The Hindi-dubbed version of Pushpa 2: The Rule, starring Allu Arjun, has achieved an unprecedented milestone by crossing the Rs 700 crore mark at the Indian box office from its Hindi-language shows alone. Directed by Sukumar, the sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise has so far amassed Rs 704.25 crore in Hindi, setting a new record for Indian cinema.

The makers celebrated the achievement on social media, writing:
“Pushpa Raj introduces the 700 CRORE CLUB to HINDI CINEMA 💥💥 The FIRST EVER FILM to collect 700 CRORES in HINDI ✨ #Pushpa2TheRule collects massive 704.25 CRORES NETT in Hindi ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥,” in a post shared on X.

This milestone places Pushpa 2 in elite company, surpassing the previous records set by Hindi-dubbed and original Hindi films. A.R. Murugadoss’ Ghajini (2008) introduced the Rs 100 crore club, while Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots (2010) and PK (2014) raised the bar with Rs 200 crore and Rs 300 crore collections, respectively. S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2: The Conclusion broke further records, entering the Rs 400-crore and Rs 500-crore clubs. Earlier this year, Stree 2 became the first Hindi film to surpass Rs 600 crore domestically.

Box office performance

Pushpa 2 began its theatrical run with a staggering Rs 725.8 crore nett across all languages during its opening week. In its second week, it added Rs 264.8 crore, maintaining strong momentum. The third weekend saw collections of Rs 14.3 crore on Friday, Rs 24.75 crore on Saturday, and a massive Rs 33.25 crore on Sunday. With an additional Rs 13 crore on Monday, the domestic tally now stands at an astonishing Rs 1,075.6 crore nett.

The Hindi version alone contributed Rs 704.25 crore, while the Telugu version added Rs 309.7 crore. Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam versions brought in Rs 54.3 crore, Rs 7.4 crore, and Rs 14.05 crore, respectively.

The plot and cast

Picking up where Pushpa: The Rise left off, the sequel follows Pushpa Raj, played by Allu Arjun, as he expands his red sandalwood smuggling empire. The film also features Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, and Rao Ramesh in pivotal roles.

With its extraordinary box office success, Pushpa 2: The Rule has not only cemented its place in Indian cinematic history but has also set new benchmarks for future films to aspire to.

Delhi Police said it has arrested 11 individuals on Tuesday in connection with a gang involved in the illegal immigration of Bangladeshi nationals.

Among those apprehended, four are Bangladeshi citizens, while the others are said to have played a role in the production of forged documents, according to official statements.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan mentioned that the gang was discovered while investigating four suspects involved in a murder that occurred in Sangam Vihar on October 21.

The Bangladeshi nationals arrested include Midul Miyan, also known as Akash Ahmed, and Fardeen Ahmed, also known as Abhi Ahmed, along with their spouses. During questioning regarding the murder of Sentu Seikh, known as Raja, the suspects disclosed that Sentu had bullied them on trivial matters and that they had illegally entered India, where they had been living in Sangam Vihar for several years.

Authorities recovered several items from the suspects, including Bangladeshi national ID cards (chip-based NID cards) and birth certificates. Additionally, approximately 21 Aadhaar cards, four voter ID cards, and eight PAN cards were found at the residence of the murder victim.

A dedicated team led by Inspectors Umesh Yadav and Umesh Sharma, with oversight from ACPs Abhinendera Jain and Niraj Tokas, was assembled to investigate the illegal immigration matter, as stated by Chauhan.

During further investigations, police detained Sahil Sehgal, a 26-year-old who managed a computer center called “Poonam Online Computer Centre” in Rohini Sector 5. This center was reportedly involved in the production of Aadhaar cards and other documents using fake identities. Sehgal indicated that the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants approached him through the deceased Sentu Seikh.

Investigations revealed that Sahil utilised a fraudulent website named “Jantaprints.site” to create fake birth certificates, which he forwarded to an associate, Ranjit, for Aadhaar card processing.

Ranjit, who resides in Sector 7, Rohini, collaborated with Afroz, 25, an authorized Aadhaar operator at Karnataka Bank in Rohini Sector 5, to facilitate the unlawful creation of Aadhaar cards using counterfeit birth certificates.

Both Ranjit and Afroz were apprehended, leading to the discovery that the “Jantaprints.site” provided various forged documents—such as birth certificates, matriculation certificates, caste certificates, COVID certificates, and income certificates—at minimal prices, starting at Rs 7.

Payments for these fraudulent documents were conducted via Paytm QR codes linked to a phone number registered under Mohammad Chand. Technical surveillance resulted in the arrest of Mohammad Chand, 28, from Uttam Nagar, who was captured in Vikas Nagar, Delhi. He admitted to taking a 2% commission on the transactions and forwarding the remaining payments to Saddam Hussain.

Saddam Hussain, 33, also from Uttam Nagar, was arrested, unveiling further ties to the operation of “Jantaprints.site” led by his associate, Deepak Mishra. Saddam retained a 2% share of the payments before transferring the rest to Deepak Mishra.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in Christmas celebrations organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the metropolitan bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church took a jibe at him. This followed incidents in which activists from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal attacked a Christmas crib at a government school in Palakkad, Kerala.

The bishop of the Thrissur diocese shared a sarcastic and cryptic comment in Malayalam on his Facebook page directed at Modi and the BJP. His post read, “In some places, bishops are honored, and cribs are cherished. Here, cribs are destroyed. There must be a term in Malayalam for such behavior, right?”

These actions by local VHP activists, including the vandalism of a crib created by children in another Palakkad school, sparked widespread protests throughout Kerala. In response, the state government assigned a special police team to look into these incidents.

Additionally, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second-largest partner in Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), strongly condemned Modi’s participation in the Christmas celebrations in New Delhi, labeling it as a “drama of political hypocrisy.”

CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam stated, “While the PM was preaching about Christ and His love to cardinals and bishops in New Delhi, his ‘sangh bandhus’ were disrupting Christmas celebrations in Nallepilly and committing blasphemy.”

Viswam further suggested that if Modi was sincere in his message during the CBCI event, he should visit Manipur this Christmas to promote love and peace, questioning whether the PM would be willing to go.

During the celebrations on Monday, Modi expressed concern over the attempts to incite violence and disrupt societal harmony. At the event hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, he highlighted the need to strengthen the ideals of love, harmony, and brotherhood, in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

This was the first time a Prime Minister attended a program at the headquarters of the Catholic Church in India.