Asian Games Forced To Apologise After Anthem Blunder In South Korea Match

Asian Games organisers offered "deepest apologies" on Saturday for playing the North Korean national anthem for the South Korean men's hockey team. South Korean officials were left angered by the latest mishap to hit the Nagoya-Aichi Games, which officially opened after a troubled build-up. At their Friday contest against Bangladesh, South Korea's players lined up for the traditional playing of the anthems, only to look bemused as North Korea's song rang out. Organisers then played Bangladesh's anthem and later the South Korean one, the South's Yonhap news agency said. South Korea went on to win 5-0.

"During the men's hockey match between (South) Korea and Bangladesh on September 18, an incorrect national anthem was mistakenly played before the match," the Asian Games organising committee told AFP on Saturday.

The statement said that, on Friday, "officials responsible for (National Olympic Committee) relations visited the delegation of the Republic of Korea and offered their sincere apologies for the incident".

"We will also work to prevent a recurrence and would like to express our deepest apologies to all those affected by this matter."

A stadium announcer apologised for the blunder but Min Tae-seok, coach of South Korea, was unimpressed.

"This is a really serious problem. When we protested, they said, 'We're sorry. It wasn't that it wasn't prepared, there was a mistake on the part of those responsible for playing it'," he said.

"But this is something that simply should never happen."

The build-up to the Games has been overshadowed by complaints from teams about the quality and amount of accommodation.

Some teams were also stranded at the airport for up to six hours when they landed this week.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Toxic Vs Hanuman Ansh Box Office Collection: Spiritual Drama Scores Big In Week 6

Hanuman Ansh continues its phenomenal box-office run, with the devotional drama earning significantly more than Yash-starrer Toxic on Thursday. While Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 6.25 crore on Day 42, Toxic raked in Rs 14 lakh on Day 23 in India.

The devotional film earned a staggering Rs 6.11 crore more than the Yash starrer, highlighting its extraordinary staying power at the box office.

Hanuman Ansh Shows Sixth-Week Momentum

Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 6.25 crore net on Day 42, across 9,160 shows in India. The film's India net collection has now reached Rs 243.38 crore, while its India gross collection stands at Rs 287.40 crore.

The Day 42 collection represents a 4.2% jump from the previous day's Rs 6 crore, underlining the film's strong momentum even in its sixth week. With this the spiritual film raked an overall Rs 80. 25 crore on week sixth.

ALSO READ | Hanuman Ansh Crosses Rs 300 Crore Worldwide: Can It Overtake Yash's Toxic?

Overseas, the film collected Rs 1.50 crore on Day 42, taking its total overseas gross to Rs 21.75 crore so far. This pushes the worldwide gross collection to Rs 309.15 crore.

Hanuman Ansh recorded an overall occupancy of 19% on Day 42. Morning shows registered 7.92% occupancy, which increased to 17.46% in the afternoon and 22.08% in the evening. Night shows witnessed occupancy reaching an impressive 20.69%.

The film's performance is particularly noteworthy given its reported budget of around Rs 2 crore. Hanuman Ansh opened to just Rs 10 lakh on its first day but gradually gained momentum through positive word of mouth.

Toxic Day 23 Collection

According to Sacnilk, Toxic collected Rs 14 lakh net in India on Day 23, across 219 shows. The figure represents a decline from the Rs 13 lakh earned on Day 22. With this the film raked in Rs 1.39 crore in its third week.

With its Day 23 collection, Toxic's India net collection has reached Rs 249.63 crore, while its India gross collection stands at Rs 297.92 crore. The film's total overseas gross collection stands at Rs 341.67 crore.

The Hindi and Kannada versions continued to drive Toxic's domestic performance. The Hindi version earned Rs 4 lakh crore from 42 shows, meanwhile the Kannada version collected Rs 10 lakh from 177 shows.

Hanuman Ansh's Strong Run Despite Smaller Release

The comparison becomes more notable when the scale of the two releases is taken into account. Toxic was released across multiple languages and had a significantly wider theatrical footprint, while Hanuman Ansh built its box-office run gradually despite a much smaller initial release.

The trend was visible earlier in their theatrical runs as well. On Day 7, Toxic earned Rs 7.85 crore net from 12,894 shows. On the same calendar day, Hanuman Ansh, then on Day 26, collected Rs 8.50 crore from 7,008 shows, almost half the number of shows. Earlier comparisons also showed Hanuman Ansh posting higher daily collections than Toxic despite having fewer shows on their respective days.

ALSO READ | Hanuman Ansh Box Office Success: Meet Anupriya Nagar, The Young Producer Who Invested Her Savings

Directed by Geethu Mohandas, Toxic stars Yash, Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Akshay Oberoi and Sudev Nair. The film, set in post-independence Goa, was reportedly made on a budget of around Rs 500 crore.

