The recently released American musical fantasy film Snow White, featuring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has witnessed a modest rise in collections on its second day at the Indian box office. The film, which hit theatres on March 21, opened to a lukewarm response in India, with mixed reviews from audiences and critics.

On day one, Snow White managed to earn Rs 0.65 crore, failing to cross the Rs 1 crore mark — a sign of its underwhelming performance in the Indian market. The overall English occupancy for the film stood at 8.02% on Friday, with Hindi dubbed shows recording an even lower 5.17% occupancy.

However, the film saw a slight improvement on day two, owing to the weekend footfall, collecting approximately Rs 1.19 crore on Saturday. This brings the film’s two-day total in India to Rs 1.84 crore, according to box office tracking platform Sacnilk.

North American performance and budget

Globally, Snow White performed significantly better. As per industry reports, the film grossed US$15.5 million in North America on Friday, which includes US$3.5 million from Thursday night previews. Despite this, it still faces a steep climb to recover its reported budget of US$250–270 million, although the makers haven’t disclosed the official production cost.

About the film

Directed by Marc Webb, the film is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The cast includes Rachel Zegler as Snow White, Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, along with Andrew Burnap, Martin Klebba, Ansu Kabia, and others in pivotal roles. The storyline follows Snow White’s journey as she allies with seven dwarfs to free her kingdom from her cruel stepmother.

With the weekend ongoing, Snow White may witness further minor growth, but early trends suggest the film is struggling to make a strong impact in Indian theatres.

As the IPL 2025 season progresses, one name continues to captivate fans and command attention — Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Despite retiring from international cricket in 2020, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) veteran remains one of the most iconic figures in the league’s history, stepping into his 18th consecutive IPL season.

At 44 years old, Dhoni is the oldest player in this year’s tournament, yet his presence remains as impactful as ever — both on and off the field. While questions remain about how long he’ll continue playing, CSK retained him under the uncapped player clause for the 2025 season, a nod to his influence even after five years away from the international scene.

Statistical dominance and unmatched leadership

Dhoni’s IPL stats underline his lasting brilliance:

5,243 runs (6th highest overall)

Batting average of 39.12, ahead of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Strike rate of 137.53, trailing only AB de Villiers and David Warner among top scorers

252 sixes, behind only Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma and Kohli

180 wicketkeeping dismissals – a record in the league

He also holds the records for most matches as captain (210) and most wins as captain (123), having led CSK to five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 victories. These numbers, combined with his calm leadership and match-winning abilities, have cemented his place among cricket’s elite.

Evolving role in the team

Last season, he played a string of strategic cameos, offering impactful knocks and guiding CSK with his sharp game sense. Under the impact player rule, Dhoni may now feature selectively — adding flexibility to the squad while continuing to be a mentor and behind-the-scenes leader. His presence is also commercially vital, with his appeal driving massive brand value for both CSK and the IPL.

As former teammate Robin Uthappa put it, “Write off Dhoni at your own risk. We could still see some old magic.”

Bigger than numbers: Dhoni’s cultural impact

Beyond the numbers, Dhoni’s “helicopter shot”, quick stumpings, and cool-headed decisions under pressure have made him a legend. His contribution to Indian cricket, including three ICC titles as captain and a transformative impact in Test cricket, has drawn comparisons with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Kapil Dev.

As the tournament unfolds, speculation remains around whether this will be his final IPL season. But for now, CSK fans are soaking in every moment — cheering for a man whose career continues to inspire across generations.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has directed its Mariani MLA, Rupjyoti Kurmi, to issue a public apology for his unruly and abusive behaviour in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday. The directive came from BJP’s Assam unit president Dilip Saikia, following widespread backlash over Kurmi’s conduct during a heated exchange with Opposition members.

Kurmi, who got angry during a discussion on the Public Works Department (PWD), allegedly threatened to break an Opposition MLA’s microphone, used abusive and caste-laced language, and charged towards the Opposition benches, targeting Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, suspended Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed, and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia. Assembly marshals intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.

The deputy Speaker Numal Momin later expunged the unparliamentary remarks and asked Kurmi to apologise, but no suspension was imposed. The BJP state unit, however, found Kurmi’s actions to be “against parliamentary traditions” and advised him not to repeat such conduct in the future.

Political fallout and damage control

Kurmi, a former Congress MLA who switched to the BJP in 2021, has represented the Mariani constituency in Upper Assam since 2006. Party sources suggest that the BJP’s prompt move is a damage-control measure, aimed at minimising fallout in Upper Assam, particularly ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections and the 2026 Assembly polls.

A BJP watcher noted that the party faced unexpected defeat in the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat, partly due to controversial statements by party MLAs. The leadership now wants to avoid any further damage caused by public misconduct.

Opposition slams selective action

Akhil Gogoi, one of the MLAs involved in the verbal clash, accused the Assembly Speaker of bias. In a post on X, he questioned why Kurmi was spared suspension despite attempting to physically confront fellow MLAs, while he himself had been suspended previously for merely demanding an investigation into alleged corruption.

Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia also condemned Kurmi’s abusive behaviour. However, voices within the Congress have criticised the party’s muted and delayed response, noting that only limited protests were held and senior leaders remained absent from public action or digital campaigns. Some party insiders believe this could weaken the Congress’s position in an election year.”