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Box Office: Mohanlal becomes 3rd senior actor from South India to enter Rs 250 crore worldwide club as leading man
Mohanlal enters the elite Rs 250 crore worldwide club as a lead actor, becoming the 3rd senior South Indian star to achieve this box office milestone. Read full details.
At a time when younger actors are constantly jostling for box office space, South India’s seasoned legends are quietly rewriting the rules these days. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, with his effortless screen presence and enduring mass appeal, has now stormed into the coveted ₹250 crore club, proving something really big. It's a powerful reminder that real star power doesn’t fade and only grows stronger with time, provided that one needs to deliver content-driven, engaging mass films.
Following in the footsteps of other superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, who turns 65 this May, has officially become the third senior superstar from South India to headline a ₹250 crore grosser with Empuraan, a political action thriller that released this Eid on March 27. Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer. Mohanlal reprises his role as the enigmatic and powerful Stephen Nedumpally, also known as Khureshi-Ab'Ram, and the film's narrative focuses much on the latter character. The film also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, and Indrajith Sukumaran in interesting roles.
Empuraan peels back the layers of Stephen’s rise to power, tracing his journey from shadows to global underworld kingpin amid a swirl of action and political tension. The film’s phenomenal regional run has powered it past the ₹250 crore mark, making Mohanlal the only actor of his generation from Malayalam cinema to hit that milestone as a solo lead. It’s not just a win but a solid statement.
This places him alongside Rajinikanth, whose Jailer (2023), directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, earned over ₹600 crore. That film saw Rajini’s Muthuvel Pandian come out of retirement for a blood-soaked rescue mission, backed by Sun Pictures. Similarly, Kamal Haasan’s Vikram (2022), directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Raaj Kamal Films, brought him roaring back as a retired agent hunting a drug cartel, collecting ₹400+ crore globally.
Curiously, all three of these huge hits are action thrillers, proving once again that crowds can be drawn in by exhilarating narratives paired with the charm of mass elements. In addition to elevating Malayalam cinema's reputation internationally, L2 Empuraan honors the lasting contributions of South India's greatest icons as it continues its theatrical run.
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