Malayalam films storm theatres in Karnataka; 'Empuraan' makes a big splash

Prithviraj Sukumaran, Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier and others had recently descended in Bengaluru to promote the film. This film is being released in many theaters across the state by none other than Hombale Films, (which produced 'KGF', 'Kantara' etc.,) and it is to be noted that no other Malayalam film has been released on this scale and with so much fanfare in Karnataka earlier.

'Might cut 20 minutes'

"For the first time, a Malayalam film has been released on such a large scale in Karnataka. The makers might reduce the length of the movie by about 20 minutes though," said K Rajesh, Hombale Films. The film is nearly three hours long.

It is not unusual for Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil filmmakers to make a beeline to Bengaluru to promote their new releases in Karnataka.

However, of late, promotional events for Malayalam movies are being organised in Bengaluru in a big way.

Joju George's 'Pani', Tovino Thomas' 'A.R.M', Prithviraj Sukumar's 'Aadujeevitham' and 'Kaduva' were also promoted by the respective film teams in Bengaluru.

Although these films were not big hits in Karnataka, they mopped up good earnings from the state.

Also read: L2 Empuraan review: Menacing Mohanlal holds the fort in a drawled-out sequel

'Manjummel Boys' is the highest grosser

It seems that in recent years, the number of people flocking to watch Malayalam films has gone up in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru.

However, not all films made in the Malayalam film industry are released here. Films starring popular actors like Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Fahadh Fazil, etc., find their way to theatres in Karnataka. The box-office hit film from Kerala, the survival thriller ‘Manjummel Boys’, which was released last year, is said to have earned ₹13 crore in Karnataka.

Similarly, Fahadh Fazil’s film ‘Avesham’ is said to have raked in ₹10 crore. However, ‘Manjummel Boys’, which was one of Malayalam cinema's biggest grosser collecting more than ₹200 crore worldwide, emerged as the highest-grossing film in Karnataka so far.

A handful of theatres

Malayalam films have always been screened in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, for decades.

However, their number is fewer compared to Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films. Even in some areas, which house a large Malayalam-speaking population, there were only one or two screenings a day. The screening of Malayalam films was limited to theatres like Sangeet in Shivajinagar, HMT Auditorium, Galaxy Paradise on Begur Road, and Bharathi in Peenya.

Adult movies

About 20-25 years ago, the number of adult films in Malayalam shot up, and they were shown in many tents in Bangalore as morning shows. These films were especially popular with actresses Shakeela, Reshma, etc., and there was huge demand to watch them in these tents.

In the past, Malayalam films thus had a dubious reputation for its 'adult' content.

This period is also known as ‘Shakeela Tharangam’ in Kerala. For a few years, Shakeela's films were also released in other states and they raked in a lot of profits. Unfortunately, these films also brought a lot of notoriety to the Malayalam film industry.

Gradually, Malayalam cinema shed this image and focused on making content-driven, good films again.

Films like ‘Udayananum Tharam’, ‘Bhramaram’, ‘Bangalore Days’, ‘Ustad Hotel’, ‘Thanmatra’, ‘Traffic’, ‘Drishyam’, ‘Mahisinte Pratikaram’, ‘Mumbai Police’, ‘Trance’, ‘Ayyapanum Koshiyam’, ‘Driving License’, ‘Kumbalangi Nights’, ‘Thondi Muttalum Drukshakshiyum’, etc., hit theatres and completely erased that notorious image of 'adult' Malayalam films. A new crop of directors showed the way for experimental and good cinema that can be accessible to everyone, across borders.

Also read: 2024: A year when Malayalam cinema embraced new horizons

OTT, lockdown play key role in transformation

In addition to the new wave of directors that appeared on the Malayalam film industry landscape, the lockdown and OTT played a key role in boosting Malayalam cinema's image.

Earlier, experimental Malayalam films were limited to Kerala before the OTT revolution. At most, neighbouring states were aware of these films. However, after viewers watched Malayalam films on OTT during the Covid lockdown, things changed for Malayalam cinema. Viewers understood the value of these films. Malayalam films became the rage and they won over many fans not just in South India but also in North India.

Furthermore, in Karnataka, Kannadigas too started to take a liking for Malayalam films in a big way.

Bengaluru in Malayalam films

Bengaluru also became a setting in Malayalam films and this also brought in audiences from the state.

In the late 80s, the Priyadarshan film ‘Vandanam’ starring Mohanlal was shot entirely in Bengaluru. Subsequently, many films were shot in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru. Moreover, shooting is not limited to just songs. There are some films that are a part of the Bengaluru story like ‘Bangalore Days’, ‘Avesham’, ‘100 Days of Love’, ‘Butterflies’, ‘Officer on Duty’ etc.

Overall, Malayalam films have gained a large audience in Karnataka in recent years. These films have become so popular that the Good Shepherd college in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar, has announced a holiday on March 27 for the release of the 'L2: Empuraan'.

The college has also arranged exclusive film screenings for students, faculty, and community members.

For many years, the Kannada film industry complained about the competition from Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu films. But in the future, they may have to watch out for Malayalam films taking over their theatres as well.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)