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While major film industries in India, including Bollywood, Telugu and Tamil, are struggling with a troubling trend of films failing at the box office despite being loaded with stars and high budgets, the Malayalam film industry is thriving, generating hundreds of crores from consecutive successes. Even as other industries are struggling to get back on their feet after falling on their faces, the Malayalam film industry has already witnessed multiple blockbusters and just as many superhits, reportedly zooming past the Rs 1,000 crore mark at the worldwide box office.
Interestingly, three films alone contributed about 55 per cent of the total gross as Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) and Aavesham earned Rs 240.94 crore, Rs 157.44 crore, and Rs 153.52 crore, respectively, industry tracker Sacnilk reported. Ahead of the release of director Vipin Das’ Guruvayoorambala Nadayil, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal, and Anaswara Rajan in the lead roles, Mathrubhumi had reported that Malayalam cinema’s cumulative collection from January to April 2024 had reached Rs 985 crore. Combining this with Sacnilk’s report that Guruvayoorambala Nadayil’s worldwide gross has crossed the Rs 30 crore mark, the industry’s total worldwide gross has exceeded Rs 1,000 crore, making 2024 a landmark year in its history.
Last year, Mathrubhumi further reported, the industry had witnessed a total global gross of about Rs 500 crore with the success of films like 2018, Kannur Squad, RDX, Neru and Romancham. Malayalam cinema has so far contributed 20 per cent of India’s total gross collection in 2024, while Bollywood has contributed only 38 per cent. Remarkably, five of the top ten highest-grossing films in Mollywood’s history — Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham, Aavesham, Premalu and Bramayugam — were released in 2024.
The industry’s domestic nett, meanwhile, has surpassed Rs 500 crore, with Manjummel Boys contributing Rs 141.99 crore, Aadujeevitham Rs 85.08 crore, Aavesham Rs 84.73 crore, Premalu Rs 75.64 crore and Bramayugam Rs 27.03 crore.
Bollywood, which saw two Rs 1,000 crore grossers last year due to Shah Rukh Khan’s major comeback and several Rs 500 crore grossers, has been struggling this year. Many have also been pointing out the industry’s failure to maintain last year’s success streak, which followed a prolonged downturn. Director Siddharth Anand’s Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer Fighter, which earned Rs 358.89 crore, is, as of today, Bollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2024. Shaitaan (Rs 213.64 crore), Crew (Rs 151.35 crore), Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (Rs 146.26 crore), and Article 370 (Rs 105.15 crore) are the only other films that managed to cross the Rs 100 crore mark this year.
Tollywood, which once dominated India’s cinema scene, has only had two successful films this year — Hanu-Man and Tillu Square — and most of its highly ambitious movies this year, including Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, Nagarjuna’s Naa Saami Ranga, Ravi Teja’s Eagle, Venkatesh’s Saindhav, and Vijay Deverakonda’s The Family Star, tanked miserably.
Kollywood, on the other hand, is in an even worse state, with only one film, Captain Miller, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark this year. The only other films that made an impact were Ayalaan and Aranmanai 4.
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