After gaining a following of his own for his role in 

, actor Hridhu Haroon will soon be seen in his own solo Tamil film, 

. He had previously acted as the lead in the Malayalam film 

 first look features the actor holding a microphone as both his sides are lined with various musical instruments, such as a guitar, keyboard, trumpet and saxophone. His appearance also suggests that he could be playing the role of a star performer, capable of playing all of these instruments. The look also hints at a comedic tone, apart from the musical setting. He also appears to be smoking two cigarettes at once in this poster. It is designed in the form of an Instagram post, and what adds to the intrigue is the caption on it, which reads, “Your Hate Is My Fame. Your Troll Is My Tune.” The hashtag on this post reads, “Controversial Music.” 

 is written and directed by Selvah Kumar Thirumaran, who earlier made the Tamil film 

. The musical entertainer is set against the urban backdrop of Chennai, and it stars Hridhu and Samyuktha Vishwanathan (

Hridhu Haroon, Fresh Off ‘Dude’, Starts Work On 'Texas Tiger'

Marvel Studios has unveiled its third teaser trailer for 

, delivering one of the MCU’s most highly anticipated moments yet: the return of legacy X-Men characters Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen), and Cyclops (James Marsden). While Marvel has begun incorporating X-Men characters in recent years through appearances in 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

 is poised to be their most significant integration into the MCU yet. 

Anchored by a haunting voiceover from Magneto, the trailer opens at a deserted Xavier Institute. “Death comes for us all,” he says, as the camera lingers on the aftermath of its destruction. A plaque for Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters lies on the ground, covered in dust, implying a fall from their former glory. We then see our first glimpse of Charles Xavier in his iconic wheelchair, sitting across from Magneto, a chessboard between them. The two are seen clasping one another’s hands, with a twinkle in their eyes, signalling their reunion, and a callback to their long, complicated history. 

This quiet moment is disrupted by the teaser’s most striking scene. Cyclops falls to his knees on a rugged battlefield. In a moment charged with grief and rage, he rips off his visor, releasing a powerful optic blast into the sky. For many fans, Marsden’s return is one of 

 most exciting reveals yet, particularly after his contentious ending in 

 Seeing him at full power feels like redemption.

Although the eponymous Doctor Doom himself remains to be revealed, it is clear that the return of the X-Men is this teaser’s real highlight. Following Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox, 

 successfully positions the X-Men as key drivers in the MCU.

 is currently slated for theatrical release on December 18, 2026.

'Avengers: Doomsday': New Teaser Reveals Long-Awaited X-Men Return

One of the biggest Indian films of the year is set to deliver something audiences haven’t seen before and 

, the much-anticipated mega release headlined by 

 star Yash, features Kiara in a visually audacious act inspired by the world of Cirque du Soleil.

Kiara will be kicking off 2026 with the Geetu Mohandas directorial, which features her playing Nadia. Sources reveal that the actor underwent extensive training with an international team to prepare for her role, which demanded a combination of physical precision and emotional depth to achieve—what has been billed as—a performance-driven spectacle.

According to sources, for the Cirque du Soleil-inspired act, international artists were flown in to work closely with Kiara, designing and rehearsing an act aimed at creating a “visual that has not been seen before in Indian cinema, to make it at par with global scale and give a cinematic experience.”

"Kiara’s character is said to be fearless, raw and intoxicating, blending grace, strength and intensity, making her screen presence powerful in the film," sources added. 

The role, insiders add, demanded an all-consuming commitment from the actor, which she had previously described as her "toughest one yet."

Taking to Instagram shortly after her first look was revealed, Kiara had said, "Months of hard work, one fearless leap. To see this first look receive so much love means everything. Grateful beyond words.”

Geetu Mohandas had hailed her act in the film, stating, "As a director, I am deeply proud of her and for the performance she has delivered, and for the faith and heart she brought into our shared journey."

has been filmed simultaneously in Kannada and English, with dubbed versions planned in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and other languages. The film, also starring Nayanthara, Rukmini Vasanth, Huma Qureshi and Tara Sutaria, is slated for a grand theatrical release on the long festive weekend of March 19, coinciding with Eid, Ugadi, and Gudi Padwa.

Exclusive | Kiara Advani's Character in Yash's 'Toxic' Inspired by Cirque Du Soleil

Somewhere between faith, fatigue and instinct, 

, director Ankit Sakhiya revealed that the film’s most famous dialogue—the scene in which Laalo turns to Krishna and asks, 

—was never written into the script. It emerged organically on set, improvised in the moment by actors Karan Joshi and Shruhad Goswami. “That dialogue was improvised. Truly. It wasn’t written in the script,” Sakhiya said, recalling the emotional beat that has since become the film’s defining line.

