pralay. With pre-production underway and a clear timeline in place, the film appears to be moving ahead as planned despite recent rumours.  #By NDTV

The biopic Michael has made a strong debut at the box office, earning $97 million in the United States and Canada and setting a new record for music biopics, despite receiving poor reviews and facing production challenges. The film, based on the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, easily beat previous top openings in the genre, including Straight Outta Compton and Bohemian Rhapsody. Internationally, the movie also performed strongly, earning $120.4 million overseas. This brings its total global opening to $217.4 million, another record for a music biopic. While Lionsgate handled the release in North America, Universal Pictures distributed it in most international markets. Earlier projections had estimated a much lower opening, around $50 million, later revised to $70 million. However, the film far exceeded expectations, attracting a wide audience. The movie was a major gamble, as it portrays a hugely popular but controversial figure. Jackson’s legacy has long been overshadowed by allegations of child sexual abuse. He denied wrongdoing and was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial, though questions have persisted over the years. Some members of the Jackson family were not involved in the project. Janet Jackson did not participate, while his daughter Paris Jackson criticised the film as unrealistic. The project was announced years after the release of Leaving Neverland, which focused on abuse allegations. Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson played the lead role. Production faced serious setbacks. After filming was completed, the team realised part of the story focused on a legal case involving Jordan Chandler, which could not be included due to a prior settlement. As a result, large sections of the film were removed, and expensive reshoots were carried out. The story was eventually reworked to end in 1988, before the allegations surfaced. Despite the difficulties, the film has turned into a major commercial success. Its production cost was close to $200 million, with plans already underway for a sequel and possibly more films. Critics largely panned the movie, accusing it of ignoring controversial aspects of Jackson’s life. It received a low rating on review platforms, but audiences responded much more positively, giving it strong feedback in cinema surveys. The film’s release also boosted a successful period for Hollywood, alongside hits like Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. After leading the box office for three weeks, the Mario sequel dropped to second place with $21.2 million over the weekend. “Project Hail Mary” continued its strong run, crossing $600 million globally in its sixth week. According to estimates, the top films at the North American box office this weekend were led by “Michael,” followed by “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Project Hail Mary.”

The box office battle between ‘Bhooth Bangla’ and ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ remains intense, with both films continuing to draw audiences in theatres. Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bhooth Bangla’ has crossed the Rs 100 crore mark in its second week, while Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ is still performing strongly even in its sixth week. According to Sacnilk, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ earned Rs 10.75 crore on its second Saturday from 9,266 shows. With this, the film’s total India gross reached Rs 120.10 crore, while its India nett stood at Rs 100.90 crore. The horror-comedy had collected Rs 84.40 crore nett in its first week in India and Rs 135.45 crore globally. On its seventh day, it made Rs 5.15 crore, showing a steady trend during weekdays after a strong opening weekend. Meanwhile, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ continues its impressive run. On its 38th day, the film collected around Rs 2.95 crore, taking its India nett total to Rs 1,127.14 crore, Sacnilk reported. The two films also show different audience trends. ‘Dhurandhar 2’ saw high occupancy between 54 percent and 76 percent in its early days, but this has now dropped to single digits. In contrast, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ recorded weekday occupancy between 12 percent and 20 percent, with better turnout on weekends. Earlier, Akshay Kumar said both films cater to different audiences. He described ‘Dhurandhar’ as a film for adults, while ‘Bhooth Bangla’ is aimed at families and children. "There are different kinds of films being made. Dhurandhar is a great film, I've seen it. This (Bhoot Bangla) is a different film. Dhurandhar is an adult film, this (Bhoot Bangla) is for kids and families. When we made this film, we didn't look at what the current trend is. We rather looked at whether the story was good or not, and accordingly, we made this film. We never thought about the trend," he told PTI in an interview.

Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar, has made a stronger-than-expected start at the box office, maintaining momentum as it approaches one week in theatres despite the dominance of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Bhooth Bangla earned ₹6.15 crore on Day 6 across 11,584 shows, taking its total India net collection to ₹78.90 crore and gross collection to ₹93.87 crore. The film has also performed overseas, collecting ₹2.00 crore on Day 6, with total overseas earnings reaching ₹33.50 crore. Its worldwide gross now stands at ₹127.37 crore. Released with paid previews a day before its official opening, the film had already collected ₹3.75 crore ahead of release. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film marks his reunion with Akshay Kumar after 14 years. It features an ensemble cast including Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Wamiqa Gabbi and veteran actor Asrani. The film is produced by Balaji Motion Pictures in association with Cape of Good Films, with Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa Kapoor backing the project. Meanwhile, Dhurandhar 2 continues its blockbuster run, earning ₹1.70 crore on Day 35 across 3,910 shows. Its total India net collection has reached ₹1,121.09 crore, with gross earnings at ₹1,341.90 crore. The film added ₹0.25 crore overseas on the same day, taking its total overseas gross to ₹422.25 crore and worldwide collection to ₹1,764.15 crore. With global earnings nearing ₹1,759 crore, Dhurandhar 2 has pushed its franchise total past ₹3,019 crore, becoming the first Indian film franchise to cross the ₹3,000 crore mark, surpassing series like Baahubali and Pushpa. Starring Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt, the film was released on March 19 and is now eyeing the record for the highest-grossing Indian film (net), aiming to surpass Pushpa 2. #From NDTV

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone is continuing to shoot demanding action scenes for upcoming film ‘Raaka’ despite being pregnant, according to media reports. Deepika and her husband Ranveer Singh announced their second pregnancy on Sunday, surprising fans. The actor is currently working on two major projects ‘Raaka’, starring Allu Arjun, and ‘King’ alongside Shah Rukh Khan. A report by Hindustan Times said Deepika plans to continue shooting throughout her pregnancy. Citing a source close to the actor, the report said she is filming intense action sequences for ‘Raaka’, with necessary safety measures in place. The source added that both ‘Raaka’ and ‘King’ are on tight production schedules with release dates already announced, prompting Deepika to stay committed to her work timeline. The couple shared the pregnancy news through a joint social media post, showing a glimpse of their daughter holding a positive pregnancy test kit. Deepika captioned the post with a nazar amulet emoji. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor, congratulated the couple. ‘Raaka’, a sci-fi action film produced by Sun Pictures, marks the first collaboration between Allu Arjun and director Atlee. The project was announced in April on Allu Arjun’s 43rd birthday. Reports suggest the film has a massive budget, with significant spending planned for production and visual effects. Meanwhile, ‘King’, directed by Siddharth Anand, will see Deepika reunite with Shah Rukh Khan. The film also features Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi and Rani Mukerji in key roles. ‘King’ is scheduled to be released in cinemas on December 24, 2026. Source: NDTV

The Hindi film Dhurandhar 2 has broken a series of box office records within just one month of its release, setting new benchmarks both in India and globally. Released on March 19, with paid previews starting a day earlier, the film made a strong impression even before its official opening. It earned around Rs 43 crore from previews alone, the highest ever in India, signalling massive audience interest. The film also recorded the highest advance booking in history, selling nearly 925,000 tickets across national cinema chains ahead of release. On its opening day, the film collected Rs 102.55 crore nett in India, the biggest-ever Day 1 figure for a Hindi film. Of this, the Hindi version contributed Rs 99.10 crore, marking the highest single-day collection for a Hindi-language movie. Including previews, the domestic Day 1 total reached Rs 145.55 crore. Globally, the film earned about Rs 236.63 crore on its first day, making it one of the biggest worldwide openings for an Indian film. The strong momentum continued over the opening weekend, with total earnings of Rs 674.17 crore nett in India, among the highest ever. By the end of the first week, the film had collected around Rs 745 crore domestically, the highest first-week total for a Bollywood film, with the Hindi version alone contributing over Rs 546 crore. The film maintained steady earnings in the following weeks, with its third-week performance ranking among the strongest for Hindi cinema. In terms of milestones, the film became the fastest Hindi movie to cross Rs 500 crore, achieving the feat in just six days. It crossed Rs 800 crore within 11 days and went on to surpass Rs 1,000 crore in India by Day 18, becoming the first Hindi film to reach that mark. Dhurandhar, the first instalment of the franchise, had collected around Rs 840 crore in its lifetime, a figure the sequel surpassed within just 11 days. Internationally, the film also performed strongly, crossing Rs 1,000 crore globally within a week. Overseas collections exceeded Rs 260 crore early on and went past Rs 400 crore by the end of the first month. The film also set a unique record by becoming the highest-grossing Indian movie excluding the Gulf and China markets, with global earnings crossing Rs 1,700 crore within weeks. By the end of its first month, the film’s India nett collection had crossed Rs 1,100 crore, making it the highest-grossing Hindi film in the country. Worldwide, the film’s total earnings have reached over Rs 1,700 crore, placing it among the top three highest-grossing Indian films of all time and close to challenging long-standing records.   With inputs from NDTV    

