Prithviraj Sukumaran debunks Malayalam cinema's financial crisis reports, says, "It's a high-risk, high failure rate industry"

Filmmaker and actor Prithviraj Sukumaran is gearing up for his upcoming political action thriller, L2: Empuraan. He is hoping to create a new box office record with the upcoming sequel. His film, Lucifer, was a blockbuster hit and earned a whopping Rs 100 crore.

However, Prithviraj has recently reflected on giving the blockbusters and how he has pushed the boundaries as a filmmaker despite having a crisis in the Malayalam film industry.

In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Prithviraj reflected on Lucifer's sequel being released during a tough time for Malayalam cinema. Most of the Malayalam films were failed at the box office last year. Additionally, there have been reports of shutting down the industry. However, Prithviraj isn't too worried about this.

He said, “I can guarantee there will not be a single year in the existence of cinema where, as a business, cinema has turned over an annual net profit. It's a high-risk, high failure rate industry.”

The actor added, “Everyone knows that. It's just been spoken about more right now. This whole hue and cry about the various film industries of India being at a loss is because we have news channels, social media, and means of communication more accessible to the general public.”

He explained, “There has never been any film industry in the world where if you have made 100 films a year, 80 of them have been hits. It's always been a high failure rate industry.”

However, when asked about what kept the camera rolling during the crisis, the actor-filmmaker explained that the business was attractive due to the quick return on investment, which sometimes reached 300-400%. He added that, apart from this, the film industry business is a gamble.

Also Read: Prithviraj Sukumaran reveals Mohanlal "has not taken a single rupee" for L2: Empuraan

Previously, Prithviraj Sukumaran revealed that actor Mohanlal didn’t charge a penny for the film. He also revealed that he and his crew have invested everything into the upcoming film.

Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and written by Murali Gopy, L2: Empuraan is the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer. The film features an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Manju Warrier and Tovino Thomas. The film also features international stars like Jerome Flynn, Andrea Tivadar, and Eriq Ebouaney.

The film revolves around Stephen’s rise to power as the infamous Khureshi Ab’raam as well as the aftermath of his departure from Kerala politics at the end of Lucifer.