Malayalam blockbusters, OTT hurdles bring ray of hope for Kerala theatres? The trend in 2024 as we saw it

Theatres in Kerala have witnessed some key changes in the past few months, thanks to the Malayalam chart-toppers of the year. The buzz created by films like 'Premalu', 'Manjummel Boys', 'Aavesham' and 'Bramayugam' in the first quarter officially pulled curtains on the dismal run of theatres in 2023. Recent data by the Kerala Film Chamber revealed that the Malayalam industry witnessed a surge in superhits and blockbusters, creating hype in theatres.
Film Exhibitors United Association of Kerala (FEUOK) president K Vijayakumar said they had anticipated a buzz in theatres this year, owing to the number of big-budget Tamil and other pan-Indian movies, like 'Pushpa 2', 'Indian 2' and 'Vettaiyan', but were surprised by the turnover of Malayalam films. "We saw decent business from Malayalam films as opposed to other pan-Indian movies in 2024. This completely contrasts with last year's situation, when we had very few Malayalam hits. Rather, Tamil films like 'Leo' and 'Jailer' have brought us better profits. However, this year, none of the pan-Indian movies we had anticipated brought good business to theatres," he said.

Saji Nanthyattu, secretary of the Kerala Film Chamber, said the turnout this year has given them a ray of hope for the theatre business in Kerala and the Malayalam cinema industry as a whole.
"Pre-Covid, at least 12 films did good business. That came down to a very few numbers last year. However, this year, we saw at least 20 hits, which is a big deal for Malayalam cinema. Good content has inadvertently brought more people to theatres this year," he said, adding that the change in distribution policy in Kerala theatres – accommodating wide releases -- has also paved the way for the revival of Kerala theatres.

Saji added that the uncertainty of films reaching OTT platforms and the hurdles in OTT acquisition have also brought more people to theatres this year. According to him, people realised it's important to watch good cinema in theatres. "Also, major OTT platforms have stopped buying average or mediocre films. They are only willing to purchase hits and that too at lower rates compared to the post-Covid boom. A couple of films are yet to lock their OTT release, which has led to uncertainty" he said.
Dilu Venugopal, Cinema General Manager at PVR-INOX at Forum Mall, said people have also become more willing to experience diverse formats, which theatres like PVR are providing. "Unlike in the past, Malayali viewers are willing to spend money on new experiences. This is evident after PVR opened a 9-screen theatre at Forum Mall with state-of-the-art technology. It is heartening to see more people coming to theatres now as opposed to the first quarter," she said.