Mumbai: Vikrant Massey’s latest film, The Sabarmati Report, continues to face significant challenges at the box office, despite being declared tax-free in multiple states. The film, based on the politically charged Godhra riots, has failed to attract a large audience.
Directed by Dheeraj Saran and written by Avinash Singh Tomar and Arjun Bhandegavkar, The Sabarmati Report was released in cinemas on November 15. However, its box office collections have fallen far short of expectations. According to early trends on Sacnilk, as reported by The Indian Express. the Vikrant Massey starrer collected Rs 1.25 crore on its fifth day, taking its total five-day collection to Rs 8.75 crore. The film’s daily collections have been inconsistent, with Rs 1.25 crore on day one (Friday), Rs 2.1 crore on day two (Saturday), Rs 3 crore on day three (Sunday), and Rs 1.15 (Monday) crore on day four.
Despite its politically charged narrative and widespread praise from top political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, the film has failed to make a significant impact. Recently, Vikrant Massey shared a picture with UP CM Adityanath on social media, expressing gratitude for the appreciation received during their meeting. “Today got an opportunity to meet Hon’ble Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Their appreciation has inspired the entire team of #TheSabarmatiReport. Heartfelt thanks for this respect and affection,” Massey wrote in his post.
In a bid to boost the film's performance, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini recently declared The Sabarmati Report tax-free in the state. Other BJP-ruled states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh had already granted the film tax-free status, but these efforts have yet to translate into a substantial rise in box office numbers.
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Bengaluru, Nov 20: ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Wednesday highlighted the need to manufacture car sensors domestically instead of relying on imports.
Speaking at a session on space technology and defence during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which also saw the launch of the Draft Karnataka Space Tech Policy, Somanath emphasised the importance of cost-effective production.
He pointed out that while India invests significantly in producing rocket sensors, the high production cost of car sensors makes domestic manufacturing less viable.
“For car sensors, viability is achievable only if production costs are low and manufacturing is scaled up,” he said.
Somanath called for greater industry collaboration to address this challenge and noted that policy interventions like those unveiled at the summit could provide a solution.
He praised the 2020 space sector reforms and the Space Policy of 2023 for creating an ecosystem conducive to private sector growth.
“There is a lot of interest in the sector. I hear from many aspiring to build the next SpaceX in India,” he added.
Highlighting progress, Somanath mentioned that five companies are currently building satellites, with many enhancing their capacity to develop subsystems for rockets and satellites. However, he identified a lack of major players and insufficient investment in upstream space capabilities as key challenges.
“To address this, we are focusing on developing downstream capabilities, which can generate demand and eventually attract upstream investments. I believe this model will work well for the nation,” he explained.
Somanath also stressed the role of technology transfer in enabling private sector participation, saying, “Many technologies developed within ISRO are now accessible to industries for further development into products, services, or software.”
The session featured other notable speakers, including B K Das, Director General of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), and Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States.
Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister for IT, Biotechnology, Science and Technology, and Ekroop Caur, Secretary to the Government, Department of Electronics, IT, and Biotechnology, also participated.
Kharge stated that the draft policy envisions Karnataka capturing 50 per cent of the national space market and establishing itself as a global hub for space technologies.