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Although it has been over a decade since he made his film debut, Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan has still not established himself as a bankable star who can guarantee at least a decent opening for his movies, let alone massive lifetime collections. While he has delivered a few blockbusters over the years, consistency has not been his strong suit, resulting in a career graph that has always fluctuated.
In December 2024, he delivered the biggest solo hit of his career thus far, Marco, directed by Haneef Adeni as a spin-off to his Nivin Pauly-led Mikhael (2019). Although the movie sparked massive controversy over its extremely grotesque and graphic depiction of violence, Marco recorded a worldwide gross of Rs 102.55 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk, and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of 2024. Marketed as “the most violent Indian film,” Marco became a nationwide sensation and even eclipsed its box office rivals like Mohanlal’s Barroz – Guardian of Treasures and Varun Dhawan’s Baby John effortlessly.
Soon, a massive PR campaign emerged from certain quarters, positioning Unni Mukundan as the latest “pan-Indian star.” The film’s performance in both domestic and overseas markets suggested that this might indeed be the case. However, the narrative proved to be ephemeral, and weeks after Marco’s blockbuster success, Unni delivered a box office disappointment, Get Set Baby. According to a report released by the Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) in March — revealing the budget of Malayalam movies released in February and the share of revenue each generated from theatres in the state — Get Set Baby was mounted on a budget of Rs 9.99 crore.
However, the film, which hit the screens on February 21, managed to generate a theatre share of only Rs 1.40 crore from Kerala. Although the film was still in its theatrical run when the report was released in mid-March, it’s unlikely that it managed to create wonders at the box office during this period, particularly since it coincided with the school annual exams season and Ramadan, when footfall at cinema halls is usually very low.
In the third week of March, almost a month after the movie’s release, Koimoi reported that the Unni Mukundan-starrer managed to collect only Rs 3.43 crore in India in 27 days. Even if this was the domestic nett collection, it’s evident that the movie bombed big time, crushing the PR efforts surrounding the actor. Helmed by Vinay Govind, Get Set Baby also featured Nikhila Vimal, Shyam Mohan, Chemban Vinod Jose, Surabhi Lakshmi, Johny Antony and Sudheesh in key roles.
Marco, on the other hand, starred Siddique, Jagadish, Kabir Duhan Singh and Abhimanyu Shammi Thilakan alongside Unni Mukundan. Made on a budget of Rs 21 crore, according to Sacnilk, it had registered a domestic nett of Rs 60.27 crore.
The actor’s subsequent film, Mehfil, also made no waves at the box office. His next movie is Maa Vande, a biographical film exploring the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Unni Mukundan is known for his work in movies such as Mallu Singh, Vikramadithyan, KL 10 Patthu, Achayans, Meppadiyan, Malikappuram, Janatha Garage and Garudan.
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