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Hindustan Times
19-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Laid-off H-1B grad counts the days on borrowed time. Here's more to his ordeals
One recent graduate, after securing his first job on an H-1B visa, was laid off just a few weeks into the role. Now, nearly nine months later, he's still unemployed and clinging to hope on a temporary visa. After being laid off from his first job on an H1B visa, a 2024 graduate has struggled to find work for nine months.(X/@USAndIndia) The 2024 data science graduate told M9News that he's applied to over 300 positions since the layoff, but not a single job offer has come through. ALSO READ| India techie's F-1 visa 'Refused' for a this very reason, Redditor weighs in Laid-off graduate now battles immigration clock 'Every day feels like a countdown,' he said. 'I'm doing everything I can, but I'm running low on time, money, and hope.' Notably, after completing his Master's degree from a U.S. university and gaining internship experience, he landed a dream job. But only 30 days in, he was let go. 'I never thought my first job would only last 30 days. I feel stuck in limbo. There's no closure,' he admitted. 'I'm just surviving on borrowed time,' he sighed. Following the layoff, he used the standard 60-day grace period to try to find another job. When that window expired, and he had no offer of another one, he switched to the B2 visa, a temporary tourist visa, in an extreme measure to remain in the country legally and keep his job search. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has yet to review his application. 'Layoffs don't just end jobs—they uproot lives,' an immigration attorney told M9 News. 'And the current system provides no safety net.' ALSO READ| One family emergency away from losing your H-1B Visa? Indian techie's hidden fear US Visa ordeal stories like his aren't rare anymore Over the past year, waves of H1B layoffs have pushed thousands into a similar race against time. Many have already packed up and left. Like, one shared on Reddit, 'I was laid off in October 2024 (when my STEM OPT expired) and been jobless since.' 'I'm currently on an F1 visa doing my second Master's mainly to maintain my status (day 1 CPT). I'm 31 years old with quite a bit of my student loan left plus credit card debt that I am using to survive and continue studying after being laid off.'
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Theatre ceiling collapses on audience during screening of Dhanush, Rashmika Mandanna's Kuberaa
Jun 27, 2025 04:37 PM IST The ceiling of the Asian Mukunda theatre in Mahabubabad, Telangana, collapsed on the audience on Wednesday. The incident took place during the screening of Sekhar Kammula's Dhanush, Rashmika Mandanna, Nagarjuna and Jim Sarbh-starrer Kuberaa. Videos of the same were shared online on Thursday. The ceiling in a single screen theatre in Telangana broke and fell on the audience during the screening of Dhanush's Kuberaa. According to a report by Siasat, the ceiling collapsed on the audience at around 11:30 PM on Wednesday at Asian Mukunda. The audience ran out in panic. Two people suffered minor injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital. No major casualties have been reported. The Mahabubabad police told the publication that no case has been registered as the affected people came to a compromise with the theatre management. M9 News reported that the audience got into a scuffle with the theatre management for their negligence. The incident, said those re-sharing the video on social media, throws light on the plight of single-screen theatres in the Telugu states. One person wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'Guntur naaz complex lo kuda yepppuokasari ilane padipotudni. (Someday the ceiling in Naaz theatre in Guntur will also fall like this)' Another wrote, 'Producers have been saying in multiple interviews that they have to take care of single its just not theatres ..it's audience who has take care of themselves as well.' About Kuberaa Kuberaa is a crime drama written and directed by Sekhar and co-written by Chaithanya Pingali. The film that was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Tamil was produced by Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP and Amigos Creations. Devi Sri Prasad composed the film's music. In the film, Dhanush plays a beggar called Deva while Nagarjuna plays a former CBI officer called Deepak. Rashmika plays Sameera, and Jim plays a greedy businessman called Neeraj. Kuberaa marks Dhanush's debut in Telugu. As per Sacnilk, Kuberaa collected ₹ 67 crore net in India and ₹ 81 crore worldwide in a week.
India Today
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Game Changer producer blames himself for film's failure: I have 100 per cent regret
Six months after its release, Ram Charan's 'Game Changer' continues to make headlines, largely for the wrong reasons. Addressing the criticism surrounding the film's performance and length, producer Dil Raju confirmed that the original cut ran close to four and a half hours, and admitted his regret in not delivering a hit for the an interview with M9 News as part of the promotions for his upcoming film 'Thammudu', Dil Raju said, 'With big films and big directors, this problem is always there. Not just with this film or Dil Raju, this happens with most big films. The statement given by the editor that Game Changer was four and a half hours long is true. But because there is a big director directing the film, we can't interfere.'advertisementSpeaking about the challenges of handling such collaborations, he added, 'The problem is, if we interfere, it becomes a mess. If a mistake is happening, it is the producer's responsibility to stop it, which I didn't do. So I consider this my failure. I have to accept it, and I shouldn't mount a project like that with big directors.' Reflecting on lessons learnt, he said, 'If I am working with big directors, at least I should mention my points clearly in the contract, which I couldn't. I realised that's not my school. So I am slowly moving on.'On the pressure to meet expectations, especially after Ram Charan's global success with 'RRR', Raju added, '100% I have regrets. I emotionally felt bad, but it was not in my hands. This time, things went out of my hands, and I was not in a position to do anything.'advertisementHere's the trailer of Game Changer: Released during Sankranti amid sky-high expectations, 'Game Changer' underperformed at the box office. The high-octane political actioner marked acclaimed filmmaker S Shankar's Telugu debut and featured a star-studded cast including Kiara Advani, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, Jayaram, and Samuthirakani.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Dil Raju calls working with Shankar on Ram Charan's Game Changer a ‘wrong step': ‘It was my mistake….'
