‘Aadu 3’, ‘Bhishmar’, ‘Prathichaya' lead the charge for back-to-back Mollywood releases amid Middle East turmoil

Malayalam cinema, which boasts one of the largest markets in the Middle East, remains resilient amid the ongoing crisis caused by the war. ‘Aadu 3’, which marks the return of Jayasurya’s Shaji Pappan and the rest of the wild team, made its worldwide debut on Thursday, a bold move considering the unpredictable market.

Although the first-day box office collections from the Gulf region are yet to be tracked, Vijay Babu told Onmanorama that it would be overly optimistic to expect the same numbers from the Gulf market that was anticipated before the onset of the war. Nevertheless, the actor-producer remains optimistic, believing that audiences will still turn up at theaters due to the film's strong market presence.

"I can’t deny I was not worried about releasing the film at this time. But the producers' association and film exhibitors rallied behind us, offering all the support we needed," he said, adding that they had already spent a lot of money on movie promotions and advertisements, that made it impossible to consider another date. “Besides, we have reached a stage where we cannot anticipate how long the war would continue,” he added.

“The Aadu franchise has received a lot of love from Malayalees across the globe. In fact, it has become an emotion for many, and we are confident that the audience will continue to support us. ‘Aadu 3’ has reached new markets, including Uzbekistan, a country where no other Malayalam films have been released before," he said.
Director East Coast Vijayan's film, Bhishmar, starring Dhyan Sreenivasan and Vishnu Unnikrishnan, is also set to hit theatres on March 20. Vijayan, known for his previous works ‘Kallanum Bhagavathiyum’ and Chithini, admitted that the situation in the Middle East is a concern.

As a result, the team has decided to release the film there only after a week. "We are confident about the film’s content. It’s filled with situational humour, carried effectively by Vishnu and Dhyan. Also, Divya Pillai has a strong role. We know the move to release the film in the Middle East a week after its Kerala premiere is risky, but we are determined to move forward," he said.

Director B Unnikrishnan’s much-anticipated movie ‘Prathichaya’ featuring Nivin Pauly in a prominent role, is the latest Malayalam movie to release in theatres amid the conflict, though uncertainty of other movies like ‘Drishyam 3’, continues. Though Onmanorama tried to reach out to B Unnikrishnan, he was unavailable for comments.
Meanwhile, members of the Producers' Association are also hopeful about the release of films like Aadu, as their success will likely set the tone for other films scheduled to release in the near future. Producers' Association president B Rakesh praised Vijay Babu for heeding the association's request to proceed with the release, noting that the decision was a much-needed boost for an industry struggling through a prolonged slowdown at the box office.