Nivin Pauly B'Day lineup / Kantara moves to Top 2 Indian Grosser// Kerala composer for Vijay Devarakonda

As actor Nivin Pauly celebrates his birthday, fans are celebrating the promise of what looks to be a monumental phase in his career. The upcoming year is loaded with a versatile lineup that audiences have been eagerly awaiting, signaling a brilliant new era for the star. While the slate is diverse, the biggest cheer is for his foray into the fan-favorite genres he has perfected. The fun begins with Sarvam Maya, a horror-comedy for Christmas 2025 that reunites him with Aju Varghese. Following this is the highly anticipated Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, a romantic comedy from the blockbuster Premalu team. Paired with Mamitha Baiju, this is the perfect Nivin Pauly entertainer that fans have been craving. But his artistic range doesn't stop there. He will showcase his intense side in the thriller Baby Girl, hitting theatres this November. His presence in Tamil cinema is also growing stronger, with director Ram’s unique romantic psychological thriller Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai releasing soon. In a massive future leap, he will also enter the Lokesh Cinematic Universe as the villain "Walter" in the 2026 film Benz. Capping off this powerful lineup is a high-budget political thriller directed by B. Unnikrishnan and backed by Gokulam Movies. His creative expansion continues beyond the big screen. Nivin is making his much-anticipated web series debut with Pharma, an intense drama exploring the world of medical representatives. As a producer, he also backs ambitious projects like the pan-Indian superhero film Multiverse Manmadhan and the Nayanthara-starrer Dear Students under his Pauly Jr. Pictures banner. Nivin Pauly is masterfully balancing the genres he is celebrated for with bold new challenges. For his legions of fans, this birthday marks the exciting beginning of a festival of cinema.

Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 Box office data War 2 For the first week, Kantara Chapter 1 sets the milestone this year, and within 10 days, it surpasses Coolie’s full run collections and emerges as the top 3 grosser for this year in Indian movies. Tomorrow the film will cross Saiyaara and will settle at the top 2, but to reach the top 1 position, the film needs to maintain a stronghold for at least another two weeks, as Chhaava, which is in the first place, collected 800 Cr gross. Kantara Chapter 1 joined the 500 Cr grossers’ club yesterday, becoming the 4th Indian film to do so in 2025, and today, by beating Coolie’s lifetime gross (520 Cr), it became the biggest South Indian grosser this year as well. On the opening day and 1st weekend, Rajinikanth’s Coolie maintains a big lead over Kantara Chapter as it had the biggest opening and biggest weekend for Indian cinema this year. But after the weekend the film crashes, whereas the Kantara prequel maintains a strong hold.Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 Box office data War 2 For the first week, Kantara Chapter 1 sets the milestone this year, and within 10 days, it surpasses Coolie’s full run collections and emerges as the top 3 grosser for this year in Indian movies. Tomorrow the film will cross Saiyaara and will settle at the top 2, but to reach the top 1 position, the film needs to maintain a stronghold for at least another two weeks, as Chhaava, which is in the first place, collected 800 Cr gross.

Vijay Deverakonda’s new film with Ravi Kiran Kola of Raja Vaaru Rani Gaaru was formally launched with a pooja ceremony. For the first time in her career, Keerthy Suresh is sharing screen space with Vijay Deverakonda. Rowdy Janardhan is the title. According to the latest buzz on social media, Malayalam music composer Christo Xavier will make his Tollywood debut with Rowdy Janardhan. Christo Xavier is known for films like Bramayugam, Turbo, and Sookshmadarshini. An official confirmation is awaited. The project will be bankrolled by ace producer Dil Raju under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. Apart from Rowdy Janardhan, Vijay also has a film with Rahul Sankrityan of Taxiwala fame, and the project is now in the production phase.

Nani to Join Karthi Marshal / Mithran to Direct Naga Chaitanya

 

Nivin Pauly, Nani is set to  join Karthi’s Marshal. Read https://dhakshinscreen.blogspot.com/2025/07/nivin-pauly-with-karthi-29-sai-to.html . Kollywood’s versatile actor Karthi has joined hands with director Tamizh, who previously delivered the critically acclaimed film Taanakkaran, headlined by Vikram Prabhu. The collaboration was officially launched today with a traditional pooja ceremony. The principal photography has also commenced today.

Titled Marshal, the movie’s pre-look poster has been unveiled, showing Karthi with folded hands. The image also suggests that the story unfolds in a coastal region. Marshal marks the 29th film in Karthi’s career. Adorable beauty and terrific performer Kalyani Priyadarshan plays the female lead.

