'Mohanlal beats Vijay's Leo in 8 days': Thudarum shatters records, cements Kerala crown

Mohanlal's Thudarum, directed by Tharun Moorthy, has exploded at the box office, collecting ₹56.90 crore net in India by Day 8 (May 2, 2025) and raking in a massive ₹119.80 crore worldwide within its first week. 

But its most significant impact has been in Kerala, where it grossed ₹47 crore in just seven days—making it the second-fastest Malayalam film to cross the ₹50 crore mark in the state.

The record is especially striking because Thudarum managed to outpace Vijay’s Leo in Kerala, which had taken longer to reach the same milestone. The only film that achieved it quicker was Mohanlal’s own L2: Empuraan. 

With this, Thudarum becomes Mohanlal’s fourth film to cross ₹50 crore in Kerala—more than any other actor has managed. And with both Empuraan and Thudarum earning over ₹100 crore worldwide in the same year, Mohanlal has firmly reaffirmed his position as the undisputed king of the Kerala box office.

In terms of 2025 Malayalam releases, L2: Empuraan leads with ₹264.90 crore worldwide and ₹86.40 crore in Kerala. Thudarum follows at second position with ₹119.80 crore globally and ₹47.80 crore in the state, ahead of Alappuzha Gymkhana (₹66.48 crore worldwide, ₹37.80 crore Kerala) and Rekhachithram (₹57.30 crore worldwide, ₹26.85 crore Kerala).

What makes Thudarum’s success even more exceptional is its unorthodox marketing strategy. The film launched with relatively low promotional noise, banking heavily on the trust in Mohanlal’s star power and the strength of the story. Despite the absence of a full-blown media blitz, it clocked ₹2.33 crore in pre-release sales in Kerala alone, the second-highest for a Malayalam film this year. 

Mohanlal’s loyal fanbase amplified the film’s reach, generating strong organic buzz from day one. His timely social media interventions—like announcing the ₹100 crore milestone and dropping the celebratory “Kondattam” song—kept engagement levels high. 

Positive word-of-mouth and critical acclaim did the rest, drawing audiences deep into weekdays and smaller towns.