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Nivin Pauly breaks silence on successive box office flops: ‘People told me I will become forgettable’

Nivin Pauly opened up on his career graph in the last few years, where several of his releases underperformed at the box office.

Updated on: Dec 24, 2025, 09:52:26 IST
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Nivin Pauly's Sarvam Maya is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. Fans of the actor are excited to see him back in a light-hearted dramedy after a long absence. Several of the actor's films have underperformed at the box office and turned out to be flops. In a recent chat with Pearle Manney on her YouTube channel, Nivin finally broke his silence on what he thinks went wrong with the films he chose.

Nivin Pauly will next be seen in the comedy film Sarvam Maya.
Nivin Pauly will next be seen in the comedy film Sarvam Maya.

What Nivin Pauly said

During the chat, Nivin opened up about his career and shared how he was advised to try different genres as an actor in order to improve. Nivin said in Malayalam, “There was a point in my life when I was confused. My friends and people close to me kept telling me that I shouldn’t just do entertainer films and that, as an actor, I should improve like others.”

‘I felt I should try different things as an actor’

He went on to add, "They kept advising me that I wasn’t showcasing my full potential as an actor. They wanted me to do thriller films and other genres, not just comedy films. They felt that if I continued to do only comedy movies, I would become forgettable. At that moment, I also felt that maybe they were right. Maybe I should try different things as an actor. However, after I changed my choice of films to suit other genres, the same people came back and told me how much they missed my comedy films. I was like, ‘Weren’t you the ones who asked me to change?’”

Some of Nivin's most loved films include Premam, Om Shanti Oshana, Bangalore Days, Neram and Thattathin Marayathu. His recent films, like Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham, Padavettu and Thuramukham, were commercial failures.

He will be seen in the fantasy horror comedy film Sarvam Maya, which also stars Aju Varghese, Janardhanan, Preity Mukhundhan, Arun Ajikumar and Raghunath Paleri. The film is slated for release on December 25.

  • Santanu Das
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Santanu Das

    Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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