Box Office: Revisiting Mohanlal's 2025 blockbusters Empuraan and Thudarum on his birthday

Malayalam Superstar Mohanlal has turned 65 years old today, Wednesday. The actor is synonymous with versatility in cinema. Debuted with Manjil Virinja Pookkal in 1980, the actor has completed almost 45 years in the film industry. He has delivered several memorable characters and cult movies in his entire career spanning over 4 decades. 

The latest two releases, L2 Empuraan and Thudarum, proved once again why he is termed as the biggest crowd puller in Malayalam cinema. Here's diving into the box office performance of both movies, which took the small regional film industry to new heights. 

L2 Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal as Stephen Nedumpally aka Abram Khureshi, has emerged as the biggest box office hit at the worldwide box office. The movie opened with a record start of Rs 67 crore globally and went on to smash over Rs 265 crore gross by the end of its theatrical run. 

It smashed all the previous records and emerged as the first ever Mollywood movie to register a distribution share of Rs 100 crore from overseas. This is an unimaginable feat for a Mollywood movie. Moreover, it became the first ever Malayalam movie to collect from USD 9 million to USD 16 million at the international box office. If you think this is it, then keep scrolling further! 

Soon after L2 Empuraan wrapped its box office journey, Lalettan struck back with Thudarum. The family entertainer, twisted with thrill and crime, impressed the audience and won all the love. 

The movie kickstarted its box office journey on a solid note and emerged as the first ever Malayalam movie to score over Rs 100 crore in Kerala alone. The worldwide gross collection of Thudarum is currently standing at Rs 222 crore. It is still running in cinemas and is expected to collect over Rs 250 crore by the end of its theatrical run at the worldwide box office. While the political action drama is the No.1 Malayalam movie at the worldwide box office, the family entertainer holds the top spot in India. 

Both movies turned out to be massive blockbusters at the box office. L2 Empuraan was a heavy-budget movie, other than being a sequel to a blockbuster movie, Thudarum neither has any massive production cost nor a sequel factor. It worked solely on its content and the superstardom of Mohanlal. 

L2 Empuraan and Thudarum collectively grossed over Rs 487 crore globally as of now. It is expected to go over the Rs 500 crore mark as Thudarum is still gaining good traction at the ticket window. This is a massive feat, to say the least. The blockbuster success of both movies proved why Mohanlal is called the mini-film industry in himself. The actor holds almost all the major box office records under his name. 

Interestingly, Mohanlal is the only Indian actor who has given all-time-blockbuster movies in every decade- the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. No other actor was able to achieve this mammoth record. He was the No. 1 Superstar in Malayalam cinema and still holds the top place. For many outside Kerala audiences, Mohanlal is the face of Malayalam cinema. 

The actor will be next seen in the Pan-India movie Kannappa, which is slated to release on June 27, 2025. It will be his cameo appearance in the film. He is playing the character of Kirata, a warrior inspired by Indian mythology. The next release for Mohanlal is Hridayapoorvam, scheduled to release on August 28, 2025. Directed by Sathyan Anthikad, the family drama also stars Malavika Mohanan and Sangeeth Prathap. 

Further, the actor will be seen headlining a Pan-India period drama titled Vrusshabha, produced by Ekta Kapoor. Helmed by Nanda Kishore, the movie will hit the screens on October 16, 2025. It features an ensemble star cast and marks the theatrical debut of Sanjay Kapoor's daughter, Shanaya Kapoor. 

It will be interesting to see how these movies perform at the box office. Let's see if these titles can continue the blockbuster streak of Mohanlal this year. With two back-to-back all-time-blockbuster movies, Mohanlal should eye a hat-trick. Besides these scheduled releases, the actor has numerous projects in his kitty, including Rajinikanth starrer, Jailer 2. 

For the unversed, Lalettan's Thudarum is still playing in cinemas nearby. If you have not yet watched the movie, you can book your tickets from the online ticket-booking websites or grab them from the counter itself. His cult movie Chhota Mumbai is ready to re-release in cinemas in 4K restored quality. 

Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. 

Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.

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