Veteran actors Sathyaraj, Prabhu, and Lal will be seen in pivotal roles. SR Prakash Babu and SR Prabhu are producing the film under the Dream Warrior Pictures banner. The latest musical sensation, Sai Abhyankkar, is on board as the music composer, while Sathyan Sooryan will handle the cinematography.

Tamil actor Karthi also has a good image among Telugu audiences. The Meiyazhagan actor was recently seen in Nani’s HIT-3’s Climax. Now, it is being said that Nani will make a special appearance in Karthi’s film.

Karthi’s busy right now with two movies: ‘Vaa Vaathiyar’ by Nalan Kumarasamy and ‘Sardar 2’ by P.S. Mithran.

As per the latest update, Chay is reportedly in talks with acclaimed Tamil director PS Mithran for an exciting new project. This news has been making the rounds for the last two days. Known for his intelligent storytelling and gripping screenplays in films like Irumbu Thirai and Sardar, Mithran is set to collaborate with Chay for a social drama, as per the gossip.

If all goes well, the film will mark a fresh genre for Chaitanya, who is exploring diverse roles post-Thandel. Stay tuned for more updates. Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s Thandel was released in theaters this February and received positive reviews. Thandel received a blockbuster TRP upon its first television premiere.

The World Television Premiere of Thandel was on June 29 on ZEE Telugu, and the film got 10.32 TRP.

This is too good a rating, and it stands as the top 3 this year behind Sankranthiki Vasthunam and Pushpa 2: The Rule.

Directed by Chandoo Mondeti, Thandel brought superb accolades for Chaitanya, while Sai Pallavi also impressed everyone with her heartfelt performance. Their on-screen chemistry, last seen in Love Story, worked in this movie too.

Thandel received a blockbuster TRP upon its first television premiere. The film’s music, scored by Devi Sri Prasad, is the major highlight after the lead pair. The film also features Divya Pillai, Prakash Raj, Aadukalam Naren, Jabardasth Mahesh, and Babloo Prithiveeraj in supporting roles.

Nivin Pauly with Karthi 29 / Sai to compose for Shane Nigam Tamil- Malayalam

Nivin Pauly to join Karthi who  is set to star in his 29th film, tentatively titled Marshal, directed by Taanakkaran fame Tamizh. The film is rumored to be a high-budget sea adventure, with shooting expected to take place along Tamil Nadu’s coastal regions. Vadivelu is reportedly part of the cast, while Kalyani Priyadarshan is in talks for the female lead. Produced by Dream Warrior Pictures, an official announcement is expected soon. Nivin Pauly is playing antagonist in Benz with Raghava Lawrence in the lead. After charming audiences with Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum (PAV), director–editor Akhil Sathyan is back, this time casting Nivin Pauly as the star of Sarvam Maya. Slated for a December release, Sarvam Maya introduces a spectral twist to the festive season. Preity Mukundan and Riya Shibu join Pauly as the female leads, while veterans like Aju Varghese, Janardanan and Vineeth add gravitas to the ensemble. Screenwriter Raghunath Paleri also steps in front of the camera,

Director Girish AD is returning to the director’s chair with Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, a new Malayalam film starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju in lead roles. Produced by the powerhouse trio Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, and Syam Pushkaran under their Bhavana Studios banner, this project marks the filmmaker’s second collaboration with the production house after the sensational success of Premalu. The film is expected to go on floors in September.

Sai Abhyankkar, the 20‑year‑old composer whose independent tracks Katchi Sera and Aasa Kooda topped charts with over 200 million YouTube views, is making his Malayalam debut with Balti, starring Shane Nigam and directed by Unni Shivalingam. The collaboration was officially confirmed via an Instagram post, showing Sai in the studio, receiving a package from the Malayalam Film Industry welcoming him, instantly triggering celebrations among fans. Shane Nigam’s 25th project and weaves a tightly wound story of chaos and camaraderie set around a kabaddi-player protagonist . With Sai Abhyankkar taking music reins, audiences can look forward to a score that blends emotional ballads, high-energy rhythms, and indie-pop freshness, capturing both the grit of the sport and the intimacy of its characters.

Produced by Santhosh T. Kuruvilla and Binu George Alexander under STK Frames, and shot by Alex J. Pulickal, For Shane Nigam too, Balti is more than another film, it’s a statement. A sports-drama steeped in youthful energy matched with a progressive, pop‑infused musical score is just the kind of fresh voice Malayalam cinema is currently celebrating. A bilingual in Tamil the film lead actress is Preethi Asrani and Shanthanu plays a pivotal role.

