Movies
Panorama Studios and Zee Studios take Baththa to global theatres
Vijay Sethupathi starrer directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan releases worldwide on October 1
MUMBAI: Tamil cinema is ready to cross another border, with Panorama Studios and Zee Studios joining forces to take Baththa to international audiences when the Vijay Sethupathi starrer arrives in theatres worldwide on October 1, 2026.
Written and directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi alongside Lijomol Jose and is being positioned as a Tamil story with a distinctly local identity and themes intended to travel beyond language and geography.
The film’s recently unveiled ‘World of Baththa’ has offered audiences a glimpse into its universe, adding another layer of curiosity ahead of its theatrical release.
The partnership brings together Panorama Studios’ experience in developing and producing Indian stories with Zee Studios’ overseas distribution capabilities. The two studios plan to expand Baththa’s theatrical footprint across international markets and give the film a wider big-screen run beyond its home territory.
For Panorama Studios, Baththa adds to a slate that includes films such as Omkara, Special 26, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Raid, Shaitaan and the Drishyam franchise. The studio says its films have collectively earned more than 50 awards.
Kumar Mangat Pathak, chairman, Panorama Studios, said the film stood out for the world it creates and its rooted approach to Tamil culture, while its emotional core could connect with audiences beyond the region.
Zee Studios is also looking to build on its regional cinema strategy, having recently expanded into Gujarati cinema with Tom and Cherry and announced King of Salangpur. The studio said Baththa fits into its wider focus on taking culturally rooted Indian narratives to audiences across markets.
A Zee Studios spokesperson said the international audience for Indian cinema is increasingly being shaped by stories that can travel beyond language and geography, adding that the studio wants Baththa to have an international theatrical platform rather than simply an overseas release.
The film also arrives at a time when regional cinema is increasingly finding audiences beyond its traditional linguistic markets. Baththa’s combination of Vijay Sethupathi, Lijomol Jose and Tharaneetharan’s direction now gets a chance to take that journey further, with the worldwide theatrical release set for October 1.
Meanwhile, Panorama Studios is also preparing Drishyam: The Conclusion, which is being directed and produced by Abhishek and is scheduled to release in theatres on October 2, putting the studio’s two releases just a day apart.
