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The controversial L2: Empuraan has become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, surpassing Manjummel Boys , which released in 2024. According to Sacnilk , the film has grossed INR 247 crore worldwide, overtaking Manjummel Boys ’ impressive INR 242 crore. That’s certainly a cause for celebration among Mohanlal and Prithviraj fans.
And yet, while Manjummel Boys is a certified blockbuster, it’s still too early to even call L2: Empuraan a hit. ‘L2: Empuraan’ Movie Review: Mohanlal’s Swagger Keeps Saving Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Grand but Exhaustingly Over-Stuffed ‘Lucifer’ Sequel . Confused? Let us explain.
Manjummel Boys , the survival thriller-drama directed by Chidambaram, was reportedly made on a budget of just INR 20 crore. It went on to gross INR 240 crore - earning back more than 12 times its cost. The profit margin was significant, as the film would have needed to earn just around INR 40 crore to be considered a hit.
So, what about L2: Empuraan ? 'L2: Empuraan' Budget While director Prithviraj Sukumaran and lead actor Mohanlal have been somewhat evasive about the actual budget - with Mohanlal even telling film critic Anupama Chopra that the budget wasn’t very high - producer Gokulam Gopalan inadvertently confirmed in an interview that the film was made on a INR 180 crore budget . 'L2: Empuraan' Profit-Making Mark Assuming that the INR 180 crore includes production, marketing, and distribution costs, L2: Empuraan would need to gross at least INR 300 crore worldwide to be classified as a hit. This is because gross revenue above and beyond budget doesn't equate to profit.
Producers' share at this point would be much below the budget mark, and that's why we are going with INR 300 crore as a benchmark for a break-even point. ‘L2: Empuraan’ Controversy: ED Raids Chennai Office of Gokulam Gopalan, Producer of Mohanlal-Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Malayalam Film Amid Gujarat Riots Reference Row . This is especially crucial given that the makers are still in negotiations over OTT and satellite rights, which, according to reports, are proving tricky due to the film’s political controversies.
Even so, there’s little reason to worry about the film’s theatrical run - at least for now. Thanks to the pre-existing hype, the massive popularity of its predecessor Lucifer , and even the surrounding controversies, L2: Empuraan is performing exceptionally well in Kerala and overseas. That said, the performance in the rest of India has been underwhelming - meaning Prithviraj’s dream of delivering a true pan-India blockbuster remains out of reach.
Still, there’s a strong possibility that L2: Empuraan could cross the INR 300 crore mark by the end of this week, nudging it beyond break-even. As things stand, it remains an average grosser en route to becoming a hit - despite already claiming the title of the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever. ‘L2 Empuraan’ Ending Explained: From Rick Yune’s Mystery Villain to Pranav Mohanlal’s Cameo, Decoding How Mohanlal-Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Movie Paves Way for ‘L3: The Beginning’ .
There will be competition in theatres this week, though, as L2: Empuraan faces new Malayalam releases like Mammootty’s Bazooka , Naslen’s Alappuzha Gymkhana , and Basil Joseph’s Maranamass , all coinciding with the Vishu holiday period in Kerala. We’ll continue to share important box office updates on L2: Empuraan as and when they come. L2: Empuraan also stars Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Abhimanyu Singh, Indrajith Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sukant Goel, Fazil, Saikumar, Baiju Santosh, Jerome Flynn etc, among its vast cast (The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.
) (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 07, 2025 01:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).
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