A pooja without Mollywood: Is ‘Jailer 2’ behind the unusual lull?

Nelson’s ‘Jailer 2’ is drawing crowds to Kerala theatres this Pooja holiday season, with the Rajinikanth-starrer reportedly collecting nearly Rs 50 crore in the state in its first five days. While the film is riding high on star power and box-office buzz, Malayalam cinema has gone conspicuously quiet, with no new releases lined up for the holiday window.

The absence of Malayalam films has left ‘Jailer 2’ with little box-office competition. According to exhibitors, demand for Malayalam films released over the past two weeks has dwindled, leaving several single-screen theatres banking on the Rajinikanth-starrer. Some theatres are reportedly running shows around the clock to meet the demand.

“We have been having a dull few weeks after ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’ and ‘PDK’. No Malayalam films are competing with ‘Jailer 2’, but this is a good time for cinemas because the film has created a lot of noise at the box office and there is enough demand for it. At the same time, the absence of Malayalam films has been conspicuous,” an exhibitor said. Suresh Shenoy, owner of Shenoys theatre, said it was unusual to have no Malayalam film releases during the Pooja holidays.
“This is probably the first time in several years that we do not have a Malayalam film screening during the Pooja window. Filmmakers may have deliberately postponed or rescheduled their releases, but the absence is noticeable,” he said. Shenoy believes the scale of ‘Jailer 2’ may have discouraged Malayalam filmmakers from releasing their films this week. The sequel features a formidable star cast, including Rajinikanth and Mohanlal, making it a formidable box-office contender.

“There are no major Malayalam releases at the moment, and filmmakers may have wanted to avoid a clash with ‘Jailer 2’. This was not the case last year or even when the first ‘Jailer’ was released,” he said. The first film, however, arrived with relatively modest expectations. Three of Rajinikanth’s films had flopped at the box office before its release, while Nelson’s previous directorial, ‘Beast’, had received a lukewarm response. Positive word of mouth helped ‘Jailer’ gain momentum after its release, eventually turning it into a major box-office success.

“That response created the anticipation for ‘Jailer 2’ and helped drive its pre-sales,” Shenoy said. This Pooja season, that anticipation appears to be translating into packed theatres across Kerala. With no Malayalam releases to draw audiences this holiday season, Rajinikanth’s return as Muthuvel Pandian has emerged as the biggest draw at Kerala’s box office.