The moment cuts to the core of the film’s central idea: Krishna not as a distant, thunderous deity, but as a friend who is approachable, conversational, and human.

What is striking is how simply it arrived. Sakhiya explained that the actors were only told they needed to respond honestly in that beat. There was no written cue and no attempt to “stage” faith. Instead, instinct took over, allowing the emotional arc of the characters to guide the exchange. Sakhiya also credited the actors’ theatre training for trusting the flow of the moment rather than shaping it for effect or emphasis.

The line’s resonance has grown alongside the film’s unlikely box-office journey. Released with minimal promotion, the Gujarati film became a word-of-mouth success and is now set to reach a wider audience with its Hindi-dubbed release on January 9.

In the same conversation, Sakhiya spoke about the film’s stripped-back, almost “school-project” approach to filmmaking—shot on a single camera, built with limited resources, and sustained largely by belief. But it is the improvised line that best captures what the film has come to mean for audiences: not spectacle, but intimacy; not performance, but presence. For a film rooted in sincerity, it feels fitting that its most enduring sentence was not manufactured. It was discovered.

The Most Famous Line in ‘Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate’ Was Never in the Script

Samantha Ruth Prabhu's anticipated next film is 

, a Telugu feature that will reunite her with director Nandini Reddy. On January 7, the makers of the film released a new poster, introducing Samantha's character. The actress, seen in a simple cotton sari, looks ahead with steely eyes in the middle of an empty bus. 

 will be connecting with y’all," Samantha wrote on Instagram, captioning the poster. The film will be directed by Nandini Reddy and created by Raj Nidimoru, produced under Samantha's Tralala Moving Pictures. The film's teaser and trailer will be out on January 9. 

The film reunites the star with director Nandini Reddy after their 2029 hit 

The Telugu feature is produced by Samantha, Himank Duvvuru and filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, who was seen holding the clapboard in one of the pictures shared by the actor. The crew of the film had held the muhurat ceremony in Hyderabad on October 2.

In an earlier statement, Samantha had said 

is a film that spoke "straight" to her heart. "To be producing and acting in it under Tralala Moving Pictures feels deeply personal.. It's a story rooted in love, belonging, and strength, and I'm thrilled to be collaborating once again with Nandini Reddy, someone whose vision I trust implicitly. As a producer, it's exciting to shape stories that reflect our lives and emotions with honesty and warmth," she had added.

also stars Gulshan Devaiah and Diganth, along with veteran actor Gautami and Manjusha. Samantha, who was last seen in 

 (2024), in which she had a special appearance, got married to Raj Nidimoru in a private ceremony in Coimbatore in November last year. 

'Maa Inti Bangaaram': Samantha Ruth Prabhu Gets A Fierce Look In New Poster

Just days before the release of what it touted as 

, director Vikraman shared a hitherto unseen song from his 2002 film 

. The song features Vijay and Laila and the clip is made up of tiny stretches of the song, which doesn't appear to have been fully restored. Vijay had famously left this project, and the film (and the song) were then completed with Suriya. The film, released in 2002, went on to become a hit. 

As he shared the clip of the older version of the song, director Vikraman urged fans of both stars to not compare both versions as they are great performers in their own right.  

Sharing the song, Vikraman wrote, “The song ‘Ennai Thaalattum’ from the film Unnai Ninaithu was recently sung by students in Sri Lanka and went viral on social media. I had originally filmed this song featuring Thalapathy Vijay, and those memories came rushing back. In that moment, I happened to find an old video cassette related to this song. The video has quality issues, but I am sharing it here for your viewing.” 

Apart from Laila and Suriya, the final version of the film also starred Sneha, Ramesh Khanna, Charle, R.Sundarajjan and Ramji. The film’s music was by Sirpy. It was later remade into Telugu by Vikraman as 

, which went on to become a television blockbuster when it was remade later in Hindi with Amitabh Bachchan. 

, Vikraman, the writer and director of the Tamil version, said he believes the film (

) is made up of core values and emotions that will not age. “These appeal to audiences from all parts of the country, and if you watch the five versions (Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Bengali), you’ll notice how little each new iteration deviates from the original,” he said.