Mrunal Thakur has shared her disappointment over certain unexpected changes in Son of Sardaar 2, saying some developments during the project did not match her initial expectations. In a recent interview while promoting her upcoming film Dacoit: A Love Story, the actor said she was unaware of a key casting decision that altered her perception of the story. She revealed that she did not know a much older actor would be cast as her husband in the film, which left her feeling that the project had shifted from what she originally signed up for. Mrunal said the situation affected her trust to some extent, though she added that she does not hold any regrets. In the film, Mrunal plays Rabia, while Chunky Panday portrays her estranged husband Danish. Ajay Devgn appears as Jaswinder Singh Randhawa, also known as Jassi, alongside Neeru Bajwa as his wife Dimple. The story follows Rabia and Jassi, both struggling in their marriages, who gradually develop feelings for each other. Mrunal also expressed concern that some of her key scenes were removed during editing. She mentioned an emotional sequence involving her character and a child, which highlighted Rabia’s sacrifices and maternal role, but did not make it into the final cut. Despite these issues, the actor said she remains on good terms with the film’s team and continues to look back at the experience without regret. Son of Sardaar 2 is the sequel to the 2012 film Son of Sardaar and features a cast including Ravi Kishan, Deepak Dobriyal and Kubbra Sait in key roles. #From NDTV

Tom Holland has said the upcoming “Spider-Man” film will be the most emotional and mature instalment yet, as Peter Parker grapples with the consequences of making his friends forget his identity. Sony Pictures showcased fresh footage of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Monday, revealing that Zendaya’s MJ appears to have a boyfriend. Five years after “Spider-Man: No Way Home” became a global phenomenon—grossing over $1.9 billion and featuring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield—the fourth standalone Spider-Man film is among the most anticipated releases of the summer. Its trailer has already surpassed one billion views within four days. Safety tips for enjoying a musical show In a video message, Holland described the film as “the most emotional” and “most grown-up” entry, introducing a scene where Peter attends a housewarming for MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned, presenting himself as “Maynard,” a neighbour. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film is set for release on July 31. At CinemaCon, Sony also announced projects including an R-rated “Bloodborne” adaptation, Takashi Yamazaki’s “Grand Gear” (Feb 18, 2028), and previews of titles like “Resident Evil” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning.” Featuring Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, the film explores the 2021 “Facebook Files” investigation. Sony CEO Tom Rothman expressed optimism for the industry despite ongoing challenges, urging theaters to improve affordability and audience experience.

