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Malayalam superstar Mammootty recently won the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Bramayugam. The honour marked his fourth Best Actor National Award, putting him on par with Amitabh Bachchan for the most wins in the category. However, despite an illustrious career spanning nearly six decades and unmatched critical acclaim, Mammootty is yet to achieve one major box office milestone—the 100 crore club. So, why hasn’t one of Malayalam cinema’s biggest stars joined this elite list?
Mammootty Prioritises Content Over Mass Entertainers
He is a legendary talent who has nothing left to prove to anyone. The actor commands a massive fan base and is known for his acting talents. Over the years, he has worked across different genres of film and experimented with a range of roles. In the last five years, the Malayalam film actor has surprised everyone with the kind of roles he has accepted. With films like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Kaathal – The Core, Bramayugam, Rorschach, and Kannur Squad, the superstar has shown that his priority is tending to his creative side. For most of his films, he has been appreciated for his performances, and they have found a niche audience. Such films naturally have a lower commercial ceiling.
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Malayalama cinema and 100 Crore Films
The Malayalam cinema has a small market. While their films have pan-India popularity, most audiences outside Kerala wait until the films’ OTT releases to watch them. This largely restricts the film’s theatrical audience to Kerala. The industry has had only a handful of movies in the 100 crore club, with Mohanlal dominating most of them. The films that have grossed 100 crore in recent years include Lucifer, 2018, Premalu, Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham, Aavesham, A.R.M, Marco, Empuraan, Thudarum, Sarvam Maya, Lokah, Aadu 3, Vazha 2, and Drishyam 3.
In other film industries, especially Bollywood and Tollywood, securing 100 crore has become the bare minimum, and they have moved on to bigger milestones of the 300 and 500 cr clubs. With films like Dhurandhar, the 1000 crore club has also been unlocked. But in the Kerala industry, the 100 crore milestone is still a massive deal. Most Malayalam films are still made on a small budget, with actors charging less than half of what Bollywood, Tollywood, and Kollywood stars do.
Why are Mammootty’s Films Not Reaching the Triple Digit?
Mammootty’s recent films have not particularly attracted the family audience. In the last few years, he has not been seen in films that will be particularly loved by a family audience. Instead, he has been part of psychological thrillers, dark dramas, and experimental works. He has been receiving accolades for the film Bramayugam, a folk horror drama that was not everyone’s cup of tea. He also played a gay man in Kaathal: The Core, which was an experimental role for an actor of his stature. Malayalam films that have crossed 100 crore have had youth appeal, comedy, adventure elements, or franchise appeal.
Can Mammootty stoll achieve 100 crore?
Of course he can! Several of his recent films, like Kannur Squad, Bheeshma Parvam, and Bramayugam, have come close to the 100 crore club. Earlier this year, his film Patriot was expected to help him enter the 100 crore club. While the film had a double-digit opening, mixed reactions prevented it from entering the 100 crore club. The film ended its lifetime run with a worldwide gross of 80.53.
The superstar will next be seen in the film OM, which also stars Dhanush. It marks Mammootty’s return to Tamil cinema. The film will clash with Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 in theatres. Mammootty also has another exciting Malayalam film Mattancherry Mafia directed by Khalid Rahman on the cards. The film has the potential to be Mammootty’s next big blockbuster.
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