Movies
Panorama bets Rs 100 crore on Malayalam films with Nivin Pauly
MUMBAI: Panorama Studios International has struck a landmark partnership with Malayalam star and producer Nivin Pauly to back a slate of feature films with a cumulative budget of Rs 100 crore, signalling a sharper push into southern cinema.
The films will be produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak for Panorama Studios, alongside Nivin Pauly as producer. The multi-film slate will span genres, aiming to balance story-first narratives with mainstream appeal for Indian and overseas audiences.
Since its inception, Panorama Studios has built a reputation for marrying box-office heft with critical acclaim. Its filmography runs from Omkara to commercial hits such as Pyaar Ka Punchnama 1 and 2, Drishyam 1 and 2, Raid 1 and 2, and Shaitaan, with Drishyam 3 currently in production. The studio has garnered more than 50 major awards.
Nivin Pauly, one of Malayalam cinema’s most bankable names, is known for his range and script sensibility. He has won two Kerala State Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South, two Kerala Film Critics Association Awards and six Siima Awards.
“Malayalam cinema has consistently set benchmarks for storytelling and performance-led films,” said Panorama Studios chairman Kumar Mangat Pathak. “Partnering with Nivin Pauly, who combines credibility with mass connect, is a natural progression as we invest in meaningful cinema at scale.”
Calling the collaboration “extremely exciting”, Nivin Pauly said Panorama’s vision and commitment to quality aligned closely with the stories he wants to tell. “Together, we aim to create films that are rooted, entertaining and impactful,” he said.
The alliance underlines Malayalam cinema’s rising national and global pull, as deeper pockets and star power converge around content-driven filmmaking.
Hollywood
Did the ballet and opera controversy cost Timothée Chalamet his Oscar?
The actor’s ‘dying art forms’ comments may have danced away his Oscar chances.
LOS ANGELES: Last night, the 98th Academy Awards delivered a performance that wasn’t in the script, as Michael B. Jordan clinched the Best Actor statue, leaving Timothée Chalamet’s widely predicted win to pirouette away into the night. While Chalamet was long considered the frontrunner for his starring turn in Marty Supreme, many are whispering that a singular, ill-timed performance, not on screen but on the campaign trail, may have rewritten the finale.
For months, the narrative surrounding the race had a singular star, Chalamet, the critics’ darling and the bookies’ bet. However, the closing numbers saw a dramatic plot twist. Chalamet found himself upstaged not just by his fellow nominees but by the ghost of public opinion, following remarks he made during a Variety and CNN actor-on-actor conversation in February.
What started as a breezy discussion turned distinctly frosty when Chalamet, the conversation’s designated trendsetter, took aim at some classical institutions. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, where no one is interested anymore,” he said, before branding them “dying art forms.”
The backlash was swift and, unfortunately for Chalamet’s campaign, star-studded. For the film industry, an establishment that often fancies itself as the glamorous custodian of the high arts, the actor’s comments didn’t just strike a bum note. They sounded like a discordant symphony. Academy heavyweights, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg, publicly voiced their disapproval. Spielberg himself countered that the “cinematic experience” and classical performance are bound by a similar dedication to audience engagement, effectively suggesting that Chalamet’s view was perhaps a bit too modern for its own good.
The conversation quickly became a media maelstrom. In a masterstroke of high-culture clapback, renowned ballerina Misty Copeland didn’t just issue a statement. The Academy even choreographed a surprise performance by her for the ceremony itself, a powerful, wordless rebuttal that many saw as a direct riposte to Chalamet’s dismissive claims. Even regional arts institutions joined the choreography. The Seattle Opera offered a cheeky “TIMOTHEE” discount, granting a 14 percent markdown to prove that people do, in fact, care.
Did this cultural counterpoint truly cost Chalamet his win? While some industry insiders argue that Michael B. Jordan’s complex dual performance in Sinners, a performance that also swept the SAG Awards, had simply built up too much momentum, the timing of Chalamet’s comments was undeniably poor. Coming as final Oscar voting began, they arguably soured his narrative and made a vote for him feel, to some, like a vote against artistic unity.
Even the ceremony itself wasn’t finished with the narrative. Host Conan O’Brien, whose sharp tongue is a celebrated feature of these galas, didn’t miss a beat. “Security is extremely tight tonight,” O’Brien jibed during his opening monologue, glancing toward the front row. “I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities. They’re just mad you left out jazz!”
The laughter that followed was pointed, a final public curtain call for a controversy that Chalamet likely wished had closed weeks ago. Whether it was a case of genuine peer disapproval, a sudden surge in support for Jordan’s powerhouse performance, or simply a case of poor footwork on the campaign stage, the ballet and opera debacle has now cemented its place in Oscar history. Chalamet’s experience serves as a clear memo to future contenders. Even when you are the headline act, a solo performance can still fall flat if you forget to play to the entire house.