Chiyaan Vikram Producer is Nivin Pauly heroine / HIT 2 Story Copy Case / Lal Drishyam 3 Official

 

Riya Shibu a 20-year-old young producer from Tamil cinema, is now playing the lead opposite Nivin Pauly in the film directed by Akhil  Satyan.  Her brother is Actor Hridu Haroon who has acted in Tamil film Thugs and in the Internationnally acclaimed film All We IagineShe already proved her talent as an actress, producer, and distributor. She recently produced Veera Dheera Sooran, starring Vikram, with actress Dushara Vijayan as the female lead and SJ Surya as the villain. Actor S. J. Suryah also lauded Rhea, calling her the backbone of H.I.R. Pictures and predicting a bright future for her as the successor of her father, renowned Kollywood producer and distributor Shibu Thameens. He humorously remarked that he wasn’t sure whether to call her a heroine or a producer. Her father  distributed blockbuster films like RRR, Don, Vikram, and Jigra while also producing movies like Puli, Inkokkadu, and Saamy 2.

In addition to handling her production responsibilities, she is also pursuing her studies at Loyola College in Chennai.

Actor Nani's film HIT 3 directed by Sailesh Kalanu which hit screens on May 1 has found itself in trouble several weeks after its release.

The film is now hitting headlines for alleged copyright infringement. Writer Sonia Vimal has filed a petition in the Madras High Court, claiming that HIT 3 borrows from her unpublished work Agent 11 and Agent V.

HIT 3 Faces Legal Trouble After Madras High Court Issues Legal Notice

While Soniya describes herself as an admirer of Nani, she states that the film's original story was taken from her scripts. She had submitted drafts of her work as part of the legal evidence.

Madras High Court has issued notice on a the writer's plea alleging that the movie starring Nani is an unauthorised adaptation of her story. The notices read “HIT: The Third Case (HIT 3) was an adaptation of her registered script and to permanently restrain the respondents from assigning any further rights of the movie and from committing any further acts of infringement."

Soniya had also asked for rendition of accounts of the profits made by the movie and for payment of damages and compensation at the rate of 20 percent

Soniya had submitted that he had written the original script and had registered it with the South Indian Film Writers' Association on 4th August, 2021. She said that she had sent the synopsis of the original script to Nani on 8th August, 2022, with an intention to collaborate and work with him. However, there was no response.

We had reported how Drishyam 3 will be Mohanlal’s first Rs 300 crore film . Read : https://southfilmy.blogspot.com/2025/06/dhanush-kubera-more-awaited-than-aamir.html .Malayalam superstar Mohanlal is all set to reprise his iconic role as Georgekutty in the much-awaited Drishyam 3. The actor made the official announcement on June 21 via a teaser video shared on Aashirvaad Cinemas’ YouTube channel and his social media platforms. Directed by Jeethu Joseph and produced by Anthony Perumbavoor, the third instalment will begin filming in October 2025.

First look at Georgekutty in Drishyam 3

The 40-second teaser offers a thrilling glimpse of what’s to come. It opens with a close-up of Mohanlal as Georgekutty—calm, intense, and ever-protective of his family. The teaser then cuts to behind-the-scenes footage, showing the actor with the director and producer. As the screen fades to black, text flashes: "Lights, camera, October." The caption of the video reads, "October 2025 — the camera turns back to Georgekutty. The past never stays silent. #Drishyam3."

 

Lokesh as hero pooja today / Priyanka Mohan- Nivin Pauly in Benz / Karthi Sardar 2 Hindi Prologue clicks

 Sources said that Lokesh Kanagaraj’s debut film as a lead kicks off with a pooja today. The film will be directed by Captain Miller Arun Matheswaran, and the shooting begins in a week. The movie will be produced by Lokesh Kanagaraj himself under the G Squad banner, along with Passion Studios and The Route banners. 

Lokesh Kanagaraj frequently shows up on screen in the movies that he directs. His appearance in ‘Master’ with Thalapathy Vijay thrilled fans, and he also appeared in the music video for ‘Inimel,’ written by Kamal Haasan. 

More Details about LCU Benz launched yesterday.Latest addition is Priyanka Mohan

Raghawa Lawrence will play the lead role, while Madhavan and Nivin Pauly play crucial roles. Now, actress Priyanka Mohan joins LCU, as she will play the lead actress in Benz.

