Following a strong debut at the box office on Thursday, director Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Malayalam film, Malaikottai Vaaliban, starring Mohanlal in the lead role, witnessed a significant dip of nearly 50 per cent on Friday. According to industry tracker Sacnilk’s early estimates, the film recorded an India nett collection of just Rs 2.75 crore on its second day in theatres, compared to its opening day figure of Rs 5.5 crore, bringing its total nett collection to Rs 8.4 crore.
On Friday, Malaikottai Vaaliban experienced an overall occupancy of 34.83 per cent in the Malayalam market. Initially, during the morning shows, the movie had a 26.85 per cent occupancy. However, as the day progressed, the percentages saw a slight increase, rising to 37.13 during the afternoon showings and reaching 38.86 during the evening shows. The percentage dipped slightly during the night screenings, standing at 36.48. The film has grossed Rs 12 crore worldwide so far, as reported by Sacnilk.
In Kerala, Malaikottai Vaaliban earned Rs 2.02 crore on Friday, as reported by local industry tracker What The Fuss, with 1,28,133 admissions across 1,363 shows, achieving an occupancy rate of 31.48 per cent collectively.
Watch Malaikottai Vaaliban trailer here:
Meanwhile, addressing the media in Kochi on Friday, director Lijo Jose Pellissery alleged that a negative campaign was underway against the film, impacting its business. He also encouraged audiences to watch the film in theatres without being influenced by others’ opinions.
“There are two kinds of audiences watching a movie: those who come in the morning and those who attend the evening shows. Unfortunately, it is the opinions of those who watch the morning shows that gain popularity on social media. Soon, it becomes everyone’s opinion and vibe. I don’t understand what benefit people derive from this negative campaign,” Manorama Online quoted him as saying.
Although Vaaliban earned Rs 4.76 crore in Kerala on its release day, it fell short of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay-starrer Leo’s opening day record in the state (Rs 12 crore), which remains the highest to date in Kerala.
In his review of the movie, The Indian Express’ Anandu Suresh noted, “Unlike Mohanlal’s recent films, where makers often got carried away by either his stardom or his potential as a performer, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s multi-genre movie strikes a fine balance between these aspects, while striving not to compromise on its overall quality.”
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