Vijay’s Version Of 'Unnai Ninaithu' song from 'Ennai Thalattum' Released After 24 Years

In what appears to be another push to make 

 a truly global release, the SS Rajamouli film, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, got a teaser launch in Paris recently. The teaser was launched 

 Late last month saw a massive launch of the film’s title, which also featured a short clip introducing viewers to the timeless world of the film. This event took place in Hyderabad. The Paris screening further amps up expectations of the film. 

 had become a global phenomenon during the pandemic, with the film going on to attract a new audience when it dropped on Netflix. This further led to a set of special screenings of the film internationally, including in the United States and in Japan. 

, which was released on a grand scale in Hyderabad last year, features fantastical glimpses of various places and spaces, such as Antarctica, Varanasi, and Kenya, across time periods, including 512 CE, 2027 CE and the Threthayuga, hinting at a possible time travel drama. The teaser ends with Mahesh Babu charging ahead on a ferocious bull, amidst the background of the pilgrimage city of Varanasi. The clip sees the Telugu superstar clad in a blood-soaked shirt with a signature Nandi pendant (which we saw in earlier posters) draped around his neck. One also can't miss the trishool he's holding in his hand, as the camera pans to the front to give us a full view of the frame.

The looks of Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran were released in December as part of the film's promotions. Chopra is Mandakini in the poster, draped in a bright yellow saree, standing precariously on the edge of a cliff while firing a gun—the visual subverts the typical portrayal of commercial film heroines, blending classic style with high-octane action. Sukumaran plays Kumbha, the ferocious antagonist. 

SS Rajamouli’s 'Varanasi' Teaser Screened In Paris 

Two days to go for the release of Vijay’s final film, 

, directed by H Vinoth, and the film’s censorship certificate has still not been issued. According to a report in 

, the Madras High Court will take a call on actor Vijay’s movie release today. The Judge, upon hearing a petition, has asked the additional solicitor general representing the CBFC (Central Board for Film Certification) to submit all the records of the movie, including any complaints filed against it, today, Wednesday, two days before the film’s planned release. 

Whether the film will be released on the scheduled date or if it will be pushed will be based on the Court’s decision today. The film's producers had earlier approached the court, citing a delay in the issuance of the Censorship certificate, the same report added. 

, the Sivakarthikeyan film releasing on January 10th, also faced similar issues as it attempted to obtain the Censorship certificate. The film is said to have been granted a UA certificate yesterday after the delay. 

’s trailer has amassed over 40 million views so far, and it includes several statements suggesting his entry into full-fledged politics. It even ends with a line, “I am coming,” hinting at his political entry and how it will change things in his home state of Tamil Nadu. Jana Nayagan is being released a day before Parasakthi, which also comes with its share of politics. It is set in the 50’s and 60’s and has themes that relate to Hindi imposition.

Directed by H Vinoth and produced by KVN Productions in its first Tamil outing, 

 features Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol, with Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain and Priyamani in supporting roles. The film was initially announced in September 2024 under the working title 

, denoting Vijay’s 69th outing as a lead actor, with the final title revealed earlier this year. 

Filming began in Chennai in October 2024, followed by schedules in Payanoor and subsequent shoots back in the city, before wrapping in August 2025. The technical team includes composer Anirudh Ravichander, cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan and editor Pradeep E Ragav. The film is slated for a Pongal release on 9 January 2026.

Vijay’s 'Jana Nayagan' Faces Censorship Hurdles 

at least in the early release department. Filmmaker Jeethu Joseph has confirmed that the third and final instalment of the successful 

will release in the next few months, even as the 

wrapped filming last month and is in post-production. Speaking at an event in Kochi, Joseph revealed that the film is gearing up for a grand worldwide release in April this year.

is a movie that has influenced lots of people. I still bear the impact of it. So, without too many expectations, you may watch the movie in the first week of April in the theatres. The release date will be officially announced soon," the filmmaker said.

has closed its pre-release distribution sales at a whopping cost of ₹350 crore

which is ₹50 crore more than the total collection of Kalyani Priyadarshan’s 

, currentky the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time. 

released in 2013 and emerged as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time. It was then remade in several languages across the world, including a hit version in Chinese as well as Hindi, which starred Ajay Devgn and Tabu.

While the Malayalam version is locked for an April 2026 theatrical outing, the Hindi version will release in cinemas on October 2. The Hindi version also stars Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, Kamlesh Sawant, and Rajat Kapoor. Initially, actor Akshaye Khanna was also onboard the filn, before he exited the project.

