PremiumEmpuraan box office rampage: Real or manufactured? Allegations of bookings manipulation surface ahead of release; fans jump to the defence
Empuraan, the second instalment in the Lucifer trilogy is set to open in theatres on March 27. While it has a strong buzz going for it, it is alleged that outside of Kerala, the hype may not be real
Last Updated: 03.04 PM, Mar 25, 2025
As soon as advance bookings for L2 Empuraan, the second part of Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Mohanlal-led Lucifer trilogy, opened, tickets have been flying off the shelf and how. The March 27 release, according to Prithviraj, has already amassed Rs 60 crore in pre-release sales, with more to come as multiplexes add more shows to accommodate the demand for the film.
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No buzz for Empuraan outside of Kerala?
However, with just over a day to go for the film to hit theatres, there’ve been allegations that the box office rampage of Empuraan that’s been projected, may not all be true. According to a trade tracking site, the producers and major distribution partners of Empuraan are allegedly indulging in block bookings to boost numbers and create hype around the film. It is also alleged that outside of Kerala, Empuraan has no organic buzz going for it, and that the makers are working on changing this narrative with corporate bookings.
For instance, it is being alleged that block bookings are being made within minutes of advance sales opening in certain multiplexes. The team has claimed that a record 645k+ tickets were sold over 24 hours on one particular ticket aggregator, which is being disputed. Fans, however, are jumping to the defence of team Empuraan, asserting that the claims being made about manipulation of the box office do not hold good, as they do not have proof to the same.
Mohanlal fans and those of the movie franchise also say that the new allegations against Empuraan have come up with only days to go for Salman Khan’s big Eid release, Sikandar . The allegation is that corporate bookings are being done in major centres to keep the buzz of Empuraan going until Sikandar releases. Should the box office not be favourable for the Salman starrer, screens will then be increased for Empuraan, a strategy that has been successful deployed for another recent successful Malayalam film.