Mollywood’s biggest Box Office battle: Mohanlal’s Empuraan vs Mammootty’s Bazooka: 2019 then, 2025 yet again!

In 2019, Mohanlal’s Lucifer & Mammootty’s Madhura Raja clashed at the box office — now in 2025, Empuraan & Bazooka are set to recreate the same epic Mollywood showdown!

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Published on Mar 04, 2025 | 07:13 PM IST | 7.7K

Credit: Empuraan L2E and Jinu V. Abraham

Mollywood’s biggest cinematic clash is all set to unfold this summer, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled. Malayalam cinema’s two legendary superstars — Mohanlal and Mammootty — are gearing up to recreate a historic box office battle that first shook the industry back in 2019.

Rewinding to 2019, it was a golden year for both these icons. Mohanlal’s Lucifer, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, released on March 28 and went on to become a monumental blockbuster. It didn’t just break records, it redefined stardom, crossing ₹100 crore at the box office and running successfully for over 50 days. The political thriller, which unravelled the dark secrets of Kerala’s power corridors, saw Mohanlal in one of his most iconic roles as Stephen Nedumpally, the man who turned out to be the elusive international criminal Khureshi-Ab’ram.

Just 14 days later, on April 12, 2019, Mammootty arrived with his action-packed entertainer Madhura Raja, directed by Vysakh. The mass masala flick struck gold at the box office. The film brought back the beloved character Raja, who takes down a ruthless liquor baron and ultimately steps into politics, creating the legend of Minister Raja. The back-to-back blockbusters from Mohanlal and Mammootty made 2019 an unforgettable year for Mollywood fans.

Fast forward to 2025, and history is all set to repeat itself — almost like déjà vu! Mohanlal’s highly anticipated Lucifer sequel, Empuraan, directed once again by Prithviraj Sukumaran, is officially locked for a grand release on March 27, 2025. Just like 2019, exactly 14 days later, Mammootty’s stylish action thriller Bazooka will hit screens on April 10, 2025.

With both films carrying sky-high expectations, social media is already buzzing with fan wars, predictions, and nostalgic throwbacks to the Lucifer vs Madhura Raja clash. Will Empuraan and Bazooka recreate the magic and take the box office by storm again? Will Lalettan and Mammookka set new benchmarks all over again?

One thing’s for sure — the Mollywood box office is in for an epic showdown, and fans are ready to celebrate their demigods in style!