Director Abhishek Pathak, who had also helmed 

, returns to direct the film and has also co-written the script with Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh. After its Mumbai schedule, which began last month, the Hindi version of Drishyam 3 will begin filming in Goa from January 8, with the schedule expected to continue till the end of February.

'Drishyam 3’: Jeethu Joseph Confirms Release Window for Mohanlal’s Malayalam Version

After a film takes off, the next question is almost always the same. What about the numbers? What about the pressure? What about living up to the last success?

But for director Ankit Sakhiya, the conversation around 

 whether he was nervous about the film’s Hindi release, Sakhiya didn’t hesitate. “No nervousness,” he said. If one insists on talking in figures, he acknowledged that the Gujarati version of the film has already crossed 

120 crore. But he was quick to steer the discussion away from box-office arithmetic. For him, the Hindi release is not about proving anything—it is about reach.

“This is not just about showing figures, this is about getting the message to people,” he said. The film’s spiritual core, he insisted, is not bound to a single region or audience. “Krishna doesn’t belong to us alone. He belongs to the whole world,” Sakhiya said, adding that even someone “on Mars” could recognise what the story is about.

That shift in thinking, Sakhiya suggested, has changed the team’s sense of responsibility. They never imagined the film would grow this big. Now, the focus is no longer on labels like hit or flop, but on how far the film can travel. “Our only aim is that people watch the film,” he said.

He described it as moving beyond the industry’s favourite binary. “We’ve moved beyond hit-flop now. The film has already become a hit,” Sakhiya said. What comes next is an invitation rather than a target. “Watch it, celebrate, talk about it,” he said, summing up the spirit of the release with a line that felt like a direct appeal to audiences: “Krishna came to meet you. Now you come meet Krishna.”

The Hindi release, he explained, is only the first step. The plan is to expand the film into multiple Indian languages—Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and more—before gradually taking it beyond India. Japan and China, he said, are part of the long view, markets where audiences might recognise the film for what it represents. “So people can say, look, this is an Indian film.”

For Sakhiya, the goal is not to chase milestones. It is to carry 

‘Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate’: Director Ankit Sakhiya Says the Hindi Release is About Reach, Not Numbers

There's no cooling-off period after a blockbuster, especially if it's by a formidable filmmaker-actor duo. 

has learnt that an ambitious reunion between 

and Dhanush might be on the cards, with the possibility of the duo exploring a large-scale period action romance mounted on an epic canvas.

The pairing of Rai and Dhanush, which has grown into one of the most exciting creative alliances in recent years, may be back for another feature after the huge success of their last collaboration, 

While details remain tightly under wraps and no official announcement has been made yet, sources suggest that the project, if it materialises, will mark a "significant evolution" of their creative partnership. 

"The intent is to blend emotion with spectacle - staying true to Aanand L Rai’s signature storytelling sensibility while embracing a grander cinematic scope. For Dhanush, whose career choices continue to balance mass appeal with artistic credibility, a period action romance could open up an entirely new cinematic terrain," sources said.

Rai and Dhanush first collaborated on the 2013 blockbuster 

which co-starred Sonam Kapoor. The duo then returned for the romantic drama 

which released on streaming during the pandemic. Their last December theatrical outing, 

, emerged as a blockbuster, grossing over ₹164 crore globally. The intense romantic-drama, written by Himanshu Sharma and Neeraj Yadav, also featured Kriti Sanon.

Insiders note how Rai’s presence in the industry has steadily grown over the years, as a filmmaker and a producer who backs distinctive voices and ambitious narratives under his banner and his recent successes underscore "a clear confidence in scale without sacrificing emotional depth, making the idea of a period epic feel like a natural and bold next step."

While both camps remain silent on the development, an official confirmation is awaited on the project.

Exclusive | Aanand L Rai Might Plan an Epic Period Action Romance with Dhanush After the Success of 'Tere Ishk Mein'

Actor Riccha Sinha is set to headline a British psychological thriller, marking her first on-screen acting project. Shot in the United Kingdom, with key portions of the feature filmed at Pinewood Studios, the film operates within a restrained psychological register, focusing on intimacy, perception, and emotional tension.

Directed by Abbie Lucas and produced by Tim Kent and Nathan Castelo, the film centres on Anya, a young woman navigating life in a new city. The role places Sinha at the centre of the narrative, with the film's tension carried primarily through performance rather than plot mechanics.

Sinha describes the project as an important step in understanding acting as a discipline rather than a moment of visibility, particularly in a film that leaves much unsaid and allows tension to emerge through behaviour and presence.

