'Patriot' off to a flying start as Mammootty, Mohanlal reunion drives record bookings

The reunion of Mammootty and Mohanlal after nearly two decades has translated into a blistering start at the box office for Patriot, with the film’s advance bookings racing ahead at record speed across Kerala.

Directed by Mahesh Narayanan, Patriot has been one of the most closely watched Malayalam releases in recent times, largely driven by the return of its iconic lead pair after 18 years. The film also features Kunchacko Boban and Fahadh Faasil in pivotal roles, adding further weight to its ensemble.

The scale of the film’s early reception became evident as soon as bookings opened on April 28. Within just 10 minutes, more than 10,000 tickets were snapped up on BookMyShow. The momentum has remained steady since, with the platform recording sales at a rate of roughly 12,000 tickets per hour.

That surge quickly reflected in revenue as well. Patriot crossed ₹50 lakh in advance bookings within 42 minutes, and continued to push into higher figures shortly after. If this pace holds, the film is expected to cross ₹3 crore globally from advance sales alone. The strong response is not limited to Kerala, with Gulf markets also reporting enthusiastic early traction.

With numbers climbing rapidly, attention has now shifted to whether Patriot can rewrite opening day records in Kerala. The current benchmarks are held by Empuraan at ₹14.07 crore and Leo at ₹12 crore. Trade observers are closely tracking whether the film’s current momentum can carry it past these figures.

In Patriot, Mammootty plays Dr Daniel James, while Mohanlal appears as Colonel Rahim Naik. Produced by Anto Joseph Film Company, the spy thriller features music by Sushin Shyam. The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on May 1.