OPINION: With Mohanlal starrer Thudarum and Naslen’s Alappuzha Gymkhana, is Malayalam cinema finding revenue stream in Telugu movies?

Malayalam cinema and its prominence among the audience have been growing at a steady rate. The effectiveness of the movies from Malayalam is evident with the success of dubbed releases and OTT debuts. And it seems that the industry is getting a new market and a source of income.

Recently, Mohanlal-starrer Thudarum and Naslen’s Alappuzha Gymkhana are making their way to the Telugu audience with the dubbed versions. Instead of waiting for its OTT debut with a Telugu dub, the makers have decided to release it in theaters.

Why is Malayalam cinema debuting with dubbed versions among the Telugu audience?

Malayalam cinema has been growing in popularity with its dubbed releases, especially on OTT. However, with a lack of major Telugu releases in the region, theater owners are more open to exhibiting content from other industries, including Malayalam cinema.

Earlier in 2024, Naslen had made quite a promising niche for himself with his film Premalu. With the Malayalam romantic comedy making quite an impact amongst the audience, Naslen became a popular face in Telugu cinema.

Now, with his latest flick, Alappuzha Gymkhana, already being a successful venture among the Malayalee audience, the makers have shifted to a Telugu release as well.

Not limiting their promotions to the Malayalee region, the cast and crew were seen actively promoting their venture among Tamil and Telugu audiences. This was the same for the movie Manjummel Boys, making quite a promising market for realistic films.

See Alappuzha Gymkhana trailer:

Similarly, Mohanlal has always been a superstar who holds prominence amongst people. The actor who predominantly acts in Malayalam movies has been known to venture into other languages as well, making him one of the most prominent actors in India.

L2E enjoyed an average reception from the Telugu audience, even with mixed reviews. Without any doubt, the actor is enjoying the popularity among the new masses.

With the cause and effect being visible, it seems that the makers of Mohanlal’s latest venture, Thudarum, are releasing its dubbed version in Telugu theaters. As the early reports of the movie making quite an impactful reception, it seems that the film will have a strong run at the box office.

The superstar had a dry spell till 2024 but with L2E and Thudarum, the actor is back on track with a promising list of releases on his way. Now, it would be interesting to see whether Malayalam cinema would continue its prominence among Telugu audiences.

Check out Thudarum trailer:

Interestingly, Telugu cinema being dubbed and released in the Malayalam region has been the norm for many years. From the early 2000s, Allu Arjun has continued to enjoy a prominent fan base in Kerala with his dubbed releases. Now, it would be interesting to see whether something similar would happen in a vice-versa scenario.

What does the future of Malayalam cinema look like?

If makers from Malayalam cinema manage to deal their cards right, it seems that they could continue their effectiveness among non-Malayalee audiences in an organic manner. This seems like the same reason why the makers of Drishyam 3 have decided to continue their franchise with a pan-Indian release.

The movie is said to have been made only in Malayalam and later dubbed into other languages, rather than making it a multilingual venture. With production still left to begin, Drishyam 3 would be a venture that would be marketed as a Malayalam movie amongst the audience.

Holding up a strong start for the audience, it would be interesting to see how the makers manage to pull off a marketing technique that would be suitable for everyone.

Furthermore, if reports are to be believed, several upcoming Malayalam movies’ rights have been bought by Telugu distributors. Apparently, up to Rs 1 crore has been paid by the distributors for the dubbed versions, making it a relatively low-risk investment for them.

With such investments, a film’s success would give the investors 3x-5x of the original capital, while a flop would only have minimal loss. If this standard of dubbing films from Malayalam cinema continues to grow, then it surely would be a successful stream of income for Malayalam cinema.

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