Lokah, Malayalam cinema’s first female-led superhero film, has had a roaring success on the box office, giving industry's biggest names a serious run for their money by mopping Rs 96.15 crore in overseas box office collections to surpass Mohanlal’s Thudarum which garnered Rs 93.80 crore in the international market.
"This Malayalam movie (Lokah) has done extraordinarily well both in India and overseas," Girish Johar, a producer and film trade expert told Moneycontrol. Already, the film has emerged as the second highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time at the international box office, ahead of blockbusters like the Manjummel Boys, which earned Rs 74 crore internationally.
Back home, the film recorded net collections of Rs 97.85 crore and did a gross business of Rs 115.46 crore since its August 28 release, taking its worldwide collections to Rs 211.61 crore in 14 days.
Made with a budget of around Rs 30 crore, the superhero blockbuster has raked in Rs 67.85 crore as profit at a return on investment of 226 percent based on its India business only, and is just a few crores short of joining the Rs 100 crore club in India.
Lokah lights up box office
Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra has set new benchmarks for Malayalam cinema, emerging as the biggest film of the year with over 50 percent pan-India occupancy till September 11, said Kamal Gianchandani, Chief Business Strategy Officer, PVR INOX.
"Powered by the dazzling performance of Kalyani Priyadarshan, the film has redefined the way a Malayalam story can travel across India. Its dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu are pulling in massive crowds, making it a truly pan-India spectacle. The response from metros to Tier-two cities has been overwhelming," he added.
The movie has maintained robust occupancy levels. In its opening week, the film averaged over 95 percent occupancy across screenings, from early morning shows to late-night and even post-midnight screenings, particularly around Onam holidays, noted Ashish Saksena, COO (Chief Operating Officer), Cinemas, BookMyShow.
Till date, it has sold almost 4 million tickets across key markets on BookMyShow, becoming the third-fastest Malayalam title to surpass both the 2 million and 3 million ticket sales milestones, he added. "While occupancy has since, stabilised at steady levels, the film continues to sustain audience interest, bolstered by strong word-of-mouth and repeat viewings."
One moviegoer in Delhi said she watched Lokah on a weekday with the theatre half full. "Watching Kalyani Priyadarshan as a superhero was a surprise. It had a hint of the movie Twilight but this film has a girl saving a guy," he added.
The film has resonated across all age groups and the fact that the movie has a lady superhero is doing wonders to its appeal, said Nitin Menon, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of NV Capital.
"It is the first time that we have seen that happening in Indian cinema. It is a raging hit in Malayalam and it has done very well in Telugu too in spite of being a female oriented film and the leading star cast not having a fan following in Telugu. The fact that the leading Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan under his banner Wayfarer Films is the producer of the film is a huge plus especially in Telugu markets where he has a substantial amount of fan following," Nitin Menon added.
The buzz is strong for the upcoming installments with Chapter 1: Chandra giving a glimpse of what more to expect.
"In the end credits of Lokah Part 1, we get to see Tovino Thomas who will become part of the franchise in the next film. The cherry on top was we got a glimpse of Dulquer Salmaan in the end credits," the moviegoer told Moneycontrol.
Malayalam marvels
Malayalam industry is on an upward trajectory as compared to previous years, marked by rising occupancy levels, increased ticket sales and greater visibility beyond Kerala, particularly in urban centers across India, Saksena said.
"Malayalam cinema has set the trend for good quality post-pandemic content format by choosing to go back to basics and releasing films that don’t depend on superstars or big budgets to create impact."
Nitin Menon said in the last couple of years, Malayalam cinema has been doing particularly well and many of the movies are hitting the three-figure mark in box office collections which once was rare for the industry.
Johar said the segment which once was niche has now become more commercial. "Certain films are hitting it out of the park, which is a good sign."
With their diversified content ecosystem and their ability to take risks and try new genres, Malayalam cinema is truly pushing the envelope and trying differentiated content, Nitin Menon added.
"Though a lot of movies are falling across the wayside, a sizable number is also hitting the ball out of the park in becoming blockbusters. If we look at the data of Malayalam cinema over the last year or two, the numbers have been encouraging," he said.
Festivals and holiday seasons such as Onam have further boosted footfalls, while sustained word-of-mouth has helped films enjoy longer box office runs, Saksena added.
"The year is shaping up to be strong for not just Malayalam cinema but also for regional cinema on a broader level, with a steady stream of engaging content that has witnessed consistently high audience interest. Malayalam films such as ‘L2: Empuran’, ‘Thudarum’, ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’, ‘Narivetta’ and most recently ‘Lokah’, have all performed strongly across genres," he said.
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