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P7as2

Maalik Box Office Day 1: Rajkummar Raos Gangster Gamble Stumbles Out Of The Gate

Rajkummar Rao’s latest cinematic outing, Maalik, marks a bold new chapter in his acting career as he dives headfirst into the gritty world of gangsters. With a strong supporting cast and a brooding trailer that promised violence, ambition, and transformation, the film had generated a fair bit of pre-release buzz. But as the curtains lifted this Friday, Maalik’s box office performance told a different story—one of a slow start, tepid audience turnout, and a long road ahead. Directed by Pulkit, Maalik hit theaters on Friday with expectations riding high, but it failed to make the impact many anticipated. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film opened with a modest collection of ₹3.35 crore on its first day. Despite Rajkummar Rao’s growing stardom and the allure of a gangster transformation, the film could not surpass the opening day numbers of his previous release, Bhool Chuk Maaf, which brought in ₹7 crore on Day 1. The 3.35 crore figure also lags behind The Diplomat, the John Abraham starrer, which earned ₹4 crore on its debut. Comparatively, it did manage to perform better than smaller releases like Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, starring Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor, which opened to a mere ₹32 lakh. The film’s performance across theaters mirrored its collection numbers. Maalik registered an overall Hindi occupancy rate of just 12.86% on Friday, a worrying sign for a film with a reported budget of ₹54 crore. The day began slow, with morning shows pulling in only 6.65% occupancy. Afternoon (11.12%) and evening (11.78%) shows saw slight improvement, while the night saw a minor peak at 21.88%. Interestingly, regions like Chennai (26.67%), Lucknow (24%), and Jaipur (22%) reported relatively better footfall. In contrast, major metropolitan markets like Mumbai (13%) and Delhi-NCR (14.25%), typically strongholds for mainstream films, failed to deliver significant numbers. This uneven distribution indicates that while some pockets of interest exist, Maalik has not yet resonated with the broader Hindi-speaking audience. Maalik didn’t just have to prove itself; it had to compete in a tightly packed release window. On the domestic front, Metro… In Dino, now in its second week, continues to hold its ground with a ₹2.25 crore Friday collection, pushing its total to ₹29.1 crore. Hollywood has also thrown two giants into the mix. Jurassic World Rebirth, in its second week, maintained its stronghold with ₹3 crore collected on Friday, with its overall total surpassing ₹58 crore. In the meanwhile, the recently opened Superman, a superhero tentpole, flew past with ₹7 crore on the opening day, double the amount Maalik could muster. With such tough competition, Maalik’s chances of climbing the charts will be completely reliant on favorable word-of-mouth and a healthy weekend push, something that’s becoming increasingly doubtful. There was plenty of intrigue around Rajkummar Rao’s foray into the gangster genre, a departure from the subtle, frequently middle-class characters that he’s familiarly played. Movies such as Shahid, Trapped, and Newton had made him a powerhouse actor. In Maalik, the challenge was different. It was not so much about giving a strong performance; it was about fitting into a larger-than-life persona that Bollywood gangsters insist upon. The supporting cast that included Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Swanand Kirkire, and Saurabh Sachdeva assembled a combination of old and new hands. Early reviews have been split, though. Critics and early audiences have indicated a lackluster plot, weakly developed characters, and spasmodic pacing as huge negatives. Rao’s performance has also drawn some notice, but even his turn seems to have been insufficient in transcending a poor script. With a budget of ₹54 crore for production, Maalik is in a tricky position. Day 1 returns indicate that the film will need to do well over the weekend and maintain the pace throughout the week to prevent becoming a box office failure. The divided opinions and tough competition at home as well as overseas only make it tougher. But Bollywood has had its turnarounds in the past too. Movies like Stree and Drishyam 2 had small openings but went on to become box office hits, fueled by good word-of-mouth. Whether Maalik can replicate such a miracle remains to be seen, but it will certainly need a drastic shift in audience sentiment to stay afloat. Maalik was Rajkummar Rao’s big swing at something grittier and more commercial. Unfortunately, the first signs suggest that the gamble hasn’t paid off, at least not yet. As Saturday and Sunday numbers roll in, the film’s fate will become clearer. For now, the gangster drama has found itself on the back foot, trying to claw its way up from a disappointing debut.

