Box Office: Mohanlal flaunts star power with back-to-back million-dollar grossers in North America - L2 Empuraan and Thudarum

Some actors chase trends. Others create legacies. At 64, Mohanlal isn't just making films; he's rewriting what’s possible for Malayalam cinema on the global stage. In just one month, the legendary actor has delivered two films, L2 Empuraan and Thudarum, each crossing the USD 1 million mark in North America. That’s not just a box office milestone. That’s a statement.

L2 Empuraan, the much-awaited second part in the Lucifer trilogy, saw Mohanlal in top form as a man leading a double life. He played a political figure on one side and the mysterious head of a global crime syndicate on the other. Directed by hero Prithviraj Sukumaran, the action extravaganza opened big despite Eid competition with other biggies. It also featured an ensemble cast including Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, and Indrajith Sukumaran. L2 Empuraan was stylish, sharp, and cinematic; the kind of film that was built for the big screen.

Then came Thudarum, a completely different film in tone, scale, and pace. Here, Mohanlal plays Shanmugham, aka Benz, a gentle cab driver from a quiet village who shares a deep bond with his black Ambassador car. When the car goes missing under suspicious circumstances, the story slowly unravels into a gripping tale of loss, honor, and ultimately revenge. Directed by Tharun Moorthy, the film was released without publicity, but word-of-mouth became a promotion worth crores.

 

Both the films, so different in story and energy, could draw massive crowds overseas, and that too in such a short span. This is something only Mohanlal could pull off. His fans got to see him twice in a month on the big screen, and both times, the response was electric. With younger stars constantly trying to break into pan-India markets, Mohanlal is showing that consistency, versatility, and legacy still pack the biggest punch.

At a time when cinema is changing fast, Mohanlal is not just keeping up but setting the pace and example.

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