Jan 16, 2025 06:39 AM IST
Unni Mukundan has shared his take on the box office fate of Malayalam films in the Hindi market. He shared what needs to change to fix the issue.
Unni Mukundan is basking in the success of his latest Malayalam release, Marco. The actor has been vocal about better distribution of Malayalam films in the Hindi-speaking regions, so that the films can do better business. In a new interview with Anmol Jamwal on his YouTube channel, Unni shared that the ‘budget’ of these films needs to be addressed as soon as possible. (Also read: Marco star Unni Mukundan reacts to contrasting audience reactions, says he’s sure film won’t do good on an OTT platform)
What Unni said
When Unni was asked about this issue during the interview, he said: “I think, primarily, it is because of the budget. Then, you need to also have successful examples to support it. When you want a movie to reach a commercial level, it’s typically action because action is easier to take to a wider audience.”
He added, “Now, when one wants to shoot a high-end action movie, you need to have a star who is willing to do it. The star also needs to be protected, backed up and present the movie in a manner that doesn’t make it feel regionally bound. Have a script that can possibly entertain a bigger audience. Then, one needs to entertain a larger audience, which requires a dynamic producer who is as thrilled as the actor to take the film forward. It comes from a cumulative effort from a lot of factors.”
Last month, IE reported that the Kerala Film Producers’ Association released a statement in which they shared that in 2024, only 26 of the 199 Malayalam films produced were successful. With the total production cost of these films hitting ₹1000 crore, only ₹300 crore was recovered, resulting in a ₹700 crore loss.
About Marco
Marco, which raised eyebrows among audiences for its depiction of brutal violence on screen, has been running successfully in theatres ever since it was released on December 20. The film revolves around the titular character, played by Unni Mukundan, on a path of vengeance after the murder of his brother, Victor. A sequel of the film is already in the works.