Why Malayalam films are working big time with pan-India audiences

Maneesh Narayanan, a noted Malayalam film journalist, told The Federal: “While Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films remained bound by star-driven templates, the new wave of Malayalam movies took a different route, prioritising content over star power. This shift offered audiences a refreshing cinematic experience." 

Beyond Kerala

However, other factors too played a role in pulling in the crowds in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana.

For one, some of the filmmakers cleverly picked subjects set in neighbouring states or linked them culturally to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, or Telangana. This approach helped the films to resonate with audiences in those states, too.

Take the case of Premalu, an unassuming, low-budget rom-com, which has become a roaring hit. The film was set in Hyderabad, a city rarely explored in Malayalam cinema. (Except for the time when Malayalam films were shot in film sets within the confines of Hyderabad's Ramoji Film City)

Telugu love

'Premalu' is Telugu for love, and this title made it easier to release the film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The icing on the cake was SS Kartikeya, son of SS Rajamouli, handling the film's distribution.

"Unlike Chennai or Bengaluru, Hyderabad is a city that hasn’t been extensively featured in Malayalam cinema at all," said Premalu's director, Gireesh AD. "As a big fan of Telugu films, I decided to set the story there.

"My co-writer, Kiran Jossy, had also spent time working as an engineer in Hyderabad. His familiarity with the city was advantageous for us. This experience helped him in scripting, as he had a good understanding of PG life, popular restaurants, landmarks, and the geography of the lanes in the city." 

Lure of Bengaluru

The Fahad Faasil starrer Aavesham, which is running successfully both in theatres and OTT, is another film set outside Kerala. 

Fahad's 'national' appeal, breaking language barriers, particularly after the triumph of Vikram and Mamannan in Tamil and Pushpa in Telugu, has significantly contributed to the accolades the film is receiving.

The filmmaker has taken a multilingual approach, portraying the character Rangan as a Malayali thug residing in Bengaluru with a thick Kannada accent. The film is turning out to be a stunning success in Karnataka.

Moreover, the film revolves around students from Bengaluru's engineering colleges living in paying guest accommodations. All of which added the necessary edge and flavour for a bristling inter-language venture.

Kamal nostalgia

The reception the film Manjummel Boys got from Tamil Nadu has been phenomenal. It is true that it was released when the Tamil industry was going through a significant slump, with most movies flopping at the box office. In this backdrop, the Manjummel Boys emerged as a big winner.

The film centres around the Guna Caves in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, with references to the 1991 Kamal Hassan starrer Tamil drama Gunaa, which has sparked nostalgia and interest among Tamil audiences. This clever blend of local setting and cultural references has resonated deeply with viewers.

Apart from the well-crafted screenplay, the presence of Tamil speaking characters added authenticity and made it more engaging for the Tamil audience. The shared linguistic and cultural elements between Malayalees and Tamils have further bridged the gap, allowing Tamil audiences to connect with the film on a personal level.

According to Narayanan, the success of these Malayalam films hinged on 'factors' that resonated deeply with their respective audiences. In a way, Manjummel Boys’ significant impact in Kerala can be attributed to the acceptance it got from Tamil theatres.

Towering performances

Towering performances by the lead actors have also contributed to the success of Malayalam films this year.

Mammootty's Bramayugam received both commercial success and critical acclaim. The veteran actor's stirring performance, which was picked up by non-Malayalam film critics, proved crucial for the film's success across the country.

Similarly, Prithviraj Sukumaran's performance in Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), directed by Blessy, received a lot of critical acclaim and global box-office success. Despite the release of new big films in subsequent weeks, Aadujeevitham continues to perform well worldwide.

"I believe that while other industries pursued big ticket releases like RRR, Salaar or the KGF franchise, Malayalam cinema aimed to fill the niche of parallel cinema in other South industries, particularly, the kind of films made by directors like Vetrimaran or Balaji Sakthivel in Tamil cinema," observed Narayanan.

Better profitability

Another attractive feature of these Malayalam films is that some of them have been made on a small budget. For example, Premalu's budget was around ₹5 crore and the protagonists were all budding actors not big stars. It went on to make about ₹150 crore from its global box-office run.

The relatively modest budgets of Malayalam films have also played a role in the industry's remarkable success in the first half of 2024. Despite their lower production costs, these films have collectively generated revenue surpassing ₹1,000 crore and continue to thrive.

This is a far cry from 2023, when 246 Malayalam films were released and only five films managed to collect more than ₹50 crore worldwide. Leading the pack was Jude Anthany Thomas’s Tovino-starrer disaster survival drama 2018, which mopped up above ₹180 crore at the box-office.

The four other films — Mohanlal’s Neru, the multi-starrer action thriller RDX, Mammootty’s police procedural drama Kannur Squad, and Jeethu Madhavan’s comedy flick Romancham — attracted a reasonable audience and collection, according to industry insiders.