'Manjummel Boys', 'Premalu', and 'Bramayugam' clicked with audiences since they belonged to different genres and were fresh in content.
The phenomenal success of 'Manjummel Boys', 'Bramayugam', and 'Premalu' came as a shot in the arm for Mollywood. (X)
The phenomenal success of Manjummel Boys, Premalu, and Bramayugam has come as a shot in the arm for the Malayalam film industry this year.
In 2023, Mollywood witnessed several releases but with little success rate.
Many factors are responsible for the tremendous success of Manjummel Boys and Premalu, which entered the ₹100-crore club some time ago. Indeed, Manjummel Boys created history by becoming the first Malayalam film to gross ₹200 crore worldwide.
Despite the hype, Dulquer Salmaan’s King of Kotha and Mohalal’s Malaikottai Vaaliban failed to meet the audience’s expectations and missed the mark.
However, Manjummel Boys, Premalu, and Bramayugam enjoyed a terrific run in cinema halls.
According to an industry expert, the latest Malayalam releases belonged to different genres and were fresh in content, which was why they could strike a chord with the audience.
“If the content is worth it, the film will surely work at the box office. Despite their low profile and though there wasn’t any pan-India anticipation, these Malayalam movies are ruling the roost for the same reason,” the industry expert opined.
‘Manjummel Boys’ grossed ₹200 crore worldwide. (X)
Interestingly, the three superhit films are helmed by young directors — Chidambaram (Manjummel Boys), Girish AD (Premalu), and Rahul Sadasivan (Bramayugam). Fresh concepts became the USP of these films and helped draw crowds to theatres.
The key highlight of Manjummel Boys was the placement of the “Kanmani Anbodu” song from Kamal Haasan’s 1991 film Guna.
The story, inspired by a true incident, paid rich tribute to the real-life Manjummel Boys — a group of 11 friends who visited the Guna Caves (Originally called Devil’s Kitchen) in Kodaikanal. One of them gets stuck in a deep pitch in the caves and the others leave no stone unturned to rescue him.
The film was shot in the huge set of Guna Caves created by art director Ajayan Chaliserry in a huge godown in Perumbavoor.
Filmmaker Chidambaram used the Tamil melody “Kanmani Anbodu” to redefine friendship and selfless love in the flick. The tune plays in the background throughout the movie. But the whole song plays when the person who falls in the pitch is rescued.
The soundtrack rightly captures the emotions and strong bonding among the friends. Chidambaram’s creativity in the right placement of the song won the hearts of all and sundry.
Manjummel Boys left many filmmakers and celebrities, including Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Pa Ranjith, Gautam Menon, Anurag Kashyap, and Udhayanidhi Stalin, from across industries in awe.
The movie collected around ₹60 crore at the Tamil box office, a milestone for a Malayalam film in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil films do enjoy a good run in Kerala. Last year, Vijay’s Leo and Rajinikanth’s Jailer collected around ₹50 crore in the state.
The flick grossed over ₹10 crore in Karnataka, which again is a record for a Malayalam movie.
Interestingly, the Malayalam version is doing wonders across the world. The Telugu and Hindi dubbed versions are expected to be released soon.
‘Premalu’ grossed over $225k in the US. (X)
Meanwhile, Premalu raked in ₹116 crore at the global box office.
The Girish AD’s directorial is a comedy love drama set against the backdrop of Hyderabad city. The film clicked with the youth and family audiences because of its clean comedy and relatable scenes. The filmmaker incorporated the quintessential elements that would cater to them all.
Most importantly. it had no lags or dull moments. Besides, the peppy numbers elevated the sequences and the film to a great extent.
The Telugu dubbed version of Premalu, released by Ss Karthikeya, earned over ₹10 crore in 10 days and grossed over $225k in the USA.
Baahubali director SS Rajamouli lauded the team after watching the flick.
Even Tollywood Superstar Mahesh Babu and director Anil Ravipudi appreciated Premalu through their social media posts.
The Tamil dubbed version of Premalu was released on 15 March by Red Giant Movies.
Coming to Bramayugam, it is helmed by Rahul Sadasivan.
The director’s making, Shehnaz Jalal’s cinematography, and Christo Xavier’s background score were the USPs of the film.
Bramayugam revolved around a sorcerer named Kodumon Potty played by Mammootty. His intense performance and the Blac-and-White format offered a new experience to the viewers.
The detailing of the story, the mystery behind the three major characters, and the brilliant background score played crucial roles in the film.
The Malayalam movie grossed ₹60 crore worldwide and a made grand debut on Sony LIV recently.
‘Bramayugam’ is streaming on Sony LIV. (X)
The overseas collection of these movies was another major factor that gave a boost to the Malayalam industry.
The Gulf nations, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia are some of the countries where these Malayalam films have run to packed houses.
For example, as per trade experts, Premalu saw a domestic collection of ₹76.60 crore and an overseas collection of $4.89M (₹40.55 crore).
Manjummel Boys raked in $8.07 million, Lucifer $7.17 million, Pulimurugan $5.78 million, Bheeshma Parvam $4.67 million, and Kurup $4.38 million.
Following this, overseas distribution companies such as Phars Films and Truth Global Films are readily evincing interest in releasing Malayalam films abroad.
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