Will Mohanlal’s Vrusshabha be in theatres this Christmas? Director Nandakishore weighs in

Is Malayalam superstar Mohanlal ending 2025 with a fourth film in the lead, after Empuraan, Thudarum and Hridayapoorvam , in the form of Vrusshabha? The Nandakishore directorial has already been postponed twice, first from October 16 to November 6 and then to December 25 and the latest buzz is that it may not meet this date either. It is likely that the Dileep led Bha Bha Bha, which is currently slated to release on December 19, may be pushed ahead to the 24th, owing to which Vrusshabha will then move into the new year, likely on January 26, 2026. That’s what’s being discussed on social media.

Vrusshabha still on course for Christmas?

OTTplay reached out to Nandakishore, who refuted postponement rumours, stating that Vrusshabha is still on course for its Christmas theatrical outing. However, when pressed about the trailer launch, the filmmaker promised to “revert shortly” and then went on radio silence. The way it is now, even if Bha Bha Bha, in which Mohanlal has a pivotal cameo, sticks to its original plan, on Christmas Day, Nivin Pauly’s Sarvam Maya also releases, while Mammootty’s Kalamkaval is still in theatres. There’s also Avatar: Fire and Ash that will get a good number of screens on the 19th, so getting enough screens will be a challenge for Vrusshabha.

However, in an earlier conversation with us, Nandakishore had said that he and his team were not looking for a massive release and that they’d be okay with a 100-odd screen start at the box office. The film is releasing in multiple languages, but then again, there are other Christmas movies, which could prove problematic for Vrusshabha. Take, for instance, Karnataka, where there are two Kannada releases, Kiccha Sudeep’s Mark and Shivarajkumar-Upendra-Raj B Shetty’s 45. Given that Vrusshabha’s cast is largely from Kannada cinema, this is a market they’d want to tap.

Also read: Nanda Kishore on his Vrusshabha casting: Why shouldn’t Kannada actors work in Malayalam or Telugu films? | Exclusive 

Vrusshabha also stars Samarjit Lankesh, Ragini Dwivedi, Garuda Ram, Nayan Sarika, Neha Saxena, among others. The film is Kannada director Nandakishore’s first straight Malayalam project, and follows a tale of revenge. Set across two time periods, the film is about two enemies being reborn as father and son and explores if revenge or love will prevail.

Vrusshabha FAQs

Q. When will Vrusshabha release?

A. Vrusshabha is set to release in theatres on December 25, 2025. There are, however, rumours that yet another postponement is likely. 

Q. Who all are on the cast of Vrusshabha?

A. Mohanlal leads the cast, along with Samarjit Lankesh, Ragini Dwivedi, Nayan Sarika, Ajay, Ali, Neha Saxena, Garuda Ram, among others.