After the high of 2024, which saw several blockbusters, Mollywood was expected to ride on the success wave and set the box office ringing this year too. Films like ‘Bazooka’, ‘Identity’, ‘Empuraan’, and ‘Dominic and the Ladies Purse’ were expected to generate significant buzz in theatres.
But trade analysts picture a different reality. While Mollywood has delivered some quality content and even boasts of a few records, the industry — which had churned out back-to-back hits like ‘Manjummel Boys’, ‘Aavesham’ and ‘Premalu’ in early 2024 — has not been able to sustain the same hype this year.
Only Mohanlal’s films ‘Thudarum’ (₹118.6 crore) and ‘L2: Empuraan’ (₹97.34 crore) managed to cross the ₹50-crore mark. In comparison, during the first half of 2024, ‘Manjummel Boys’ collected over ₹130 crore, ‘Premalu’ ₹58.56 crore, and ‘Aavesham’ ₹85.16 crore — as per trade tracker Sacnilk’s Malayalam Net collection figures.
Though there have been fewer blockbusters this year, mystery thrillers and police procedurals such as Kunchacko Boban’s ‘Officer on Duty’ and Asif Ali–Anaswara Rajan-starrer ‘Rekhachithram’ raked in decent numbers. The Tovino Thomas’ ‘Narivetta’ collected ₹18.46 crore since its release in May, while Dileep’s ‘Prince and Family’ earned ₹17.15 crore, Sacnilk data reveals.
The surprise hit of 2025 turned out to be ‘Thudarum’, directed by Tharun Moorthy. Photo: X
In 2024, over three films — Vineeth Sreenivasan’s ‘Varshangalkku Sesham’, Vipin Das’ ‘Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil’ and Midhun Manuel Thomas’ ‘Turbo’ — had each crossed ₹30 crore at the box office.
Increased interest in quirky content
According to Sacnilk, there is a growing interest in films with quirky or offbeat narratives. For instance, ‘Maranamass’, featuring Rajesh Madhavan and Basil Joseph, managed to collect over ₹18 crore. This chaotic, dark comedy revolves around a serial killer and a group of eccentric characters. Another notable success was ‘Padakkalam’, directed by Manu Swaraj — a fantasy film that also resonated well with audiences.
Mammootty and Gokul in ‘Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse’. Photo: Imdb
Highly anticipated films fall short
The first Malayalam release of 2025 was ‘Identity’, starring Tovino Thomas and Trisha. With its high budget and impressive cast, the film was one of the most anticipated projects of the year. Directed by debutant Akhil Paul, it received praise for its technical brilliance and action choreography but drew criticism for its convoluted plot twists. Similarly, ‘Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse’ — Gautham Menon’s Malayalam directorial debut featuring Mammootty — failed to live up to expectations and grossed only ₹9.37 crore.
‘Lovely’, starring Mathew Thomas and centred around a housefly, generated curiosity pre-release but failed to sustain viewer interest, collecting just ₹60 lakh, as per Malayalam Net Total figures.
‘Moonwalk’ poster. Photo: Imdb
Quality films fail to attract audiences
Despite the presence of content-driven films like ‘Moonwalk’, ‘Narayaneente Moonanmakkal’ and ‘Ouseppinte Osiyathu’, they struggled at the box office. However, these films gained traction after their release on OTT platforms, drawing appreciation for their themes and performances.
Nostalgia as a key factor
While ‘Empuraan’, directed by Prithviraj and headlined by Mohanlal, was billed as the biggest Malayalam release of 2025, the surprise hit turned out to be ‘Thudarum’, directed by Tharun Moorthy. It went on to gross more than ‘Empuraan’. Many attribute this unexpected success to the film’s strong nostalgia factor, which appears to have struck a chord with audiences across all age groups.