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Brazilians celebrated the nomination of “The Secret Agent” film to four Oscar categories on Thursday, which many said confirmed the rise of Brazilian cinema and its universal appeal. “The Secret Agent” — nominated for best picture, best actor, best international film and achievement in casting — now shares Brazil's record for nominations, alongside the famed 2002 film “City of God” set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. “The Secret Agent” follows a widowed father — played by Wagner Moura — who becomes a target of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s simply because he stands up to a business owner with ties to the regime. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho said that more than one million spectators have seen the film, in a video posted on social media Thursday following the nominations. Last year, Brazilian feature film “I’m Still Here” was also a box office success, drawing millions of moviegoers. It was nominated in three categories and won best international feature, giving Brazil its first Oscar. The back-to-back successes are leading many to say that Brazil is living a particularly fruitful moment for its cinema — including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who said that the local industry is currently “experiencing one of the best moments in its history.” The nominations are “recognition of our culture and of Brazil’s ability to tell stories that move the world,” he said on social media. “I’m Still Here” is also set during the dictatorship, and observers say both films have contributed to nationwide discussion about the dark period in Brazil's history from 1964 to 1985, when people were tortured and disappeared. Reaction to political turmoil Lúcia Espírito Santo, a 78-year-old retired lawyer, said that she herself had to watch her words when she was studying law at university for fear of disappearing. “What we see in the film happened a lot. People would disappear and you didn’t know why. Friends of mine from college disappeared because they spoke out, they advocated for freedom and democracy,” she said, exiting the cinema after seeing the film. Sabrina Guimarães, a 20-year-old student at a Rio de Janeiro university, who went to see the film Thursday, said learning about the country’s history is essential. “Even though we learn this stuff at school, we don’t spend much time on it and it’s not very specific. Feeling like you’re there in the person’s shoes, knowing what was happening at the time is very interesting,” she said. “It’s good to understand what happened in the past so we don’t repeat these things in the future.” Director Mendonça Filho said the film is a reaction to Brazil's past decade of political turmoil, including the far-right administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who last year was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for attempting a coup. But the film also dialogues with the political climate in other places around the world, he said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. “The film is very Brazilian, but it’s also universal, so it can be used to discuss issues in the United States, in Europe or in Brazil,” Mendonça Filho said. “The theme of power being used to crush people and social classes is a theme that’s current, not just historical.” ‘Intense emotion’ Casting director Gabriel Domingues, who was nominated in the new category of “achievement in casting,” said the outpouring of support for the film reflects broader enthusiasm for Brazilian cinema. “Brazilian cinema is really in a moment of intense emotion, beyond just excitement. People get very moved, with this participation in international events and awards and everything,” Domingues told The Associated Press, comparing it to Brazil's atmosphere around soccer. Ana Paula Sousa, an expert in cinema and teacher at the ESPM University in Sao Paulo, said that the achievements of “I’m Still Here” and “The Secret Agent” are changing Brazilians’ relation to the film industry in a country were movie attendance is historically low. “People are talking about Brazilian cinema and thinking it’s cool to talk about it. (…) That's something we didn’t see before, and it’s really great,” she said. Sousa said she hopes the successes will spark more consistent movie attendance among Brazilians. Espírito Santo, the elderly moviegoer in Rio, said that she was incredibly proud of Brazilian cinema following the Oscar nominations. “We’re showing up, stepping onto the red carpet abroad,” she said. “Brazil is starting to look like a producer of films, of well-told stories.”

Nearly 95 years after its release, Charlie Chaplin’s silent film City Lights remains one of the most celebrated movies in history, with its final scene widely regarded as the greatest in cinema. The 1931 romantic comedy follows Chaplin’s Tramp, who falls in love with a blind flower girl. The Tramp helps her regain her sight and secures her future, only to meet her outside her successful flower shop in the film’s iconic closing shot. Film experts say the scene captures pure emotion and simplicity, showing Chaplin’s mastery of storytelling, performance, and camera work. British Film Institute lists and filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick and Orson Welles have praised City Lights for its artistry. The final moment, where the Tramp smiles at the flower girl, is noted for its subtlety and emotional depth. Chaplin’s careful framing and restrained performance made the scene powerful without dialogue. City Lights was Chaplin’s most expensive silent film, costing $1.5 million at the time, and required hundreds of takes to perfect key sequences. Despite challenges, it earned three times its budget and remains a benchmark for cinematic storytelling. Experts say the film’s influence can be seen in later movies, including The 400 Blows, Moonlight, and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., which echo the power of Chaplin’s final shot.   With inputs from BBC