Toxic released in Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, opened strongly at the box office, but its daily collections declined considerably after its opening week. Meanwhile, Hanuman Ansh, has continued to benefit from its extended theatrical run, with its Day 42 collection pushing its worldwide gross to Rs 309.15 crore.

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Multi-Decade Runway To Full Stack Control: Inside Lenskart's Global Playbook

Eyewear unicorn Lenskart is doubling down on rapid volume expansion and end-to-end supply chain integration, confident that a massive structural penetration deficit in emerging markets offers a multi-decade growth runway. Speaking at the Jefferies India Forum 2026, the eyewear's Founder and Chief Executive Officer Peyush Bansal reiterated that the company's priority remains solving vision correction at scale rather than optimizing for short-term profitability.

According to Bansal, Lenskart's primary market opportunity extends well beyond the current eyewear consumers to an estimated 700 million to 800 million individuals who require corrective lenses but remain undiagnosed or underserved.

ALSO READ: Lenskart Q1 Results: Profit Soars Nearly 4x As Margins Expand; Revenue Up 43%

The Structural Penetration Gap

Eyewear adoption in India and Southeast Asia continues to lag developed nations. In US, roughly 88% of people requiring corrective lenses wear them, compared to 35% in India and 40% across several Southeast Asian nations. Rising screen time, lifestyle shifts, and heightened eye-health awareness are expected to expand the addressable market well beyond conventional projections.

Given India's stark shortage of optical retail infrastructure relative to other retail sectors, the management plans to open thousands of additional retail outlets domestically. The brand's pricing architecture ranges from $5 entry-level frames to $500 premium offerings, positioning it to capture demand across diverse income brackets, according to the brokerage.

ALSO READ: Lenskart Has 10,000-Store Headroom, Global Expansion In Sight; Nomura Initiates With 'Buy'

Moats Built on Full-Stack Control

Bansal attributed Lenskart's defensive moat to a vertically integrated, full-stack model paired with aggressive technology deployment. By controlling design, manufacturing, testing infrastructure, and omni-channel distribution, the company maintains pricing flexibility while preserving product gross margins of approximately 70%, according to the brokerage.

Global expansion into mature and organized markets like Singapore and Japan is serving as both a top-line driver and an operational sandbox. Insights gained overseas in retail design, premium trends, and vision-care models are being channeled back into India, reinforcing the core domestic operation through localized, market-tailored formats.

ALSO READ: Lenskart Block Deal: Alpha Wave Ventures Likely To Sell Rs 1,313-Crore Stake, Floor Price Fixed

Margin Expansion to Follow Scale

Addressing profitability, management emphasized that operating leverage will follow scale. While near-term investments prioritize rapid store expansion and brand footprint, Lenskart maintains a long-term EBITDA margin target of 25%. Incremental catalysts, such as emerging insurance-backed vision-care coverage, are also projected to bolster adoption rates over time.

Following the discussion, brokerage Jefferies maintained an upbeat stance on Lenskart Solutions Ltd, assigning a price target of Rs 680 based on a 50x September 2028 estimated pre-Ind AS EBITDA multiple. The global brokerage cited slower broader industry expansion and intensifying retail competition as primary downside risks to watch.

ALSO READ: Lenskart's Bull vs Bear Case Comes Down To One Question: Is Its Growth Worth The Valuation?

Lenskart Q1 Results

Lenskart Solutions Ltd.'s net profit saw a 270% leap or 4x jump in its net profit to Rs 222 crore, according to financial results data for the first quarter of fiscal 2026-27. The firm's profit for the previous year was at Rs 60 crore.  The company's revenue was up 43% to Rs 2,714 crore, compared to Rs 1,894 crore in the year-ago period. The Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) saw a 76% jump to Rs 588 crore, compared to Rs 335 crore in the year prior. The Ebitda margin expanded to 21.7% to 17.7%. The first quarter of fiscal 2026 saw a one-time loss of Rs 10.4 crore.

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Flipkart Big Billion Days 2026 Dates Are Out: Bank Discounts, Deals Teased

Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale 2026 will commence in the second week of October, the e-commerce giant announced on Wednesday. Apart from this, a dedicated microsite for the sale event is now live in the country, teasing the bank discounts, special deals, and offers that will be available to customers when the sale begins. Additionally, the company has confirmed that the Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale 2026 will offer early access to Flipkart Plus, Flipkart Black, and Flipkart Credit Card members. The upcoming Flipkart sale event is expected to offer various electronics at relatively low prices from reputable global brands.

Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale 2026 to Begin on October 9

A dedicated microsite for the Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale 2026 is now live in India, which confirms that the sale event will begin on October 9. However, the e-commerce giant will offer early access to Flipkart Plus, Flipkart Black, and Flipkart Credit Card members, allowing them to get their hands on the deals on October 8. On top of this, the company has confirmed that the sale event will offer an instant discount of up to 10 percent with Axis Bank and ICICI Bank cards.

Apart from this, customers will be able to save 10 percent with the Flipkart Axis Bank credit card. During the upcoming Flipkart Big Billion Days 2026 sale, Super Money by Flipkart will offer a cashback of 10 percent on the first transaction. However, buyers will also be able to make payments via UPI and other payment gateways.

The Flipkart Big Billion Days 2026 sale will also offer special deals and discounts to customers. The sale will feature multiple events, including “Price Crash”, “BBD Specials”, “Tick Tock Deals”, “Brand Hours”, “Double Discount”, and “Rush Hours. More details are expected to be revealed as the commencement date of the sale event draws close.

While the e-commerce giant has yet to reveal the deals, the Flipkart Big Billion Days 2026 sale is expected to offer a number of electronics in different categories, smartphones, PCs, laptops, true wireless stereo (TWS), washing machines, smart home appliances, refrigerators, and smartwatches, at relatively low prices. The sale event is expected to compete with Amazon's upcoming sale event.

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Bethlehem Kudumba Unit: How A Rs 25-Crore Film Became Rs 300-Crore Blockbuster

Malayalam cinema has been having a wonderful run at the box office in recent times. In 2025, Lokah: Chapter 1 Chandra became the first Malayalam film to hit Rs 300 crores. This year, it is Bethlehem Kudumba Unit (BKU) that has grossed more than Rs 305 crore in just 25 days, making it Malayalam cinema's biggest box office hit.

Director Girish AD's romantic comedy, starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, is being hailed by both audiences and the film industry for alike for its refreshing story, superb performances and strong emotional connect. This film's extraordinary theatrical run has once again highlighted the growing reach and commercial potential of Malayalam cinema beyond Kerala.

But there is something particularly special about Bethlehem Kudumba Unit which has made this Rs 25 crore budget (reportedly) film rake in more than Rs 308 crore today.

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According to Sacnilk, by Week 1, the movie had crossed Rs 52 crore at the Indian box office while by week 2 it had grossed more than Rs 102 crore. By week 3, it had grossed around Rs 135 crore in India. Today, it has collected Rs 308.40 crore worldwide with India contributing around Rs 173.40 crore. The movie grew word-of-mouth week on week and while the Onam release got people into theatres, the good content has kept them there.

Onam is a very important festival for the Malayalam audience and filmmakers mostly tend to target families and the overseas Kerala audience. Being a festival and with several days off work, Malayalam audiences take the opportunity to celebrate and watch films with family and friends. And this is what Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has been able to tap into with its strong content.

Producer and National Award winner G Dhananjayan is of the opinion that Bethlehem Kudumba Unit was a film that cut across all age groups and unanimously touched everyone emotionally. "Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is a fresh story, which brought in a lot of energy, feel-good emotions and nostalgic memories for many people. For men, it's like hoping for such unconditional love from a young girl. The movie's story and emotions resonated with both men and women and hence, it became such a huge success. This is also the first time a love story has appealed not only to youngsters but also to the middle-aged and elders as the theme connected with all of them. Thus, there is such a huge response to the film," he explains.

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit was not a spectacle film nor was it a big-budget one. It also didn't have a larger-than-life premise or star-driven scale. Produced by Bhavana Studios (Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil, Syam Pushkaran), the romantic comedy was very family-oriented.

Director Girish AD took an unconventional premise - the story of a young college-going woman who falls in love with a much older man - and narrated it with remarkable simplicity and emotional restraint adding some comic touches.

Rather than sensationalising the age-gap romance, the filmmaker presents it through a lens of tenderness, innocence and what can best be described as 'clean' emotions. This was one of the biggest factors why family audiences too appreciated the film and enjoyed the journey of Ashley (Mamitha Baiju) and Justin (Nivin Pauly).

In fact, this movie was Malayalam star Nivin Paul's biggest hit in his career and he credits it to family audiences. He told Variety, "This is my biggest hit so far. All credit goes to the team, especially director Girish AD. It was a wonderful script. The age-gap romance, the packaging, the humour... everything landed. Family audiences are the backbone of Indian cinema, in any language. If families like a film, ticket sales soar. Theatres are happy too - concession sales boom."

Director Girish AD is a director who has had numerous blockbusters to his credit like Thanneer Mathan Dinangal and Premalu. His stories and characters always resonate with the audience as he makes slice-of-life dramas with relatable characters and layers beneath an apparently simple surface. The story of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, for instance, was a set in a particular neighbourhood and Girish brought in the residents living next to Ashley and Justin as highly relatable characters whom the audience could emotionally connect with.

