Mohanlal’s action thriller Puli Murugan (Leopard Murugan) has become the first Malayalam film to enter the “billion club” registering a gross collection of Rs1.5bn ($16mn) in just a month.
The film directed by Vyshakh also became the first Indian movie grossing the highest in the Gulf in the shortest period of three days, reports say.
“I am happy to share with you all, that #Pulimurugan becomes the first Malayalam movie to enter 100-crore (1bn) club,” the award-winning actor wrote on his Facebook page yesterday, thanking his fans and the crew.
“This is made possible by each and every one of the audience who watched this movie in the theatre, here I am extending my sincere thanks to them and above all to the Almighty for his blessings.”
Puli Murugan also has the distinction of being the first Malayalam film to have a wider release across the world where people from Kerala have migrated to in a big way.
The film was released in 330 cinemas across India on October 7, and it is still running to packed houses. It hit 56 screens in the UAE, seven in Qatar, six in Bahrain, four in Kuwait and nine in Oman on November 3.
The film is also running in 93 cinemas in the UK, 21 in Ireland, 11 in Italy, four in Germany, two each in Switzerland and Netherlands and one each in Austria, Belgium, Malta, Denmark, Sweden, France and Norway since November 4.
It grossed Rs150mn in the UAE alone in three days and reports say most tickets are being sold out before the show as in Kerala.
It reportedly had 630 shows on the first day, breaking the records of Rajinikanth’s Kabali (425) and Salman Khan’s Sultan (225 shows), creating a record of having the largest number of shows of an Indian film on its releasing day in the Gulf.
The 56-year-old actor is currently shooting 1971, Beyond the Borders, a film by Major Ravi woven around the Indo-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
At Rs750mn, his Drishyam (2013), directed by Jeethu Joseph, is the second highest grosser in Malayalam.
Many expect his last film Oppam, directed by Priyadarshan released two months back which has so far collected Rs580mn, to replace Drishyam soon.
“People are returning to theatres to watch Puli Murugan again and again,” said Liberty Basheer, who runs a cinema in Tellicherry town in northern Kerala.