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Sabdham Now Streaming on ZEE5 After Year-Long Wait

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Aadhi Pinisetty’s recent Tamil horror thriller Sabdham (Shabdham in Telugu) has finally made its OTT debut and is now streaming on ZEE5, more than a year after its theatrical release. The film was one of the most-awaited OTT releases for fans of South Indian horror cinema.

Star Cast and Director

Alongside Aadhi Pinisetty, the film also stars Lakshmi Menon, Simran, Laila, Redin Kingsley, and M.S. Bhaskar in crucial and supporting roles. Directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, known for Eeram (Vaishali in Telugu), the film was released in theaters on February 28, 2025.

The Delayed OTT Release Journey

The film, which revolves around the eerie power of sound, was originally scheduled to arrive on Amazon Prime Video on March 28, 2025. However, the release kept getting delayed for reasons not officially disclosed.

After more than a year from its theatrical premiere, Sabdham is now officially streaming on ZEE5. Fans who have been waiting to watch this horror thriller can finally experience Aadhi Pinisetty’s intense performance in the comfort of their homes.

For those looking for more OTT releases this week, ZEE5 continues to expand its South Indian content library with engaging titles across multiple languages.

Ustaad Bhagat Singh Struggles to Hit ₹100 Cr Mark

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Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh is facing a shocking situation at the box office, as the film is now struggling to cross the ₹100 Cr mark in its full run.

Weak Promotions Lead to Poor Opening

In recent times, most tier-1 star films have comfortably crossed ₹100 Cr–₹150 Cr gross, even without strong word of mouth. Only films that fail to generate interest due to weak promotions usually struggle to post numbers.

Ustaad Bhagat Singh has fallen into that category. The film failed to create minimal buzz before release, and the situation worsened after the poor word of mouth on opening day. At the same time, strong competition from Dhurandhar 2 has further pushed the film into a disastrous position.

Collections Breakdown: ₹83 Cr in 5 Days

The most surprising part is the current trend. In 5 days, the film has collected around ₹83 Cr worldwide, and it still needs about ₹17 Cr to reach the ₹100 Cr milestone.

However, the momentum is completely down. After the weekend, the film crashed heavily yesterday, with very minimal collections coming in. With this trend, even reaching the ₹100 Cr mark has become a challenging task for Ustaad Bhagat Singh, which is a shocking outcome for a film of this scale and star power.

Despite high expectations surrounding Pawan Kalyan’s return to the big screen, the film’s theatrical run is turning out to be one of the most disappointing performances in recent times for a tier-1 Telugu star.

Dhurandhar 2 Creates History: $1M Daily for 7 Days in North America

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Dhurandhar 2 continues its phenomenal box office run in North America, creating history with $1 million daily collections for seven consecutive days. No film has achieved such a remarkable streak in the region before.

Historic Seven-Day Streak

With Tuesday pre-sales alone crossing $1 million, Dhurandhar 2 has delivered $1M+ daily from Wednesday (premiere day) through Tuesday. This unprecedented seven-day streak establishes a new benchmark that surpasses all previous records set by Indian films in North America.

North America Emerges as Top Territory

North America has become the best-performing territory for Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The film crossed $15 million gross by Monday, setting a first-week record for any Indian film in the region. Building on the success of its predecessor's dominance in North America, the sequel is on track to become the all-time highest-grossing Indian film in the territory by its second weekend.

At the current pace, Dhurandhar 2 can easily reach $30 million in its complete theatrical run, potentially joining the elite club of highest-grossing Indian films in North America.

Mohanlal Moves Delhi High Court to Protect Personality Rights

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Joining the growing list of South Indian actors safeguarding their public image, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights against unauthorized commercial exploitation.

The veteran actor filed a plea seeking comprehensive protection of his name, image, voice, and likeness from misuse in AI-generated content, deepfakes, and unauthorized commercial advertisements. This legal move reflects the increasing awareness among celebrities about protecting their digital identity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Growing Trend Among South Indian Stars

Mohanlal joins a distinguished list of South Indian actors who have recently sought legal protection for their personality rights. NTR secured legal protection from the Delhi High Court earlier, setting a precedent for others. Similarly, Nagarjuna's rights were protected through court intervention.

Other prominent actors who have moved courts include Rajinikanth, Pawan Kalyan, R. Madhavan, and Mohan Babu. More recently, Kamal Haasan won a legal battle over his personality rights, reinforcing the importance of such protections.

