By Ayesha Khan 
Kochi, December 11: The Malayalam thriller Kalamkaval has pushed past an important milestone, strengthening its theatrical run and reaffirming Mammootty’s box office pull at a time when the industry is still recalibrating after the pandemic slump. By Day 6, trade trackers report that the film has crossed ₹55 crore worldwide, placing it among the year’s most resilient Malayalam releases.
Kalamkaval Breaks Into Mammootty’s Post-COVID Top Tier
According to Koimoi, the film has moved ahead of Bramayugam in global gross collections, making it the actor’s fourth-highest-earning film in the post-COVID period. The margin is not dramatic, but the pace at which it closed that gap has been drawing attention among distributors who had predicted a steadier, slower climb.
What stands out is not simply the total, but the recovery pattern from Monday onwards. As per The Financial Express, the thriller is now counted among Mammootty’s quickest titles to clear the ₹50 crore mark, a detail that hints at unusually strong weekday occupancy for a film with darker themes and a niche narrative style.
Still, the trade has been cautious about long-term projections. Several analysts point out that the mid-week bump seen in metropolitan centres may not necessarily hold in smaller markets, especially with multiple Malayalam titles scheduled for release over the next fortnight.
A Clear Entry Into 2025’s Top Grossers
Even with that caution, Kalamkaval has secured its place in the broader landscape of 2025 Malayalam cinema. OTTPlay notes that the film has already climbed into the top ten highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year, carrying an estimated ₹57.1 crore worldwide tally at the Day 6 mark.
What this demonstrates is not a one-off surge but the durability that comes when a film resonates across audience clusters. Thrillers rarely find strong repeat viewership, yet early patterns indicate a steady churn from college crowds and urban multiplex-goers who have been driving the evening shows.
That said, the real test will be whether the film can cut through competition as December’s lineup expands. Holiday releases typically dominate the second half of the month, and a sustained hold will depend on whether Kalamkaval can keep screens long enough to convert weekend footfalls.
Kerala Collections Reflect A Competitive Field
Inside Kerala, the conversation has been different. Regional comparisons have become sharper in recent days, largely due to the performance of Mohanlal’s Thudarum, which has been holding a strong lead. FilmiBeat reports that on Day 6, Kalamkaval fell short of Thudarum’s Kerala numbers, even though its overall India total remains solid.
The gap, however, is not causing concern among exhibitors. Circuit-level reports show that the film continues to draw consistent crowds in Ernakulam, Calicut, and Thiruvananthapuram, with slightly softer turnout in northern districts. Theatres have been emphasising turnout in late-night shows, which have remained surprisingly stable for a weekday run.
According to The Times of India, the film is close to the ₹25 crore India gross mark, reinforcing its position as one of the more dependable domestic performers this quarter.
Why The Film’s Box Office Matters For The Industry
The momentum behind Kalamkaval speaks to a broader shift within Malayalam cinema, where star-led films are no longer leaning solely on legacy value. Recent successes have shown that audiences are increasingly willing to follow veterans like Mammootty into unfamiliar genres, so long as the writing and execution hold.
The film’s commercial progress has therefore become a talking point among producers exploring mid-budget thrillers with marquee actors. Its trajectory reinforces the idea that theatrical returns can coexist with experimental storytelling, a balance the industry has struggled to maintain in recent years.
As it turns out, this is the kind of performance that shapes greenlighting decisions. When a psychological thriller manages to cross ₹50 crore globally within a week, it expands the space for similar narratives that were previously considered too narrow for wide release.
Looking Ahead To The Second Weekend
Trade circles are now watching how the film enters its second weekend. Early Day 7 data, as tracked by sacnilk.com, hints at a mild dip that aligns with weekday behaviour, but the overall hold remains healthy. If the upcoming Friday and Saturday show a bounce, the film could potentially climb further up the year’s ranking table.
For now, Kalamkaval has secured its place as one of Mammootty’s most commercially significant releases of the post pandemic era. The coming days will determine whether it can break into the next bracket and challenge the current leaders of 2025.
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- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