Salman Khan’s upcoming film Maatrubhumi, originally titled Battle of Galwan, is expected to release in August, sources say, missing its previously scheduled April 17 release ahead of Eid. The makers have not yet confirmed a new release date. Directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Salman Khan under his banner, Salman Khan Films, the film also stars Chitrangda Singh, with key roles played by Abhilash Chaudhary and Ankur Bhatia. Music is composed by Himesh Reshammiya. The film, based on the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops, follows the story of Colonel Santosh Babu, portrayed by Salman Khan, who led the 16 Bihar Regiment during the confrontation while enforcing a disengagement agreement at the border. According to sources, the title change from Battle of Galwan to Maatrubhumi on March 14, amid warming India-China ties, has led to adjustments in the film, contributing to the delay. Salman Khan shared the new poster on Instagram with the tagline “May War Rest In Peace.” The teaser for the film was released on December 27, 2025, coinciding with Salman Khan’s 60th birthday. Salman Khan’s last release was ["movie","Sikandar","2025 film by AR Murugadoss"], which also starred Rashmika Mandanna.  #From NDTV

‘Cha Gorom’, an upcoming film exploring the untold realities of Bangladesh’s tea garden communities, is set to premiere on Chorki on April 14, coinciding with the celebration of Pahela  Baishakh. Directed by Shankha Dasgupta, the film aims to move beyond the conventional portrayal of tea gardens as scenic backdrops and instead delve into the lives and struggles of workers within the sector. The project is produced by Oxfam in collaboration with Chorki, with support from the European Union. The film’s official poster was unveiled on April 5. Speaking about Cha Gorom, Shankha Dasgupta said, “As a filmmaker, I have always observed that tea gardens in Bangladesh are mostly used as a visual backdrop, beautiful locations where stories unfold against scenic landscapes. I felt this needed to be challenged. With Cha Gorom, we entered the inner workings of the tea gardens and explored life from within. This time, we did not merely capture the beauty; we went inside the gardens and had the opportunity to closely observe the lives of the workers.” Shankha Dasgupta shared that during his time living in tea garden communities to develop the story, he realised how little he and the general public knew about these environments. ‘Cha Gorom’ is scheduled for release on Chorki on 14 April, marking the celebration of Pahela Baishakh. While the Bengali New Year symbolises renewal and new beginnings, the director has not disclosed whether the film reflects similar themes. The film features a cast of emerging talents, including Safa Kabir, Partho Sheikh, Rezwan Pervez, and Sarah Jabin Aditi. The official poster offers limited insight into their characters, but audiences can expect further revelations through the upcoming teaser or trailer. The cast members have also shared their perspectives on being part of the film, offering additional insight into the project. Actress Safa Kabir said, “One of the main reasons I was drawn to Cha Gorom was director Shankha Dasgupta. He consistently works with unconventional narratives and brings a clear vision to his storytelling. At the same time, the story felt very powerful to me. It highlights a side of our society that we often overlook, even though it exists very close to us. That aspect strongly motivated me to be part of this film.” Actor Rezwan Parvez also wanted to join the work after seeing the producer. But he loves his character. "Looking at the director's recent work, it felt good to work with him. I got that opportunity, the character that I got with him was also very challenging. You can understand why I am saying this by watching the teaser or trailer. What I liked about the story of 'Chai Garam' is that the story very succinctly portrays some of the harsh realities of tea garden life," Aditi said. Actor Parth said, "Shankha da told me that there is a character for me. All in all, it seemed like a good opportunity for me, and I had never worked with Shankha da in fiction before. I was very inspired by the story and the character and felt that such work was very less. So, I agreed.” Ashis Damle, country director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, said: "Tea garden workers are an integral part of Bangladesh's economy. But their stories are rarely told. 'Cha Garam' brings to the fore those unseen struggles, dreams and realities. Through this collaboration with Chorki, we hope viewers do not merely watch a film but gain insight into a community—their aspirations, challenges, and desire for change.” Robi has also partnered with the film. Describing the film as an inspirational story, Redwan Rony, Chief Executive Officer of Chorki, said, “From national life to personal journeys, Baishakh symbolises renewal and the determination to begin again. Through this content, we want to spread that very spirit. We hope Cha Gorom encourages a positive mindset among viewers. Wishing everyone an advanced Happy New Year.” AK Azad Setu is also there in the story. 'Cha Garam 'is written and directed by Saifullah Riyad. The main idea, research and project of the film was led by Md. Saariful Islam, who coordinates the entire film initiative from conception to implementation on behalf of Oxfam.