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Worldnews

Trump Says He Is Not Happy With Russias Putin, Considering Sanctions

US president voices frustration over the continuing war in Ukraine, says Vladimir Putin is ‘killing a lot of people’. United States President Donald Trump says he is not happy with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over the continuation of the war in Ukraine and suggests he is considering additional sanctions against Moscow. “We get a lot of b******t thrown at us by Putin,” Trump said during a meeting with his cabinet at the White House on Tuesday. “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.” Putin is “killing a lot of people” and a lot of them are his soldiers and Ukraine’s forces, Trump added. When asked about his interest in a bill proposed by the Senate for further sanctions on Russia, Trump said: “I’m looking at it very strongly.” But he refused to preview his plans further when asked whether he will act on his frustration with Putin. “I wouldn’t be telling you. Don’t we want to have a little surprise?” Trump told reporters. He then pivoted to discussing the lengthy planning for last month’s US strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump made the comments as French President Emmanuel Macron said in an address to the British Parliament that Europe will “never abandon Ukraine”. Macron stressed that the United Kingdom and France will work with a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine. “We will fight till the very last minute in order to get the ceasefire, in order to start the negotiations to build this robust and sustainable peace, because this is our security and our principles together which are at stake in Ukraine,” Macron said. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said his administration will send more weapons to Ukraine, adding that the new shipments would be primarily comprised of “defensive weapons”. According to US media reports, Washington had paused the transfer of certain missiles and munitions to Ukraine due to its dwindling weapons stockpiles. The Pentagon said it was conducting a “capability review” of US weapons. As a candidate, Trump promised to swiftly end the war in Ukraine. But so far, his diplomatic efforts – including several phone calls with Putin – have failed to stem the violence. Ukrainian and Russian officials met for direct talks in Turkiye in May and agreed to a prisoner swap, but the two sides have not been able to reach a temporary truce, let alone a lasting ceasefire. On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is waiting for Ukraine to propose possible dates for further negotiations. “As soon as dates are agreed – and we hope that it will be done – we will make an announcement,” he said. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks and has been slowly grinding its way forward along several parts of the Ukrainian front line in recent months. On Monday, it announced that it had captured the Ukrainian village of Dachne in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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9jamusic

Buying Concert Tickets With Crypto: How Non-custodial Wallets Keep Your Funds Safe

The pandemic is long gone, and you can roam freely around music festivals and concerts. Now, you can see music events adopting new, exciting technology, such as AI-controlled lighting, sustainable venues, and cryptocurrency payments.  While digital currency is extremely convenient and secure, however using it can be risky. Utilizing solutions like ? personal non-custodial crypto wallet gives you extra protection for your funds when you pay for concerts. Let’s find out in detail what a crypto storage with non-custodial technology is and how to use it to guard your transactions from hacks and scams. Custodial vs Non-custodial wallets A non-custodial wallet is a cryptocurrency storage where you are a sole proprietor of the the private keys or the seed phrase used to gain access to your funds that are stored on the blockchain. Non-custodial wallets are also sometimes referred to as self-custody wallets. This means that the private keys are stored on the device or a piece of software locally and only you have access to them.There are various types of non-custodial wallets: Hardware – where a seed phrase is stored on a device non-connected to the internet; Software – where the seed phrase is stored locally on your devices secure store, but it may be connected to the internet; Paper – write down your seed phrase on a piece of paper (not very secure); Metal –  inscribed on a metal card – safer than paper, but still not secure, as anyone can read it if they got hold of it;; Sound – record your seed phrase as a sound track, may be secure, but very inconvenient Regardless of the type, it is very difficult for a hacker to intrude on your crypto with cold non-custodial storage, as unlike standard custodial solutions, where the connection is done through third party mediators, this wallet is fully autonomous. All of these solutions are perfect for long-term savings, but only software and some hardware wallets are designed for convenient withdrawal of funds as well as  for secure payments online.   How to Purchase a Ticket with a non-custodial Wallet As a music fan who attends concerts and festivals fairly often, you should have access to your crypto to pay for tickets. Non-custodial wallet app from IronWallet ensures you have money when needed and that it is stored safely in a secure part of your device and encrypted with your password at all times. To buy a concert pass with such a wallet: Choose the type of non-custodial wallet app that suits your needs .Transfer your funds from a cryptocurrency exchange to the wallet. Make sure the wallet is properly secured (e.g., by using a recovery phrase together with a PIN or a password). Confirm the balance after you are done with the transfer to make sure the funds in your non-custodial wallet are available for  spending. Pay for the pass using a QR code or by pasting the destination wallet address provided by the seller company.  Remember never to share your seed phrase with anyone, as it is the only way to access your wallet, keep it secure and make sure you have a backup in case your device stops working or is misplaced. Crypto in Music: Security Should Come First New tech continues to impact the music industry non-stop, and most concert halls and companies are now accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Using it to pay for tickets is convenient and a lot safer than traditional payment methods, but it can also pose certain risks. To eliminate the possibility of hacking and malware, use a personal non-custodial wallet. This solution protects your funds from cyber threats. Thus, you can focus on what truly matters—enjoying your favorite artists live.

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Worldnews

LIVE: Fluminense Vs Chelsea 0-2 FIFA Club World Cup Semifinal

All our updates, including our full text commentary stream as Chelsea beat Fluminense 2-0 in their New Jersey semifinal. Follow Al Jazeera English:...