Forum Reelz Year End Report 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, it has been a superb year for Mollywood with 14 successful ventures. Asif Ali's Rekhachithram and Kunchacko Boban's Officer On Duty were the first notable hits of the year, each grossing over ₹50 crore at the box office.

The total global box office revenue of Mollywood in 2025 is estimated to be a whopping ₹1850+ crore*, with Kerala and Rest of India (ROI) contributing around ₹900 crore plus and ₹200 crore respectively. The overseas contribution is tremendous, reaching approximately ₹750 crore. L2: Empuraan was the only Malayalam film to cross $15 million overseas, followed by Lokah and Thudarum which each grossed over $10 million, cementing their positions as front runners. This is a testament to the industry's golden era internationally.

Lokah: Biggest Female-Centric South Indian Grosser

The biggest surprise of the year is Lokah: Chapter 1 Chandra, starring Kalyani Priyadarshan. It has been crowned as the biggest Malayalam grosser in Kerala and worldwide, collecting a staggering ₹302.65 crore globally. Lokah cemented its position as the biggest hit of the 21st century by drawing approximately 1.2 crore viewers worldwide.

Mohanlal Returns

After an underwhelming 2024, Mohanlal made a roaring comeback at the box office. In March, we witnessed never-before-seen hysteria for L2: Empuraan, the first All-Time Blockbuster of 2025, which had an unprecedented ₹68.2 crore global opening day and a record ₹175.6 crore opening weekend, a full ₹110 crore higher than his previous best.

The second ATBB of 2025, Thudarum, became the first-ever Malayalam film to gross over ₹100 crore from Kerala alone, and it marked Mohanlal’s 10th record-breaking Kerala grosser as a lead actor. He delivered a commendable performance in the film, truly a feat to be celebrated. Additionally, the 20th collaboration of the iconic Mohanlal-Sathyan Anthikad duo, Hridayapoorvam, was another superhit, making his year even more memorable. He was also honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

Another Golden Feather for Mammukka

Even though Mammootty had a slow start to 2025, the legend turned the tables by winning his record-breaking 7th Kerala State Award for Best Actor (2024). Furthermore, his film Kalamkaval added another feather to his cap with a praise-worthy performance, emerging as a superhit at the box office.

Basil Joseph: 2025 was a year to remember for Basil Joseph, where he delivered his career-best performance in Ponman. It earned him a spot as a strong contender for the Kerala State Best Actor award of 2025. Both Maranamass and Ponman ended up as average hits at the box office.

Pranav Mohanlal: Pranav Mohanlal’s Dies Irae was a blockbuster, cementing its status as the second-biggest “A”-rated Malayalam grosser by collecting over ₹82 crore worldwide.

Nivin Pauly: Mollywood’s beloved boy-next-door Nivin Pauly made a triumphant return with Sarvam Maya. The film delivered a worldwide gross cume of 150 crores, becoming the Christmas winner of 2025 and one of the top grossing movies of Malayalam.

Theatrical Successes of 2025 (in order of their release)

1. Rekhachithram

2. Officer On Duty

3. L2: Empuraan

4. Alappuzha Gymkhana

5. Thudarum

6. Padakkalam

7. Sumathi Valavu

8. Hridayapoorvam

9. Lokah: Chapter 1 Chandra

10. Pet Detective

11. Dies Irae

12. Eko

13. Kalamkaval

14. Sarvam Maya