Siddhant Chaturvedi’s much-awaited action film Yudhra was released on September 20, 2024. It also stars Malavika Mohanan in the lead, which marks her debut in Bollywood, the film also features Raghav Juyal, Gajraj Rao, Ram Kapoor, Raj Arjun and Shilpa Shukla, among others.

The action film had a promising start at the box office and collected Rs 4.52 crore on its opening day at the domestic box office, the makers said on Saturday. “Its never-before-seen action sequences have captivated audiences, resulting in an impressive opening at the box office with a whopping Rs 4.52 crore,” the makers said in a press note.

Directed by Ravi Udyawar, the film is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment. Yudhra marks Siddhant Chaturvedi’s debut as a solo lead and his first venture into the action genre.

Speaking about the comparisons with Animal and Kill in terms of action, the actor told DNA, “We were ahead of the curve in 2019 when I signed the film. But the pandemic happened and we couldn’t get the international crew to shoot here. Logistically, Logistically we couldn’t start. By that time we saw there were a lot of action films coming out. But none of it is similar or in the same zone. A lot of people might compare it but you can’t. When you watch this film, you’ll realise it’s a totally different animal.”

In Yudhra, Siddhant plays the role of a man who struggles with anger issues and is later assigned to go undercover to bring down the powerful drug syndicate by Firoz (Raj Arun) and Shafiq (Raghav).

The Indian version of “The Night Manager”, starring Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Sobhita Dhulipala, has received a nomination in the drama series category at the 2024 International Emmy Awards.

“The Night Manager” was the only entry from India across 14 categories at the nominations that were announced on Thursday in New York by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The series, directed by Sandeep Modi and Priyanka Ghose, is adapted from both — the John le Carré’s novel and the British show, starring Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman.

“The Night Manager” will compete with French show “Les Gouttes de Dieu” (Drops of God), “The Newsreader – Season 2” from Australia and “Iosi, El Espia Arrepentido” season two from Argentina in the category.

Actor Anil Kapoor, who played the role of antagonist Shelly Rungta in the series, said he is “ecstatic” over the nomination, which is a “worthy reminder” that hard work always pays off.

“It’s just been brought to my attention that our Indian adaptation of ‘The Night Manager’ has been nominated for an International Emmy. I remember when the offer came in, I was conflicted. It offered me the opportunity to play a character so complex, but also, on the other hand, the huge responsibility of trying to add newness and authenticity to a part that had been played so masterfully by Hugh Laurie.

“This validation from the Emmys, in addition to the tremendous love that we have received from fans worldwide, is a worthy reminder that hard work always pays.. I am ecstatic and hungrier than ever before for what’s to come,” the actor said.

The International Emmys, to be held in New York on November 25, will be hosted by Indian comedian Vir Das, who won an award last year for his stand-up special “Landing”.

Nominees for International Emmys come from different countries such as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, India, Chile, Colombia, France, Japan, Germany and many others.

“Every year the international television community competes to be recognized on the International Emmys’ much coveted global stage,” said International Academy President & CEO Bruce L. Paisner.

“We congratulate the Nominees for their outstanding programs and performances, they are once again a testament to the universal appeal of great storytelling across all genres, countries and cultures,” Paisner said.

The other nominee categories are for best performance by an actor, actress, comedy, documentary, non-scripted entertainment, short-form series, sports documentary, telenovela, TV movie / mini-series, kids: animation, kids: factual, kids: live-action.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday (September 19) expressed displeasure over the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sitting “over the fence” in issuing certification to the Kangana Ranaut-starrer “Emergency” and asked the censor board to take a decision by September 25.

Noting that creative freedom and freedom of expression cannot be curtailed, the court said that the censor board cannot refuse to certify a film just over the apprehension of law and order problems. It questioned whether the CBFC thought that people of this country are so naive to believe everything that is shown in a movie.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises seeking direction to the CBFC to issue a certificate for the film “Emergency”.

“You (CBFC) have to take a decision one way or the other. You must have the courage to say this film cannot be released. At least then we will appreciate your courage and boldness. We don’t want the CBFC to sit on the fence,” a bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla said.

The movie was slated to release on September 6. However, the release was delayed following opposition by Sikh organisations including the Shiromani Akali Dal accusing that the movie was misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong. The HC, on September 4, refused to grant urgent relief and directed the CBFC to consider the objections by the Sikh community and then issue certification by September 18.

CBFC counsel Abhinav Chandrachud informed the bench that the board’s chairman has referred the movie to the revising committee for final decision. He added that there was an element of apprehension of public disorder.

However, Zee’s counsel, Venkatesh Dhond contended that this was done to ensure that the movie is not released before October, when the elections are to be held in Haryana.

Irked by the fact that the CBFC had failed to comply with its earlier order and simply passed the buck from one department to another, the HC said that the censor board cannot conclude that there would be a law and order problem and hence refuse to certify the movie. “This has to stop. Otherwise we are completely curtailing creative freedom and freedom of expression by doing all this… Does the CBFC think the public in this country are so naïve and stupid to believe everything they see in films? What about creative freedom?” the bench asked.

The judges wondered why people had become sensitive to what was being shown in movies. “We don’t see why people are so sensitive. My community is made fun of all the time in movies. We don’t say anything. We just laugh and move on,” Justice Colabawalla said on a lighter note.

Dhond submitted that the movie’s release was being delayed due to political reasons. Questioning the political angle, the bench asked if the petitioner claimed that the ruling party was against Ranaut, who is not just the co-producer of the movie but also a sitting BJP Member of Parliament.

However, Dhond said that the ruling party was willing to displease a sitting parliamentarian just to appease a particular section of society.

The HC has asked the CBFC to take a decision by September 25 and communicate the same to the filmmakers.