Mollywood was celebrated largely this year with films like Premalu, Manjummel Boys, and Aavesham breaking records and stealing everyone’s hearts with their wonderful performances.
These films opened up a new market and introduced a new kind of storytelling to the audience. However, the Kerala Film Producers’ Association had a different point regarding this. According to an Indian Express report, the committee declared that Mollywood suffered a severe loss this year.
As per a statement by the association, a total of 199 Malayalam films were released this year, and out of which, only 26 managed to pull the audience and were considered successful. The total production cost for all these projects was near to touching Rs 1000 crore. But out of them, only Rs 300 crore was retrieved.
The Kerala Film Producers Association announced that almost Rs 700 crore remained unrecovered because of the production costs and the actors remuneration. The films like Aavesham, Manjummel Boys, Premalu, and ARM touched the Rs 100 crore mark; however, other films like Kishkindha Kaandam, Varshangalkku Sesham, and Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil managed to cross the Rs 50 crore mark and were successful at the box office.
Besides new releases, Mollywood also witnessed old classics that were re-released this year. But in that section too, only Manichitrathazhu and Devadoothan performed well. According to the association, Mohanlal’s most awaited directorial debut, Barroz 3D, is also facing underwhelming results despite the actor’s exaggerated statements.
In their statement, the Kerala Film Producers’ Association mentioned the importance of bringing back the original charm to the theatres.
The success of smaller films like Premalu in 2024 made people believe that content is superior to star power, and this brought people to the theaters.
The association also argued that producing 200 films a year might not be a better plan for the industry as it lacks the market of its neighbouring film industries. The Producers’ Association has made it clear what changes are to be made in the upcoming year for Malayalam films to score huge blockbusters. The association also said that, if the industry adapts, then the future could be brighter for Malayalam films.
Mollywood is known for its small-budget films doing great numbers at the box office. But if the industry starts following the regular template of big-budget films with no stories, then they might end up suffering like other industries, as Mollywood’s USP has always been making small-budget yet thoughtful stories.