11 April,2025 11:22 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Stills from Vishu releases
The Kerala box office is packed with the festive releases of Vishu. The state saw the release of three Malayalam films, even as Mohanlal's Empuraan continues its strong run. On April 10, Mammootty's Bazooka, Naslen's Alappuzha Gymkhana, and Basil Joseph's Maranamass hit theatres.
The Kerala film industry never viewed the three simultaneous releases as a major clash, but rather as a celebration of diverse cinema. All three films belong to different genres and have offered audiences a variety of options to choose from this festive season.
At the box office, Mammootty showcased his star power with Bazooka. The film, which presents his mass appeal in a glamorous role, earned Rs 3.25 crore on its opening day, reports Sacnilk.com.
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Meanwhile, Alappuzha Gymkhana, directed by Khalid Rahman, followed closely behind with a collection of Rs 2.75 crore. The film stars Naslen, one of the rising stars of Malayalam cinema. His previous film Premalu was a blockbuster and helped him gain popularity in other southern states, especially Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Basil Joseph, who has been enjoying a successful run as an actor, came up with Maranamass. The film earned a modest Rs 1.1 crore despite competition from the other two films. Basil has proven to be a bankable star with his recent hits. Maranamass is a dark comedy backed by leading Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas.
Apart from these three, Kerala also saw the release of the Tamil film 'Good Bad Ugly', starring Ajith. The film collected Rs 72 lakh in the state. Meanwhile, Empuraan, which was released on March 27, collected Rs 44 lakh on Thursday.
Bazooka secured the highest number of shows in the state, with nearly 1,000 screenings on Day 1. Alappuzha Gymkhana secured nearly 900 shows, while Maranamass had around 650 shows.
While not a direct clash, it's probably the first time in a long while that both Mammootty and Mohanlal's films are running simultaneously in theatres and performing well. The two stars have been experimenting with different genres despite commanding a massive and loyal fan base in the state for decades.
In another two weeks, Mohanlal will return with his family drama Thudarum, which reunites him with Shobana.
