Mohanlal made his presence felt at the box office with 'L2: Empuraan' and 'Thudarum' which have reportedly collected ₹250 crore and ₹230 crore respectively.
Published Dec 28, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 28, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Malayalam Cinema 2025. (Supplied)
2025 was a remarkable year for the Malayalam film industry, as a woman-oriented movie, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, earned a gross global collection of ₹300 crores, becoming the first Malayalam film to achieve this milestone. It shattered the myth that only male superstars can deliver industry hits.
On the other hand, Mohanlal made his presence felt at the box office with L2: Empuraan and Thudarum which have reportedly collected ₹250 crore and ₹230 crore respectively.
Meanwhile, Mammootty had with three releases— Dominic and the Ladies Purse, Bazooka and Kalamkaval. Of these, Kalamkaval collected ₹80 crore worldwide and received good response.
Lokah – Chapter 1: Chandra: The film completed 100 days since its release while also entering the elite 300-crore club. Directed by Dominic Arun, the film is the first female superhero movie in Malayalam cinema. One of its major highlights was the way it drew inspiration from traditional folktales and presented them in a fresh and unique manner. The innovative interpretation of Neeli and Kathanar also received widespread appreciation from the audience.
Rekhachithram: The first superhit film of 2025 was released in January, featuring Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan in the lead roles. The film collected ₹56 crore globally, with an India gross collection of ₹31.25 crore. This marked a major win, especially considering the film’s budget.
Officer on Duty: Kunchako Boban’s film, which was released in February, became another major hit despite facing criticism for its violence and depiction of drug use. Directed by Jithu Ashraf, the movie earned ₹53 crore globally, with an India gross collection of ₹35.26 crore. The film was made on a budget of approximately ₹12 crore.
Empuraan: The controversial Mohanlal starrer, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, was a superhit at the box office and collected ₹250 crore worldwide. The film courted controversy after its release when right-wing political parties targeted it, alleging that it depicted the Godhra train incident, which led to the Gujarat riots, from the perspective of minorities. The issue escalated, following which Mohanlal apologised to those who were offended by the film.
Alappuzha Gymkhana: The film, released in April as a Vishu release, emerged as another major hit. Featuring Naslen, Ganapathy, and Anagha Ravi, it collected an impressive ₹65 crore worldwide, surpassing the collections of Mammootty’s Bazooka and Basil Joseph’s Maranamass.
Mohanlal’s film makes an impact at box office. (Supplied)
Thudarum: Mohanlal’s film emerged as another major hit in Malayalam cinema, collecting more than ₹230 crore. Directed by Tharun Moorthy, the movie received an overwhelming response and became the first Malayalam film to achieve a ₹100 crore gross collection from Kerala theatres alone in 2025. It was also celebrated for the reunion of Mohanlal and Shobhana after a long time.
Hridayapoorvam: Another hit film this year, that has secured a global collection of more than ₹75 crore. The Sathyan Anthikad directorial received a largely positive response from both audiences and critics. A major highlight of the movie is the Mohanlal–Sangeeth Pratap combination, while the female lead, Malavika Mohanan, also had a strong role.
Meanwhile, his new multilingual film Vruushabha hit theatres on December 25 as a Christmas release.
His re-released film Chotta Mumbai, which was a major hit during its original run, performed well in theatres and collected more than ₹4 crore within two weeks. Another re-release, Ravanaprabhu, also did well at the box office. Overall, the cumulative collections of Mohanlal’s five films have contributed more than ₹500 crore to the box office this year.
A poster of the film ‘Eko’. (Supplied)
Eko, featuring Sandeep Pradeep, Vineeth, Ashokan, and Narein, has collected over ₹40 crore globally, according to Sacnilk. The film continues to hold well in major theatres. Directed by Dinjith Ayyathan and written by Bahul Ramesh, it is regarded as one of the best films released this year.
Mammootty’s Kalamkaval recorded an impressive worldwide gross of around ₹80 crore within two weeks of its release. Mammootty’s portrayal of a negative character, a psychotic killer, received strong appreciation. The film has earned an overwhelming response from both audiences and critics.
