Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. (Haricharan Pudipeddi can be contacted at Reader,īusiness Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. With the market for Malayalam films outside Kerala expanding with each passing day, Menon believes it's how one can cleverly tap this situation to reap maximum benefit.
The excellent response to the film's teaser, which clocked over 500,000 views in less than a week, helped in creating lot of anticipation before the release," Menon said.ĭulquer Salmaan-starrer "Kammati Paadam" did exceptional even outside Kerala. "The pre-release buzz of 'Kammati Paadam' helped in its wide release. Global United Media's latest Malayalam release "Kammati Paadam" had a wide release and made it to cities such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Goa, Mysore and Vishakhapatnam.
In the south, outside Kerala, it also releases in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore," Sethumadhavan said. "Besides Mumbai, a Malayalam film releases in five to six screens in Pune, three to four screens in Delhi and eight to 10 screens across Gujarat. Typically, a Malayalam film releases in around 40-50 screens in north India. While admitting that actors like Nivin and Dulquer have opened the doors for Kerala films outside, Menon said: "These young actors have an appeal among the youth but one shouldn't forget that stars like Mammootty, Mohanlal and Jayaram have made a mark outside Kerala much before." A Nivin film, especially after 'Premam', would get around 20 screens in Mumbai," he said, and added that on an average a successful Malayalam film would collect around Rs 2 million from Mumbai alone. Popular Malayalam actors like Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj have very good market outside. "Every second week, there's a Malayalam release in Mumbai. In the rest of India territory, Sethumadhavan says Malayalam films also release in Pune, Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Post 'Drishyam' and 'Bangalore Days', the percentage of non-Malayali viewers of Malayalam films has increased, because these movies make it to Mumbai on the same day of the release in Kerala," Sethumadhavan, a Mumbai-based independent film critic, told IANS. "Mohanlal's 'Drishyam' ran for 100 days in Mumbai. In Mumbai, both "Premam" and "Bangalore Days" celebrated a 50-day run in theatres. Today, good content has no boundaries and we have realised this with hits like 'Premam' and 'Bangalore Days'," Menon said. With internet, the world has shrunk and producers have to be careful of what is dished out to the audience. A film like 'Jacobinte Swargarajyam' ran for four weeks in Vijayawada, and that's a rare feat," Pillai said, adding that strong marketing and distribution has also helped these films.Īccording to producer Prem Menon of Global United Media, language has never been a barrier for good content. "The new-age Malayalam movies with English subtitles are attracting non-Malayali audiences too.
Pillai pointed out that the market is slowly expanding thanks to multiplexes. However, it all changed when multiplexes replaced single screens, paving way for many shows on a single day," Sreedhar Pillai, trade analyst and industry tracker, told IANS. Traditionally, it has always been one show in the morning during the weekends. "Cities like Coimbatore, Mysore and some places in Gujarat have been screening Malayalam films for many years.