Published Apr 06, 2024 | 7:04 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2024 | 3:22 PM
Poster of the Malayalam films which broke records in the industry. (X)
A year ago, theatres in Kerala did not have any major successes. Romancham (2023) was the only Malayalam movie, which boosted the business in theatres and the whole industry.
The majority of theatres had screened the movie and were eagerly waiting for the big Vishu releases.
A year later, in 2024, Kerala theatres are running to packed houses.
Premalu, Manjummel Boys, and Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) are the three blockbuster hit Malayalam films, which grossed over ₹100 crore at the global box office. Manjummel Boys recently entered the ₹200 crore club.
Well, it is a dream come true moment for the Malayalam film industry.
Anweshippin Kandethum, Bramayugam, Premalu, Manjummel Boys, and Aadujeevitham are the hit Malayalam films to date in 2024.
Released on 9 February, Anweshippin Kandethum did a total business of ₹60 crore.
Released on the same day, Premalu collected over ₹130 crore thus far. The movie will make its OTT premiere on 12 April.
Bramayugam, released on 15 February, was another major film, where Mammootty played a negative role.
Directed by Rahul Sadhasivam, this monochrome film earned ₹80 crore in business.
However, Mammootty fans were upset that it was not released a week or two later, as Premalu became a success and Bramayugam couldn’t earn ₹100 crore.
The sensational movie Manjummel Boys was released on 22 February. The makers kept it a low-profile project. However, the team visited a couple of colleges in Kochi for promotion.
Upon its release, the film became a phenomenon and saw spectacular openings. Interestingly, it received a massive response from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, thanks to the reference to Kamal Hassan’s Guna (1991) and the “Kanmani Anbodu” song.
Manjummel Boys is also the first Malayalam movie to earn ₹200 crore worldwide. It is still running in theatres. The Telugu version was released on Saturday, 6 April.
All these five films account for over ₹500 crore in business at the Kerala box office, a remarkable feat for a comparatively small industry.
Positive response in non-Malayalam-speaking states is also a significant factor for the success of these Malayalam movies.
Manjummel Boys crossed the language barriers. It was initially released in Malayalam without subtitles in Tamil Nadu.
Actor-director Vineeth Sreenivasan, who watched the film in Chennai (where he resides), said he saw many Tamilians enjoying the original version despite not understanding the Malayalam language.
Manjummel Boys collected around ₹60 crore in Tamil Nadu creating a record for a Malayalam movie.
Similarly, Premalu enjoyed good reception in Tamil Nadu and Telugu states. However, the Telugu and Tamil dubbed versions were released later in these respective states.
Bramayugam also received wide reception in Tamil Nadu.
According to trade experts, upcoming Malayalam films Varshangalkku Shesham and Aavesham are expected to be released on maximum screens in Tamil Nadu, as there are no big-budget films slated for release in the state this festive season.
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Aadujeevitam was released amid huge hype without subtitles in Kerala, which disappointed many non-Malayalam-speaking fans.
As they expressed their disappointment over social media, the lead actor apologised for the inconvenience. On day 2 of release, subtitles were added to the film.
Anchakkalkakokkan was another movie that received critical appreciation from the Tamil audience. However, post-Aaadujeevitham, the screen count of the movie decreased.
Theatres in Kerala had a good time especially in the second half of 2023 with Tamil films Jailer and Leo becoming superhits.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and Jawan also had a good theatrical run in Kerala.
Apart from these Malayalam films, RDX, Kannur Squad, and Neru were also successful.
“The success of Premalu, Manjummel Boys, Bramayugam, and Aadujeevitham are overwhelming for theatres. It will surely help us to sustain the business,” Anoop Naroor, the director of Aura Cinemas in Kerala, told South First.
However, he pointed out that there is no mechanism to yield maximum profits from a successful movie.
“When a movie is running successfully, no changes are made in the release date of other films or big-budget movies announced earlier. If all these films are good, it will surely affect their collection,” Anoop said.
He cited the example of Anweshippin Kandethum, a brilliant movie starring Tovino Thomas released along with Premalu.
“Two successful films can have a good run in theatres. But after the release of Manjummel Boys, Anweshippin Kandethum couldn’t manage the momentum and was overshadowed,” he added.
Meanwhile, producer Antony Perumbavoor felt that people visiting theatres was a good sign for the film business.