Rahul Sadasivan’s Dies Irae, starring Pranav Mohanlal, also performed well at the box office. The film collected over ₹80 crore worldwide during its theatrical run. It is now streaming on Jio Hotstar.
Narivetta, featuring Tovino Thomas in the lead role, collected ₹31 crore at the box office.
A poster of the film ‘Dies Irae’. (Supplied)
Padakkalam, starring Sharafudheen and Suraj Venjaramoodu, emerged as a surprise hit. Dhyan Sreenivasan’s Detective Ujjvalan had a decent theatrical run.
Bromance, featuring Arjun Ashokan, Mahima Nambiar, and Mathew Thomas, enjoyed a comfortable run in theatres. Antony Varghese’s Daveed also managed a decent performance. Shahi Kabir’s Ronth and Anaswara Rajan’s Vyasansametham Bandhumithraadikal received positive audience responses and performed well.
Sumathi Valavu, Dheeran, Balti, and Ithiri Neram are among the other films that managed to attract audiences to theatres.
Several content-driven films such as Thadavu, Narayaneente Moonanmakkal, Ponman, Ariku, Sarkeet, Avihitham, Victoria, and Feminichi Fathima were also released in theatres. While these films did not achieve strong box office collections, they have found a wider audience on OTT platforms.
Identity, featuring Tovino Thomas in the lead role, failed to find its audience despite good pre-release anticipation. The film did not connect with viewers, even with Trisha Krishnan playing the female lead.
Mammootty’s Dominic and the Ladies Purse, which marked Gautham Menon’s Malayalam directorial debut, received a decent initial response. However, it failed to sustain momentum at the box office. His Vishu release Bazooka opened to negative reviews and also underperformed in theatres.
Another major disappointment was Suresh Gopi’s JSK. The film made headlines due to CBFC intervention, which asked for a title change and the removal of the name Janaki, referring to Sita. However, the controversy failed to boost its box office performance.
Fahadh Faasil’s Onam release Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira did not fare well in theatres. However, the film received a better response after its OTT release.
Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Karam also turned out to be a major disappointment. Despite being shot in foreign locations, the film was criticised for its weak script.
Prithviraj’s much-anticipated Vilayath Buddha ended up as a box office dud, despite having several commercial elements. The makers claimed that targeted attacks affected its theatrical performance.
Jeethu Joseph’s Mirage, starring Asif Ali and Aparna Balamurali, had strong expectations before release. However, it failed at the box office and was criticised for an overdose of twists that left audiences confused.
According to the Kerala Film Chamber, which oversees the Malayalam film industry, 184 films were released this year, and 10 became theatrical hits. These include Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Thudarum, Empuraan, Dies Irae, Hridayapoorvam, Alappuzha Gymkhana, Kalamkaval, Officer on Duty, Rekhachitram, and Eko. These films are included in our list.
Christmas releases include Sarvam Maya starring Nivin Pauly, Vruushabha, Shane Nigam’s Haal, and Unni Mukundan’s Mindiyum Paranjum.
Meanwhile, Sarvam Maya has been getting an overwhelming response and is anticipated to be a superhit.
Earlier this year, the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) began releasing monthly reports on film collections, which sparked controversy in the film industry.
Suresh Kumar, KFPA secretary, alleged that the “100 crore club” is a fake tag given to films. He said producers have no choice, as lead actors are responsible for these claims. “Lead stars do this because they fear their market value will drop,” he added.
The collection reports upset actors and other producers, who have now stopped releasing the lists.
A young scriptwriter, speaking on condition of anonymity, told South First that the KFPA reports are discouraging producers from coming forward. He said that even though he has dates booked with bankable actors for his next film, he couldn’t find a producer.
Meanwhile, the Film Chamber announced it will boycott government-owned theatres under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). From January, films will no longer be provided for screening in these theatres.
The Chamber’s key demands include waiving entertainment taxes beyond GST and offering special electricity tariffs.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
