Malaikottai Vaaliban Opening Weekend Box Office: Mohanlal Film Continues Slump, Collects ₹10 Crore

Malaikottai Vaaliban hit the big screen on January 25, coinciding with the Republic Day holiday. The Mohanlal film opened to a solid start at the box office but registered a dip thereafter. The director of the film, Lijo Jose Pellissery had previously alleged a ‘negative campaign’ running against the film and requested the audience to not get influenced by negative reviews. However, the business failed to pick pace at the ticketing counter. 

Malaikottai Vaaliban rakes ₹10 crore on opening weekend 

Malaikottai Vaaliban opened to ₹5.65 crore at the domestic box office. The next day, which was also a Republic Day holiday, the film raked in ₹2.4 crore, as per Sacnilk. On the subsequent weekend, the film collected ₹1.5 crore and ₹1.25 crore on the first Sunday.  

After the four-day theatrical run, the Mohanlal starrer amassed a total of ₹10.80 crore, as per Sacnilk. The movie is running with a theatre occupancy of 12.10% in the morning shows and 23.94% in the evening shows.

Mohanlal says Malaikottai Vaaliban as a mass film 

Talking about the film, Mohanlal described the film as a big-budget movie. He told Onmanorama, “I believe Lijo has beautifully executed it. The rest is up to the audience. You can see it as a mass film, a spiritual film with a philosophy. If you want you can see it like a very serious film. We are throwing the questions for the audience to interpret the way they want.”

Reports suggested that negative reviews and underwhelming word of mouth led to a decline in the film’s business. Defending the same, the director of the film Lijo Jose Pellissery spoke to the media alleging a ‘negative campaign’ against the movie. The filmmaker spoke to the media in Kochi talking about the film’s declining business. As per Manorama Online, the director said, “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 benefits people derive from this negative campaign.” The director urged the audience to watch the film without being influenced by any reviews.