Box Office Watch: Can Thudarum achieve the Kerala Rs 100 crore milestone that Empuraan missed?

There’s something quietly powerful about Superstar Mohanlal walking into theatres without the weight of franchise expectations. That’s exactly what’s happening with Thudarum, a grounded crime drama that released today across Kerala. The Tharun Moorthy directorial, bankrolled by M. Renjith, is drawing attention not just for its content but also for the possibilities it holds at the box office.

While L2 Empuraan arrived earlier this year with blockbuster momentum, opening to a massive Rs 14 crore day-one collection in Kerala, it eventually wrapped up shy of the magical mark. It ended its local run somewhere around Rs 87 crore. Despite beating its competitors like Manjummel Boys, which collected Rs 72.10 crore, and Tovino Thomas' 2018, which earned Rs 89.50 crore in Kerala, Empuraan still missed the Rs 100 crore milestone in its home state.

Now, Thudarum seems to be stirring a new kind of excitement, with positive reviews flowing in. Set entirely in Kerala and rooted in local emotion, the film plays on nostalgia, regional identity, and the celebrated pairing of Mohanlal and Shobana. Fans believe this emotionally charged story, centered around a taxi driver and his deep bond with an old Ambassador car, could do what Empuraan could not. It might finally become the first Mohanlal film to cross Rs 100 crore in Kerala alone.

 

Early signs are encouraging, we have to say, as the first day is projected to collect around Rs 4 crore. That’s an impressive number for a film without mass-action tropes. Advance bookings have shown strong demand in urban and semi-urban regions, with word of mouth now kicking in after the early morning shows. While Empuraan had scale, spectacle, and branding, Thudarum is running on heart, content, and a pure Kerala vibe. And sometimes, that’s more than enough.

So, will Thudarum be the one that finally takes Mohanlal past the Rs 100 crore mark in Kerala? That’s the question echoing through cinema halls this weekend, one show at a time.

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