Unni Mukundan feels ‘burdened’ by Malayalam cinema’s ‘good and neat’ reputation; ‘expecting a KGF or Baahubali…’

Unni Mukundan talks about the pressures on Malayalam cinema, as he voices his expectations about the kind of films he wants to make in Kerala. Read on.

By Srijony Das

Published on Feb 12, 2025 | 12:15 PM IST | 4.8K

After Marco, Unni Mukundan REVEALS he’s ‘expecting a Baahubali or KGF’ in Malayalam cinema (PC: Unni Mukundan on IG)

Unni Mukundan has been grabbing attention following the success of his film Marco, which has been deemed one of the most violent movies in recent times. Since then, he has been vocal about the kind of films he wants Malayalam cinema to produce, especially in comparison to other regional industries. Recently, he addressed the burden actors like him face due to the expectation of delivering ‘neat films.’

Speaking with Galatta Plus, Unni Mukundan discussed the brutal fight scenes he filmed for Marco—something considered highly conventional in Malayalam cinema, which has long held a reputation for being ‘neat’ and refined.

He added that this preconceived notion had become burdensome for new-generation actors like him, who often feel uncertain about meeting that benchmark in the first place. Unni pointed out that such pressure is not as prevalent among Tamil and Telugu actors.

In his words, “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to achieve that ‘good cinema’ tag with every film. In fact, people shouldn’t be burdened with the responsibility of only making ‘good’ movies or benchmark movies. I don’t see that pressure for actors in Telugu, Hindi, or even Tamil cinema.”

Moving on, the Marco actor emphasized his desire to work on larger-than-life films, similar to the grand productions frequently seen in Telugu and Tamil cinema. He referenced blockbuster franchises like KGF and Baahubali, known for their massive scale and wide appeal.

Unni Mukundan recalled what his good friend Prithviraj Sukumaran had to say to him on the same matter.

He said, “I want to do bigger cinema. I am expecting a KGF or Baahubali from Kerala. Even my good friend Prithvi (Prithviraj Sukumaran) also mentioned the same. Why aren’t such projects happening when you have the best of technicians and actors in Malayalam? What is holding us back?”