"What drew me to the project was its restraint," Sinha says. "The character doesn't explain herself. You have to sit with what she's feeling, and that responsibility stays with you long after the scene ends."

In the project, she stars opposite Davide Tucci, whose work spans European cinema as well as international productions, including 

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

. Producer Tim Kent's recent credits include 

While Sinha's acting work is at an early stage, her career has unfolded across international cultural platforms, including the Venice Film Festival, which she attended by invitation from Armani Beauty. She was also present at Giorgio Armani's One Night Only Venezia and amfAR — experiences that she says coincided with her decision to pursue acting with greater focus and intention.

For Sinha, the move into films is guided by patience rather than momentum. "I'm interested in building a body of work that feels honest," she says. "The goal isn't immediacy, it's longevity." The film is currently in post-production.

Riccha Sinha Takes the Lead in British Psychological Thriller Shot at Pinewood Studios

 as Mellisa, extending the carefully paced character introductions for one of 2026’s most closely watched Indian films. The reveal follows earlier posters introducing 

Set against the backdrop of a 1960s-style party, the image presents Vasanth moving through a crowded, celebratory space with deliberate composure. The framing suggests a character marked less by spectacle than by control — alert, observant and seemingly untouched by the surrounding excess.

 (2019), has steadily built a reputation for interior, emotionally precise performances. She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Kannada for 

Sapta Saagaradaache Ello: Side A and Side B

 (2023), and has since appeared across industries, including Telugu, Tamil and pan-Indian projects. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, she has often spoken about approaching performance through restraint rather than flourish.

 is directed by Geetu Mohandas, whose previous work includes the critically acclaimed 

. In a statement accompanying the reveal, Mohandas described Vasanth as an actor drawn to process rather than display, noting her habit of documenting observations and internal rhythms between takes — an approach that feeds into what the director calls a “layered” screen presence.

The film marks a significant step for Kannada cinema on the global stage. Written by Mohandas and Yash, 

 is being shot simultaneously in Kannada and English, with dubbed versions planned in multiple Indian languages. Yash, who rose to pan-Indian prominence with the 

 films, leads the project both as actor and co-writer.

Backed by KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, 

 features a technical team that includes cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, composer Ravi Basrur and action director J.J. Perry. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on 19 March 2026, timed to coincide with a major festive holiday window.

First Look of Rukmini Vasanth as Mellisa from Yash’s 'Toxic' Revealed

According to several reports, singer Chinmayi’s version of the song ‘Emkoney’ from the upcoming film 

 has now been replaced by another version. The film’s director, Mohan G Kshatriyan, reportedly confirmed this news. The makers also said that the Chinmayi version will not be a part of the film when it releases later this year. The director had earlier expressed his disappointment when Chinmayi had apologised for singing in a film that was being directed by him. 

In December, Singer Chinmayi Sripada posted an apology for singing a song that belonged in the controversial director Mohan G's film that went against her ideologies. She had posted a note on X, explaining how she had not known which film she was signing for when she recorded for Ghibran. The name of the song is ‘Emkoney’, which is part of Mohan G's next Tamil film titled 

Her note read, “Ghibran is a composer I have known for 18 years

 since my jingle singing days. When his office called for this song, | just went and sang as I usually do. If I remember right, Ghibran wasn't present during this session—I was given an idea on how to sound tonally for the song; I finished the recording, and I left. It is only now that I have got to learn about the context. If I had known beforehand, I would never have collaborated because the ideologies are in complete contradiction to mine.”

, although a box-office hit, became controversial for the film’s anti Dalit themes. His other projects include 

 stars Richard Rishi and Rakshana Indusudan and is set for release on January 23, 2026, continuing from the first Draupathi film but focusing on 14th-century South Indian history, featuring villains like Chirag Jani as Mohd Bin Tughlaq.

'Draupathi 2' Issue: Chinmayi Replaced From Album? 

 audience, particularly younger viewers, showed up for love stories that... 

. While the year was dominated by extremes, from the thunder of 

, running parallel to the chaos was a streak of emotionally charged, angsty love stories that leaned into heartbreak, trauma and music-heavy longing.

collectively reshaped the conversation at the box-office as they presented a heady cocktail of sad songs, broken hearts, and sold-out shows.

The four films amassed a cumulative worldwide gross of nearly ₹900 crore, with 

alone contributing a whopping ₹570 crore. To understand why this shift had been building — and why lighter rom-coms are collapsing—

spoke to Shailesh Kapoor, Founder and CEO of Ormax Media, which closely tracked audience behaviour across the genre last year.