Ram Charan's much-hyped collaboration with acclaimed director S Shankar failed to strike a chord with audiences and critics alike. Touted as a political action drama with massive scale and expectations, Game Changer struggled at the box office following its release earlier this year. Now, in a candid interview with M9 News, veteran Telugu producer Dil Raju has opened up about the turbulent journey behind the film. Shedding light on the behind-the-scenes challenges, Raju spoke openly about the complexities of working with high-profile talent. 'When making big films with big directors, 100% problems are going to come up, not only for me but for almost everyone,' Raju admitted, emphasising the unpredictable nature of such large-scale productions. One of the more surprising revelations was about Ram Charan-starrer Game Changer's original length. Dil Raju confirmed earlier comments by editor Shameer Mohammed that the film initially ran well over seven hours in its rough cut. 'There was an editor's statement about Game Changer once having a runtime of four and a half hours. That is true, and such interference is bound to happen when working with big directors,' Raju acknowledged. The producer didn't shy away from taking personal responsibility for what went wrong. Reflecting on his decisions during pre-production, he called it a learning experience, and one that he owns up to. 'In my film career, I had never worked with such big directors like Shankar. Game Changer was my first wrong step. I should have clearly mentioned my points in the contract and moved into production, but I didn't. It was my mistake,' he confessed. Also Read | Game Changer editor calls working with director Shankar a 'terrible' experience: 'He would turn up 10 days late' Interestingly, just months after the release of the Ram Charan film, filmmaker-writer Karthik Subbaraj, who was once deeply grateful to director Shankar for allowing him to be part of the ambitious vision behind Game Changer, had claimed that the final story was entirely different from what he originally proposed. Subbaraj, known for writing and directing commercial successes like Pizza, the Jigarthanda franchise, and Petta, was credited with the storyline of Game Changer. However, in the wake of the film's disappointing box office performance, the filmmaker subtly distanced himself from the outcome, stating that the script and story were significantly altered due to the involvement of others. Game Changer featured Ram Charan in a dual role, alongside a star-studded cast including Kiara Advani, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, and Jayaram. The film carried sky-high expectations, particularly as it marked Ram's first major release since his international breakout in SS Rajamouli's RRR. Despite the lukewarm response to Game Changer, Ram Charan's career momentum remains strong. He is currently working on Peddi, a sports-oriented action drama directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The film, co-starring Janhvi Kapoor, Shivaraj Kumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyendu Sharma, is slated for a theatrical release on March 26, 2026. Looking further ahead, Ram is also set to reunite with director Sukumar for a project tentatively titled RC17. The film marks their second collaboration after the blockbuster success of Rangasthalam.
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Dil Raju reflects on Game Changer's debacle, calls producing Ram Charan film ‘wrong step': Working with big directors...
Shankar and Ram Charan's political action thriller Game Changer was one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. However, it failed to impress audiences and bombed at the box office. Earlier, the film's editor Shameer Muhammed expressed his disappointment about working with director Shankar, and now, the film's producer Dil Raju, in an interview with M9 News, has called producing Game Changer a 'wrong step'. Dil Raju opens about regrets of producing Ram Charan's Game Changer. Earlier, Shameer had revealed that when he was editing Game Changer, the film was 7–7.5 hours long and he reduced it to four and a half hours, but later another editor brought it down to 2.5–3 hours. Reacting to Shameer's statement, Dil Raju said, 'When making big films with big directors, 100% problems are going to come up—not only for me but for almost everyone. The editor's statement about Game Changer once having a runtime of four and a half hours is true, and such interference is bound to happen when working with big directors.' He further admitted his mistake of not signing a proper contract when working with a big director like Shankar, and said, 'It's a producer's responsibility is to stop it when something goes wrong but I couldn't stop it. That's my failure. I have to accept it and that means I shouldn't have taken such project. In my film career, I had never worked with such big directors. Game Changer was my first wrong step. I should have clearly mentioned my points in the contract and moved into production, but I didn't. It was my first mistake and I am accepting it and moving on.' Dil Raju further admitted regretting his decision to produce the film. About Game Changer Helmed by S. Shankar, the political action thriller featured Ram Charan in dual roles, alongside Kiara Advani, Anjali, S. J. Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, Jayaram and Samuthirakani in key roles. The film, which was reportedly mounted on a budget of ₹ 400 crore, opened to a mixed-to-negative response from audiences and critics, earning only ₹ 186.25 crore worldwide at the box office. It is now available to watch on Prime Video.