This added more authenticity, warmth and humour to the setting and world that the director presented us. The director doesn't give us punch lines but unique behaviour patterns in flawed people that are humorous. For instance, Nivin Pauly in BKU attempts to create a heart with his hands but does it upside down because he's not familiar with Gen Z behaviour. And this act makes us giggle. Even the supporting characters (like the three sisters) are funny and have distinct but relatable personalities. Ultimately, Girish's understanding of human behaviour is what makes his films tick.

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is a modestly budgeted, content-driven Malayalam film and Girish AD found the one thing that is extremely difficult to create - a broad emotional connection in the form of an age-gap romance.

Also Read | "She's A Natural": Bethlehem Kudumba Unit Director On Being Proud Of Mamitha Baiju's Success

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Box Office: Hanuman Ansh Earns Rs 22 Crore, Crosses Rs 250 Crore Mark

Hanuman Ansh has continued to perform strongly at the box office in its sixth week. 

What's Happening

Per Sacnilk, Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 22.50 crore nett in India. 

The film recorded 54% overall occupancy across 8,902 shows. Its Sunday collection was 21.6% higher than the Rs 18.50 crore it earned on Saturday.

The film had earned Rs 10.50 crore on its sixth Friday from 5,743 shows, recording 38% occupancy. Its collection rose sharply on Saturday, when it registered 52% occupancy across 7,449 shows.

With the latest figures, Hanuman Ansh has accumulated Rs 214.63 crore in India net collections. Its domestic gross collection currently stands at Rs 253.55 crore.

The film earned Rs 5 crore overseas on Day 38, taking its cumulative overseas gross collection to Rs 14.50 crore.

Its worldwide gross collection has now reached Rs 268.05 crore.

Background

Hanuman Ansh did not have an easy run initially. After the release of the film, the arrival of movies such as Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2 saw its screen count fall to just 25. 

However, after Batwara 1947 failed to perform as expected, the number of screens for Hanuman Ansh gradually started increasing. 

The audience response also grew, with crowds thronging theatres to watch the film.

The relentless promotional campaign has taken a toll on director Vishal Chaturvedi's health. He is now returning to Mumbai. 

Speaking about his plans, Vishal said that Ganesh Utsav is beginning in Mumbai and that during the festival, he will visit different pandals to thank Bappa.

About Hanuman Ansh

Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh is a retelling of the life of Uttarakhand's revered saint Baba Neem Karoli, whose real name was Lakshman Narayan Sharma. 

The film, made on a budget of Rs 1.75 crore, follows a grieving young Lakshmi Narayan, who embarks on a spiritual journey in search of God after the death of his mother.

As he travels across North India seeking answers to life, death and human suffering, he eventually transforms into the revered saint Neem Karoli Baba, whose teachings of love, service and compassion touched countless lives.

The film stars Shobhinaw Satya in the lead role alongside Vihaan Shedge, Chandan K Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi, Gulshan Pandey and Bhagvandas Patel.

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Sooryavanshi On Verge Of Another 'Youngest' Record As India Face Afghanistan

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to break more records as India take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series, starting September 13. The 15-year-old is in line to play for India in the series, after winning the 'Player of the Series' award in his last international series against Zimbabwe. If he does play against Afghanistan, Sooryavanshi will become the youngest player from an ICC full-member nation to play international cricket in India. He will break Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman's record from 2018.

Mujeeb was 17 years and 78 days old when he played for Afghanistan in a Test against India in Bengaluru, in 2018. Sooryavanshi will comfortably break the record if he plays in the series.

Interestingly, Mujeeb and Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran are both among the youngest players to play international cricket in India, and both could be playing against Sooryavanshi in the series.

Sooryavanshi already holds numerous age-related records in international cricket. Earlier this year, he broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of being the youngest-ever to debut for India.

The 15-year-old is set to compete with the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan for a spot in India's high-quality and highly competitive T20I top order. Abhishek Sharma's spot at the top appears to be secure.

Kishan, who slammed a combined 350 runs across two innings in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final just a few days ago, could miss out due to an injury. India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer provided an update on the situation, ahead of the match.

"I feel that he's comfortable at the moment. I interacted with him after the practice session. It was just a small niggle, and he's been playing continuous cricket. We all know the knock he played, so definitely a bit fatigued. But today he got that rest, and I'm sure that he will be fine for tomorrow," Iyer said.

On his preferred team combination, Iyer said he wanted players to have clarity about their roles while ensuring they feel needed by the team.

"Every individual, rather than knowing the role, it is important that they should have the awareness that the team requires them," he said.

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