The Golden Raspberry Awards, known as the Razzies, have announced their 2026 nominations, spotlighting films and performances judged as the year’s worst, a day before the Oscar nominations. Disney’s live-action Snow White and the science fiction remake War of the Worlds led the list with six nominations each, including worst picture, worst director, worst screenplay and worst remake, according to reports. Snow White also drew nominations linked to performances by Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, while its computer-generated dwarf characters were also singled out in categories such as worst supporting actor and worst screen combo. War of the Worlds, inspired by HG Wells’ classic novel, also received major-category nods, including worst actor and worst screen combo, the reports said. Other films mentioned among this year’s nominees include Hurry Up Tomorrow, Star Trek: Section 31 and Netflix’s The Electric State, which features Millie Bobby Brown. The 46th Razzie Awards results are set to be announced on March 14, one day before the Oscars ceremony, with winners chosen by more than 1,100 members of the Golden Raspberry Foundation.   With inputs from NDTV

Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has said he would not choose to remake Amitabh Bachchan’s classic film Don, arguing he has no creative regret about the script, and therefore sees no reason to rewrite it. The comments resurfaced as Akhtar recently disclosed that he was approached by the makers of Border 2 to rewrite songs from the 1997 blockbuster Border, but he declined, calling the idea a sign of “creative bankruptcy” and saying he did not want to create nostalgia. In an earlier interview, Akhtar said if he were to remake any of his own films, he would prefer one where he felt he had made mistakes and could improve it on a second attempt. Since he felt satisfied with Don, he said he would not remake it. Akhtar’s son and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar had earlier explained that he picked Don for a remake because he believed the film’s storytelling style and language were modern for its time and could fit easily in a contemporary setting. Javed Akhtar also said he would rather revisit other films where he felt the second half could have been stronger, naming Kaala Patthar, Mashaal and Arjun. Farhan Akhtar remade Don in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead, with Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor also featuring in the film.   With inputs from NDTV

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania says her new film about six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed during the war in Gaza, was made as a way to confront helplessness and bear witness to her story. Ben Hania said she decided to make the film after hearing an emergency phone call recording of Hind pleading for help while trapped in Gaza City in 2024. “They’re shooting at me. Please come get me. I’m scared,” the girl is heard saying in the recording, which forms the centrepiece of the docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab, released in UK cinemas last week. The two-time Oscar-nominated director said the recording deeply affected her and prompted her to pause another project she was working on. “It haunted me,” Ben Hania told the BBC. “I was angry, sad and felt helpless. I asked myself what I could do. I am a filmmaker, so I make films.” She said the project was a way “not to accept, to bear witness” and to ensure Hind’s voice is heard beyond borders. Hind Rajab was travelling with her family when their car was hit during Israeli military operations in Gaza. Several relatives were killed. Hind later spoke by phone with volunteers from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, who tried to guide an ambulance to reach her. The ambulance was also struck, and Hind, her family members and two paramedics were killed. Independent investigations by Forensic Architecture, Earshot and journalists from Al Jazeera concluded that damage to the car and ambulance was consistent with Israeli tank fire. The Israel Defence Force said the case is still under review by its Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism. The film tells the story from the perspective of Red Crescent call centre workers in Ramallah who tried to keep Hind calm as they worked to secure a safe route for rescuers. It combines real audio from Hind’s final calls with a dramatized reconstruction using actors. Ben Hania said the film is “based on true events” and is intended to provoke empathy rather than serve as an investigation. “Cinema can do something better, which is provoking empathy,” she said. The film has received strong reactions from critics and audiences, including a record 23-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It has also been nominated for best foreign language film at the Golden Globe Awards and is shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination. Ben Hania said she hopes the film will ensure that Hind Rajab is not forgotten. “This is not just a story,” she said. “This is history in the making.”   With inputs from BBC

