Onam releases set to test star power of Mollywood's leading men
This Onam, three big Malayalam releases will gauge the box-office pull of Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The Malayalam film industry is pinning its hopes on a cluster of high-profile releases during the Onam festival season, with audience response set to serve as a key indicator of the enduring star power of three of its leading actors.
Among the films vying for attention are Nahas Hidhayath's I'm Game, featuring Dulquer Salmaan, and A.D. Gireesh's Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, headlined by Nivin Pauly. Adding to the competitive lineup is Vysakh's Khalifa, which marks a significant outing for Prithviraj Sukumaran.
For Sukumaran, in particular, the festival window represents a crucial moment. The actor has experienced a mixed run at the box office in recent times, making the performance of Khalifa a closely watched metric of his current commercial standing.
The convergence of these three major releases during the festive period underscores the industry's strategy of leveraging the holiday audience. The collective response to these films will not only determine their individual fates but also offer a broader reading of which leading men continue to command the strongest pull with moviegoers.