About Personality Rights

Personality rights, also known as publicity rights, empower individuals—particularly celebrities—to control and prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation of their name, image, likeness, voice, or unique characteristics. In India, these rights are rooted in the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Courts have increasingly recognized these rights to stop misuse in advertising, merchandise sales, and AI-driven deepfakes. The rise of generative AI technology has made such legal protections more critical than ever, as celebrities’ likeness can now be replicated with alarming accuracy.

Drishyam 3 Postponed

Meanwhile, Mohanlal fans were disappointed when his much-awaited film Drishyam 3 was postponed from April 2, 2026 to May 21, 2026, pushing back one of the year’s most anticipated Malayalam releases.

Lenin Team’s Silence Raises Eyebrows on May 1 Release

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Akhil Akkineni, who has not had a solid hit in his career so far, put all his hopes on his upcoming film, Lenin, in which he dons a rugged look. Initially, the film was said to be set for a theatrical release on May 1st, but Lenin’s team is silent now.

No Updates on Promotions

The silence from Akhil’s Lenin team regarding the film’s promotions is shocking. There was a buzz that the film was planning to be released on May 1 if Peddi got postponed. But now, even though Peddi has a chance of getting delayed, it looks like Lenin won’t release on May 1.

Similar to how Salaar team's silence frustrated everyone, the Lenin team hasn’t revealed any promotional content, and the first single was released two months ago with no updates since then. The lack of communication is raising concerns among fans and industry watchers.

What’s Next for Lenin?

Looking at these developments, one wonders what release slot the makers are targeting for Lenin. After Akhil's Agent struggled with its theatrical release, the expectations for Lenin were high.

Directed by Murali Kishor Abburu, this rural-based film features Bhagyashri Borse as the female lead and is produced by Naga Vamsi and Nagarjuna. Fans are hoping the team breaks its silence soon and announces a clear release plan for the film.

Dhurandhar 2 Box Office: ₹785 Cr in 5 Days, Steady Weekday Hold

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The box office run of Dhurandhar 2 is going on a steady note after an extraordinary first weekend at the box office. The film showed solid hold on its first Monday, which means it will have a proper long run in theatres.

Day 5 Worldwide Collections

On Day 5, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is expected to collect around ₹90 Cr gross worldwide. After a record-breaking 4-day weekend, posting such numbers on a weekday without any festival clearly shows that the film is set to challenge Pushpa 2 and Baahubali 2 in its full run.

After shocking everyone with superb collections on the first weekend, Dhurandhar 2‘s 5-day worldwide gross is expected to be around ₹785 Cr, and the film is set to cross the ₹1000 Cr mark before the second weekend begins.

Strong Weekday Performance

The film’s ability to maintain momentum on a regular Monday—without the boost of any festival or holiday—indicates strong audience interest and positive word-of-mouth. This steady performance is crucial for long-term theatrical success and suggests the film has legs to sustain its run through the coming weeks.

Compared to other recent big-budget releases that saw disappointing second weekend drops, Dhurandhar 2 appears to be bucking the trend with consistent collections. The film’s trajectory points toward a potential entry into the elite club of highest-grossing films.

Race to ₹1000 Cr

With ₹785 Cr already in the kitty within just five days, Dhurandhar: The Revenge needs approximately ₹215 Cr more to breach the prestigious ₹1000 Cr milestone. Given its current pace and the upcoming weekend boost, the film is well-positioned to achieve this landmark before Day 10.

The steady weekday collections demonstrate that Dhurandhar 2 has transcended beyond just opening weekend hype to become a genuine box office phenomenon with sustained audience pull across all territories.

OG 2 and Devara 2: Do They Have the Craze for Massive Openings?

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The trend of franchise films or making sequels has been more relevant in the last few years. From Telugu Cinema, there are 2 sequels that are in discussion, but there is also a bit of uncertainty about what will happen. Those films are OG 2 and Devara 2.

Box Office Performance of OG and Devara

Both OG and Devara opened with very big numbers and registered some of the biggest openings in Tollywood. However, from Day 2 to the full run, neither film managed to sustain massive numbers. Comparatively, Devara had a better overall run and brought profits.

Still, both films ended by setting up a lead for their sequels. At the same time, OG and Devara did not fully satisfy all sections of the audience. Even after their OTT releases, the hype for the next parts hasn’t grown significantly.