Legendary filmmaker James Cameron has once again addressed the long-running debate over the ending of Titanic, saying Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jack Dawson could not have survived by sharing the floating raft with Rose. Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Cameron said he was tired of being asked whether Jack could have lived if he had climbed onto the raft with Rose. “Don’t ask me about the raft, people,” Cameron, 71, was quoted as saying by People. The director, who won three Academy Awards in 1997 for writing, directing and producing Titanic, said the question has already been examined scientifically. He revealed that experiments were carried out to determine whether Jack could have survived the freezing Atlantic waters. Cameron said survival would have required highly specialised knowledge that did not exist at the time of the Titanic disaster in 1912. “If Jack somehow was an expert in hypothermia and somehow knew what science now knows back in 1912, it is theoretically possible, with a lot of luck, that he might have survived,” he said. “But the conditions were not met. There’s no way.” Cameron recently became the first director to deliver four films that crossed the 1 billion dollar mark at the global box office. Alongside Titanic, his Avatar franchise has also enjoyed massive commercial success.   With inputs from NDTV

Actress Jennifer Lawrence said she lost the role of Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood because some people online considered her “not pretty enough.” Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Lawrence said she was told the part was meant for her but eventually went to Margot Robbie. She added that internet comments may have influenced the casting decision. Lawrence also mentioned that she had previously turned down roles written for her, including a part in Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as a fading actor and his stunt double, whose lives intersect with Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski before the 1969 Manson murders.   With inputs from NDTV

Actor Akshaye Khanna will not be part of the upcoming Race 4, producer Ramesh Taurani confirmed. Speculation had grown after the success of Khanna’s recent film Dhurandhar, suggesting he might return to the popular Race franchise alongside Saif Ali Khan. Taurani clarified that the makers have not approached Khanna and have no plans to change the storyline to include his character, which ended in the first Race film in 2008. The producer also said that the cast of Race 4 has not been finalised. Rumours about Saif Ali Khan returning or Sidharth Malhotra joining the project were dismissed. The script is still under development. Dhurandhar, starring Akshaye Khanna and Ranveer Singh, has been a box office hit, earning Rs 871.90 crore domestically, and continues to perform strongly.   With inputs from NDTV

Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar continues its record-breaking run at the Indian box office, surpassing ₹871.9 crore in domestic earnings 43 days after its release. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy action thriller opened on December 5, 2025, and has been steadily raking in collections. On Day 43 alone, the film earned ₹2.1 crore, following a cumulative ₹869.8 crore over the previous 42 days, according to Jio Studios. Read more: The Raja Saab Box Office Day 8: Prabhas’ film earns Rs 3.50 crore The film’s weekly domestic breakdown shows strong sustained performance: ₹218 crore in Week 1, ₹261.5 crore in Week 2, ₹189.3 crore in Week 3, ₹115.7 crore in Week 4, ₹56.35 crore in Week 5, and ₹28.95 crore in Week 6. Bollywood veteran Suniel Shetty praised the performances, particularly highlighting Ranveer Singh’s nuanced portrayal. “Ranveer Singh is 100 out of 10… showing patriotism while restrained in another country is very difficult, and the audience believes it,” Shetty said. He also commended Akshaye Khanna, describing him as “10 out of 10.” Dhurandhar draws inspiration from major real-life events, including the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and Operation Lyari. Fans can look forward to Dhurandhar 2, scheduled for release on March 19, 2026, promising another chapter in the blockbuster spy thriller franchise. Source: NDTV Read more: Matthew McConaughey trademarks voice and image to block AI misuse

Prabhas’ latest release, The Raja Saab, which hit theatres on January 9, has continued to perform steadily at the box office. Directed by Maruthi Dasari and produced by IVY Entertainment and People Media Factory, the horror-comedy raked in Rs 3.50 crore on Day 8 (January 16), taking its total collection to Rs 133.75 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. The film saw a 34.88% occupancy in Telugu theatres on its second Friday, with evening shows drawing the largest crowds at 43.54%, followed by afternoon (37.57%), night (36.85%), and morning (21.57%) screenings. From Kantara to Coolie: The top 10 highest-grossing South Indian films of 2025 The Raja Saab follows an ordinary man, Raja Saab (Prabhas), who lives with his grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s. She believes her husband, Kanakaraja, will return from a long mission, and the story unfolds when Raja Saab meets a man resembling his grandfather, leading to a heartfelt and supernatural tale. The film’s ensemble cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, Riddhi Kumar, Boman Irani, Murali Sharma, Zarina Wahab, Samuthirakani, VTV Ganesh, and Prabhas Sreenu. Maruthi Dasari has also hinted at a sequel, revealing that The Raja Saab Part 2 will feature a completely new storyline within the horror genre, promising a fresh take for audiences. Source: ndtv Read more: Dhurandhar crosses ₹870 crore in India on Day 43; Ranveer Singh starrer continues box office domination