Mohanlal’s Aaraattu to be the biggest Malayalam release since pandemic, to hit theatres in 52 countries

The makers of superstar-driven movies are chasing massive initial numbers at the box office these days, especially with the pandemic restrictions in place. After Dulquer Salmaan’s Kurup created Mollywood records by releasing in 1500+ screens in November, Mohanla l’s Aaraattu could well be on its way to rewrite those.

According to trade analysts, the B Unnikrishnan directorial, which is set to hit theatres across the world on February 18, will be shown in 1624 screens in 369 centres. The fan shows for the first day had already crossed 300 with shows starting as early as 8am in various theatres in Kerala.

The movie will also be shown in a record 52 countries, with it being the first Mohanlal film to be screened in countries such as Angola. Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, which was planning for a massive worldwide release, had to cut short on its centres due to its producers shuttling between an OTT and theatrical platforms and only finalising the big screen route, a fortnight before its release in December last year.

Aaraattu, which is made on a budget exceeding Rs 30 Cr during the pandemic in 2020, is also an important film, with makers as well as the industry hoping it would bring the family audience to the theatres. Majority of the footfalls for movies such as Kurup and Hridayam, which raked in over Rs 50 crore in the worldwide box office, have been the youth audience during the initial days.

Unnikrishnan has also asked the theatre exhibitors body to continue screening Aaraattu with a minimum of four shows even after its two-week holdover period. This could also ensure that the movie gets a decent run when the Kerala government permits 100% occupancy in theatres soon.

Meanwhile, Mammootty’s Bheeshma Parvam, which is set for a March 3 release, is also looking at a wide release.

Also read: After Bheeshma Parvam, Soubin Shahir to play a key role in Mammootty’s CBI 5