Similar to other franchise films like KGF, the success of sequels depends heavily on how well the first part connected with audiences.

Will OG 2 and Devara 2 Create Pre-Release Buzz?

Now, the question is, do OG 2 and Devara 2 have the potential to create massive pre-release buzz like other successful sequels such as Pushpa 2?

While fans are expecting both films to open big like other successful sequels, the level of excitement among the general audience still remains a question. Unlike films that built strong word-of-mouth and sustained collections, both OG and Devara faced mixed reception despite their strong opening days.

The makers will need to create compelling promotional campaigns and deliver trailers that address the shortcomings of the first installments to build genuine excitement for OG 2 and Devara 2.

AA22 Update: Atlee Teases Fans with Powerful Lion Poster

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After a sensational blockbuster like Pushpa 2, Allu Arjun joined hands with blockbuster director Atlee for his next film, tentatively titled AA22. This massive budgeted film has already sparked a great amount of craze among fans, and the latest social media post from Atlee has teased fans about an update on AA22.

Atlee’s Mysterious Lion Poster

Atlee did not make any announcement, but he shared a picture of a powerful Lion, in which its face has been split into two contrasting halves—one side bright with a piercing blue eye, the other shadowed with a glowing amber eye. The dual-tone imagery has sparked intense speculation among fans about Allu Arjun’s character in the film.

He also shared an inspirational quote in the poster: “No one is you, and that’s your power.” The cryptic message has led fans to believe that AA22 might explore a powerful dual role or a complex character arc for the Pushpa star.

Birthday Update on the Way?

Fans are already piling up theories about the AA22 update with Atlee’s latest post. With a teaser reported to be released for Allu Arjun’s birthday on April 8, which is just 2 weeks away, the updates are expected to come one by one.

The film is being made on a massive ₹600 crore budget, making it one of the most ambitious projects in Indian cinema. With Atlee’s proven track record of delivering blockbusters and Allu Arjun’s pan-India stardom, expectations are sky-high for this collaboration.

Pawan Kalyan’s Team Shuts Down Rumors About His Next Film

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For the past few weeks, Pawan Kalyan rumors have been rife in film circles about the Power Star’s next film. Reports suggested that he was in talks with multiple directors and that new films were about to be announced. However, his team has now put an end to all such speculation with an official statement.

Official Clarification on New Projects

According to the clarification, Pawan Kalyan has not committed to any new film at present. The team emphasized that ongoing reports about fresh projects are inaccurate and that there are no immediate plans to begin new shoots. They further assured fans that any future developments will be shared only through official channels.

OG2 Updates to Come Directly From Pawan Kalyan

The statement also addressed speculation around OG2, noting that updates regarding the film will be shared personally by Pawan Kalyan himself at the appropriate time. This approach mirrors how the OG team has handled rumors in the past.

Though a film with Surender Reddy was announced earlier, for now, Pawan Kalyan remains focused on his political journey. The rumors about his next film are not true, and if any new projects are planned, they will be revealed only when he decides to make them official.

Simbu Sings for Suriya’s Karuppu, Refuses Payment

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Suriya’s upcoming film, Karuppu, directed by RJ Balaji, has faced numerous delays, and finally, the makers announced that the film will be released in theaters on May 14, 2026. While fans wait for the film’s promotions, a heartwarming gesture from actor Simbu for Suriya has gained admiration.

Simbu’s Friendly Gesture

Reportedly, Silambarasan TR (STR), popularly known as Simbu, has sung the opening song for Suriya in the film. The interesting part is that STR did not take any payment for this song. He did it in a friendly way for Suriya and also at the request of Sai Abhyankkar, who is composing music for the film.

This isn’t the first time Simbu has sung for other leading actors without charging a fee. Such gestures highlight the camaraderie among South Indian cinema stars.

Special Gift from Suriya

Even though STR didn’t take money, Suriya has given him a special gift as a thank you for the gesture. The nature of this gift has not been revealed, but fans appreciate the mutual respect between the two actors.

Karuppu Release Date

As mentioned earlier, Karuppu is set to be released in theatres worldwide on May 14, 2026. Despite facing various production challenges, the film is now all set for its theatrical debut. Fans are eager to hear Simbu’s voice in the opening song and witness Suriya’s performance in this RJ Balaji directorial.