"There has been a steady appetite for emotionally intense love stories,” Kapoor says. “What hasn’t really worked is the rom-com template. The light, glossy, multiplex-oriented romance that borrows heavily from a Western grammar.” 

Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday’s youthful rom-com 

, for instance, is headed for a disappointing finish, folding under ₹40 crore.

Among last year’s biggest success stories, 

, both landing a dream Bollywood debut, the film emerged as the highest-grossing romantic title of Hindi cinema ever.

is actually a softer film compared to the others. But it shares a thematic commonality — the protagonist going through heartbreak, emotional conflict, and personal loss. That emotional spine is what connects it to this broader trend," Kapoor notes.

That connective tissue—emotional vulnerability rather than escapist fantasy—also defined Milap Zaveri’s 

starring Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, and Aanand L Rai’s 

fronted by Dhanush and Kriti Sanon. Both films posted strong theatrical numbers, particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, with combined global grosses estimated at ₹280 crore-plus.

Kapoor argues that this moment didn’t come out of nowhere.

worked so well on streaming in 2024, despite being a small-budget show with no fancy locations, it was already telling us something. Then 

doing well again only reinforced the idea that audiences were missing this genre,” Kapoor notes.

At the heart of it all looms the long shadow of 

. Released in 2019, the Sandeep Reddy Vanga-directed film rewired mainstream Hindi romance by pushing it into messier and what the industry calls “edgier” territory. The Shahid Kapoor-Kiara Advani starrer was rewarded with a staggering global box office of over ₹380 crore.

“The principle is the same,” Kapoor explains. “You’re looking at male protagonists who are broken, volatile, emotionally exposed. These love stories don’t necessarily end well, or they pass through trauma before finding any resolution. Young male audiences, especially, connect deeply with that.”

If one looks at the kind of music that has worked over the years, Kapoor notes, they are very "Vishesh Films-Emraan Hashmi" coded. “In those songs, heartbreak was always central, even when the films weren’t strictly romances, the music carried that angst.”

In 2025, film soundtracks became a genius new-age marketing tool. Songs from 

lived on reels for weeks before release, embedding themselves into youth culture long before the opening day, he adds.

“Music has become a part of the narrative ecosystem. When a film targets youth, and the music clicks, you see it translate directly into strong first-day numbers.” That explains why these films opened aggressively, even as more family-oriented titles took time to grow. According to Kapoor, the geography of Hindi cinema has also shifted post-pandemic.

“Dependence on Mumbai and Delhi multiplexes has reduced. Smaller towns, single-screen markets like UP, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are contributing significantly now — and this kind of content works very well there,” Kapoor notes.

The irony, perhaps, is that while rom-coms once dominated the urban imagination, it’s heartbreak that now feels more universal. As Kapoor puts it, none of these films have yet reached 

levels in terms of music or storytelling. “But if something really solid comes along, there’s no reason a film in this space can’t do ₹500–600 crore.”

Heartbreak High: How ‘Saiyaara’, ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ and ‘Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’ Used Music, Reels and Anguish to Rule the Box-Office

After what has been dubbed a particularly low phase in his career, 

 has finally returned with a hit. His film 

, which was released during this Christmas, has earned more than Rs.100 crore in just 10 days of its release. The film is directed by Akhil Sathyan and also features Nivin Pauly’s regular collaborator Aju Varghese and Riya Shibu in a role that had grabbed a lot of attention. This also makes 

the sixth fastest Malayalam film to hit the ₹100 crore mark and the fourth film of 2025 to do so, after 

Nivin Pauly’s last theatrical release was 

. He was also seen making his solo OTT debut with 

. The actor’s last theatrical hit was 2019’s Dhyan Sreenivasan’s comedy film 

 has also become Nivin’s highest-grossing film until now. It breaks the record set by his film 

which had become the second-highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time when it was released. 

In November 2025, Nivin Pauly shared an update on his film 

, directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan, confirming that he has finished his portion in the Raghava Lawrence action thriller. He is said to be playing the villain in the film, which is a part of 

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Lokesh Cinematic Universe, or LCU

. He shared some photos from the set of the film in which Nivin is playing Twin Fish Walter. Raghava Lawrence acts in the titular character of Benz, and actor Samyuktha is also part of the cast.  While Kanagaraj is not directing this instalment, he remains creatively involved, co-writing and co-producing the film under his G Squad banner.

’s Arun Varma and scripted by acclaimed duo Bobby and Sanjay.

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