The film will have a big craze among audiences as it is an LCU project, and they are waiting for more details of the movie. Lokesh directed all three films of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, but for the first time, an LCU film was directed by another filmmaker. The story, screenplay, and production will be done by Lokesh Kanagaraj.

The film is titled Benz, and it was announced long ago but was delayed. Finally, Benz Film’s official pooja ceremony was done, and the shoot started yesterday. Directed by Bhagyaraja Kannan, the film’s music will be composed by Sai Abhyankar.

 Karthi is pushing his boundaries to deliver a pan-Indian success with Sardar 2. If Sardar 2 ends up as a successful venture for Karthi, it may open up a new market for him in North Indian states.Sardar 2 is in the final stages of shooting, and the team is aiming for a Diwali release. This movie is being developed as a pan-Indian project, and the team has now officially released the prologue in Hindi.

Karthi has more sequels in the pipeline than most Indian actors currently. Besides filming ‘Sardar 2’, a sequel to his hit spy thriller Sardar, he has also committed to ‘Kaithi 2’, the highly anticipated sequel to the Kaithi blockbuster by Lokesh Kanagaraj.

Adding to the excitement, there’s buzz around sequels to Karthi’s earlier hits like ‘Khakee’. While there were initial talks of a sequel to ‘Kanguva’, the film’s poor performance at the box office may have shelved those plans for now. However, fans were thrilled to spot Karthi in the climax of ‘Hit 3’, which unofficially hints that he will take the lead in ‘Hit 4’, further cementing his role in the growing Hit universe.

Nivin Pauly walked out of set to join another / Nakshatra Indrajith Lalanna on MUBI

 Did Nivin Pauly walk away from his commitment to shoot for a film that he had agreed to and that too in the middle of the shoot ?. Producer Listin Stephen sparked a controversy by accusing a major star from the Malayalam film industry of committing a grave mistake. It was during the launch event of Dileep's upcoming film Prince And Family on Friday that Listin levelled the accusations. Without naming the actor, he said, "I've been in the Malayalam film industry for around 15 years and worked on quite a few films. A prominent actor has now ignited the sparks of a major controversy by committing a grave mistake, which should have been avoided. He must be listening to this, so I'm reminding him not to continue with it. If he repeats, it will lead to bigger repercussions."

It is widely speculated on social media that Listin's comments were directed at actor Nivin Pauly for abandoning the shoot of their ongoing film Baby Girl and joining the shoot of Akhil Sathyan's film. The actor is yet to respond to the allegation

Nivin Pauly was once expected to be the next superstar of Mollywood. Many believed he would reach the stature of Mohanlal and Mammootty. However, over time, he seemed to lose his box office appeal. His last commercially successful film was back in 2019, a significant fall from grace. 

Actor Indrajith and Prithviraj Sukumaran's niece Nakshatra Indrajith  portrayal in Lalannas song of the titular character earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Critics Choice Awards. is now available to stream on MUBI. Written and directed by Megha Ramaswamy, the 34-minute film first premiered in 2022 and has since garnered international attention on the festival circuit. Set over the course of a seemingly ordinary evening, Lalanna’s Song follows two women attending a child’s birthday party. What begins as a routine social gathering descends into a surreal and unsettling psychological experience, triggered by the enigmatic presence of Lalanna, a young girl whose haunting song carries ominous undertones.

Megha Ramaswamy's atmospheric short smoothly melds the everyday with the uncanny to portray women's routine experiences.

Starring Parvathy, Rima Kallingal and Nakshatra Indrajith, LALANNA'S SONG is now streaming on MUBI

Nakshatra Indrajith  portrayal in Lalannas song of the titular character earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Critics Choice Awards. is now available to stream on MUBI. Written and directed by Megha Ramaswamy, the 34-minute film first premiered in 2022 and has since garnered international attention on the festival circuit. Set over the course of a seemingly ordinary evening, Lalanna’s Song follows two women attending a child’s birthday party. What begins as a routine social gathering descends into a surreal and unsettling psychological experience, triggered by the enigmatic presence of Lalanna, a young girl whose haunting song carries ominous undertones.
Megha Ramaswamy's atmospheric short smoothly melds the everyday with the uncanny to portray women's routine experiences.

Starring Parvathy, Rima Kallingal and Nakshatra Indrajith, LALANNA'S SONG is now streaming on MUBI