Box Office: Can Mohanlal continue his success streak with Thudarum?

After the blockbuster success of L2: Empuraan, Mohanlal is back on the big screen leading the Malayalam crime drama Thudarum. The film was released on April 25, 2025, marking the second release of the superstar this year. Thudarum is directed by Tharun Moorthy and features Mohanlal and Shobana in the lead. 

With the recent success of L2: Empuraan, Mohanlal made a huge comeback after consecutive box office failures of his past films. The success of this Lucifer sequel elevated the hype for Mohanlal’s immediate next release, Thudarum. With the release of the film, it is now facing a huge hype as well as a hugely positive reception from the audience. 

Mohanlal’s recent downfall at the box office

Before the release of Prithviraj Sukumaran's directorial L2: Empuraan, Mohanlal suffered through several consecutive failures, which included the period action drama Malaikottai Vaaliban, which grossed only Rs 30 crore worldwide. 

Later, his dry period continued with Barroz 3D, a fantasy film starring Mohanlal as well as marking his directorial debut. It was a high-budget film that ended up grossing only Rs 18 crore in its complete run.

Watch the Thudarum trailer

A successful comeback with L2: Empuraan

L2: Empuraan carried huge pre-release hype as it was one of the biggest and most memorable blockbusters of Mohanlal as well as the Malayalam industry in its recent years. Justifying its pre-release hype, the film broke several industry records even before its release, registering its name among the biggest Malayalam blockbusters with a global cume of Rs 262 crore gross till now.

Nearing 1 month of its theatrical run, L2: Empuraan is currently eyeing the end of its run after its OTT premiere. It is currently running on a very small level and is ending its Kerala run with a gross of Rs 86.30 crore, the second-highest Kerala grosser behind Tovino Thomas starrer 2018, while it stands as the highest-grossing Malayalam movie worldwide.

As the film wraps up its blockbuster run, Mohanlal stepped up on the big screen once again with Thudarum. This latest release of Mohanlal carries huge hype due to two major reasons: his new movie after the blockbuster L2: Empuraan and the return of his on-screen pairing with Shobana in a full-fledged role after a long time. 

Carried by these factors as well as the positive reception coming from the critics and the audience, the film has opened to huge excitement from the public. With barely any huge marketing strategies, the film sold over 1.25 lakh tickets worth Rs 2.20 crore in Kerala. Its current worldwide advance booking gross stands at Rs 3.50 crore. Judging by these pre-release numbers, the film can surely see another success for Mohanlal in the long run.

Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.

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