A few hits, many misses: Malayalam cinema looks to Onam for a fresh start

The Malayalam film industry has long punched above its weight. While it may not match the budgets or box office numbers of larger industries, it has consistently earned a reputation for telling stories that resonate across languages. But critical acclaim alone does not keep an industry running. The real question is whether Malayalam cinema can translate its creative success into sustained commercial growth.

As the industry heads into its busiest festive season, all eyes are on the Onam box office.
With a slate of major releases beginning this week, including Vismaya Mohanlal’s debut film ‘Thudakkam’, exhibitors and producers are hoping the festival season will inject fresh momentum into a year that has delivered a handful of big successes but far more disappointments.

The numbers tell a familiar story. More than 80 Malayalam films, including theatrical and direct OTT releases, have been released so far this year. Yet only a small percentage have emerged as clear commercial successes.
According to box office tracker Sacnilk, ‘Drishyam 3’ leads the year’s worldwide box office with around ₹240 crore, closely followed by ‘Vaazha II’ at approximately ₹235 crore. ‘Aadu 3’ has also emerged as one of the year’s biggest hits with collections of around ₹120 crore. A few other films managed to recover their investments, but the majority failed to make a significant impact at the box office.

For Kerala Film Producers Association president B Rakesh, this imbalance is nothing new.

“Every year, the ratio between hits and losses is more or less the same. A few films perform exceptionally well while many don’t. We are hoping the Onam releases will bring in strong numbers and give the industry a positive second half,” he told Onmanorama.

This year has also seen several high-profile projects underperform despite strong expectations. Mammootty’s big-budget multistarrer ‘Patriot’, directed by Mahesh Narayanan, failed to meet box office expectations. Prithviraj’s ‘I, Nobody’ also struggled to find an audience, as did films such as ‘Oru Durooha Saahacharyathil’ and ‘Kaattalan’.

There were moments when it appeared Malayalam cinema had found its rhythm. The simultaneous success of ‘Drishyam 3’, ‘Vaazha II’ and ‘Mohiniyattam’ briefly signalled a turnaround after a slow start to the year. But that momentum proved difficult to sustain.

According to Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala president K Vijayakumar, theatres witnessed another lull during June and July, with Vijay’s Tamil blockbuster ‘Jana Nayagan’ emerging as the biggest crowd-puller during that period.
Despite the slowdown, exhibitors believe the industry is in a better position than it was at the same time last year.

Kochi Shenoys Theatre owner Suresh Shenoy points to a growing list of films that have either turned profitable or recovered their investments.
“‘Chatha Pacha’, ‘Prakambanam’, ‘Mohiniyattam’, ‘Vaazha II’, ‘Drishyam 3’, ‘Balan’ and ‘Athiradi’ all performed well at the box office. Then there were films like ‘Sambhavam’ and ‘Aashakal Aayiram’, which managed to break even. It’s not a great year, but it’s certainly not a bad one either,” he said.

“If around 15 Malayalam films entered the profit zone last year, we’ve already seen around eight to ten reach that stage midway through this year. Looking ahead, the prospects are encouraging because the release calendar is strong. The Onam season will be followed by Pooja, Diwali and Christmas, giving the industry multiple opportunities to improve its overall collections.”

Shenoy believes the industry’s biggest shift is that audiences are now choosing films for their content rather than their stars.
“Content is what drives footfalls today. ‘Mohiniyattam’ didn’t have a major star cast. ‘Vaazha II’ and ‘Aadu 3’ also proved that audiences will support a film if they connect with it,” he said.

That changing audience behaviour could benefit the upcoming Onam slate, which features a mix of star-led films and fresh faces. Along with ‘Thudakkam’, films such as ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’, ‘I’m Game’ and ‘Khalifa’ are expected to test the market over the coming weeks.

Interestingly, Hollywood has also emerged as a major contributor to Kerala’s theatrical business this year. Big-ticket releases such as Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ have drawn packed houses, particularly in premium formats like IMAX, demonstrating that audiences are still willing to spend on the theatrical experience when the event feels special.