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.
Hindi
Jio Studios, Sanjay Dutt team up to revive Khal Nayak
Rights acquired for new version, format under wraps as remake plans take shape.
MUMBAI: The villain is back and this time, he’s rewriting his own script. Jio Studios has partnered with Three Dimension Motion Pictures and Aspect Entertainment to revive the 1993 cult classic Khal Nayak, marking a fresh chapter for one of Bollywood’s most iconic anti-hero stories. The original film, directed by Subhash Ghai under Mukta Arts, was a commercial and cultural milestone, with Sanjay Dutt’s portrayal of Ballu becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most memorable performances.
Dutt, along with Aksha Kamboj, has now acquired the rights from the original creators, bringing on board Jio Studios and its President Jyoti Deshpande to steer the project creatively.
While the exact format whether remake, sequel, prequel, or a completely new narrative remains undisclosed, the collaboration aims to reinterpret the story for contemporary audiences while retaining the essence that made the original a defining film of the 1990s.
The move taps into a broader industry trend of reviving legacy intellectual property, particularly characters with strong recall value. “Khal Nayak” was notable for pushing mainstream Hindi cinema into morally grey territory at a time when heroes were largely one-dimensional, making Ballu’s character a standout.
The project also marks the film production debut of Aspect Entertainment, signalling a push towards more technology-led storytelling frameworks. Meanwhile, Jio Studios continues to expand its slate, having built a library of over 200 films and series, with more than 60 titles collectively winning 500-plus awards.
For Dutt, the revival is as much personal as it is strategic, a return to a role that reshaped his career. For the industry, it is another sign that nostalgia, when paired with scale, remains a powerful box-office proposition.
Because in Bollywood, some villains never fade, they just wait for the perfect comeback.
