New Delhi: With hits like Premalu, Manjummel Boys, Aavesham and Aadujeevitham, Malayalam cinema is back to seeing crowds making a beeline for the theatres, not just in Kerala but across the country. This, when movies of several other languages continue to see flops at the box office.
Manjummel Boys, made on a budget of ₹20crore, is the third highest grossing film in the January-March quarter across all languages, with collections of ₹173 crore. Premalu, a romantic comedy made for less than ₹10 crore, has crossed the ₹100-crore mark. Aadujeevitham, a survival thriller, is nearing the ₹100-crore mark (budget: ₹80 crore). And Fahadh Faasil's Aavesham, a more recent release, has touched the ₹85-crore mark (budget: ₹30 crore).
According to estimates by media consulting firm Ormax, in the first three months of 2024, Malayalam cinema recorded collections equal to 71% of its entire box office collections of 2023. Further, Malayalam language films made up 16% of overall gross domestic box office collections between January and March 2024, higher than Tamil (9%), Hollywood (9%) and Kannada (2%). With 36%, Hindi cinema took the largest share of the pie.

The return of Malayalam cinema

Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director, PVR INOX Ltd said that earlier Malayalam movies lacked the diversity of content needed to appeal to audiences beyond Kerala. “However, the industry seems to have addressed this issue by producing films with universal themes, high-quality storytelling, and relatable characters," he said.
“For Cinepolis, Malayalam cinema has not only found niche audience across southern markets but also in cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata, resulting in houseful shows for films like Manjummel Boys, Premalu, Brahamayugam and Aadujeevitham," Devang Sampat, managing director of multiplex chain Cinepolis India said.
Content-based Malayalam cinema has always had to compete with the high budgets and better production values of industries like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. But those working within the industry say this could well be seen as its strength.
Mukesh Mehta, founder of Malayalam film production and distribution company E4 Entertainment said, “People may have gotten over the action films that are continually made in other languages like, say, Telugu, and have liked coming back to subject-based cinema. Plus, in recent times, there have been no other big films competing for eyeballs."

Going beyond Kerala

The traction for Malayalam films in states beyond Kerala has seen a steady rise in recent years, which can be attributed to the availability of Malayalam films on streaming platforms with subtitles, the increasing recognition of Malayalam cinema at national and international film festivals, and the emergence of talented filmmakers and actors who have garnered widespread acclaim, Bijli added.
Sampat of Cinepolis agreed that Malayalam cinema's traction in states outside Kerala has historically been limited, largely due to the strong regional identity and cultural specificity of its films.
“A significant percentage of Malayalam films are deeply rooted in Kerala's regional culture, which may not always resonate with audiences from other Indian states. Moreover, the industry's focus on distributing films primarily within Kerala has constrained its reach beyond the state borders," Sampat said.
However, a strategic shift towards more universally appealing narratives, better production values, and wider releases, both domestically and internationally has helped the industry tremendously.

The Kerala touch

Pan India success aside, film critics and entertainment industry experts say the success of recent Malayalam films has to do with makers focusing on native audiences first and the precedence already set in Kerala where viewers enjoy varied themes and sensibilities and are ready to visit cinemas as long as something new is on offer.
Unlike star-driven industries such as Telugu and Hindi, it is the script writer who pitches ideas to lead stars in the Malayalam industry, after which producers and directors come on board, making sure the writing is compelling. In Hindi and Telugu cinema, on the other hand, projects are put together as proposals for top stars who agree to work with producers, after which scripts are hunted for.
Film distributor Akshaye Rathi said the exhibition infrastructure in Kerala also stands strong because top stars churn out films at a consistent pace and often focus on limited showcasing within the state. Taking the film to other markets is seen as a bonus, and promotions are kept at a minimum.
 
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