Tovino’s 'Identity' collects just Rs 3 crore, while 'Rekhachithram' emerges as January’s only hit

The Kerala Film Producers’ Association has revealed the budget of the movies released in January and the share of revenue they managed to collect from theatres. Meanwhile, various cinema organisations have collectively declared that the Malayalam film industry is going through a severe financial crisis.

The budget and theatre collections of the movies released in January have been disclosed by the producers’ association. Tovino Thomas-starrer 'Identity', made on a budget of Rs 30 crore, managed to collect only Rs 3 crore from theatres in Kerala. 'Orumbettavan', starring Indrans and Jafar Idukki in the lead roles, was made on a budget of Rs 2.5 crore and collected just Rs 3 lakh.

The association claimed that Asif Ali’s 'Rekhachithram', directed by Jofin T. Chacko, was the only hit among the 28 movies released last month. The film, which set the cash registers ringing at the box office, collected Rs 12.5 crore from theatres in Kerala against a budget of Rs 8.5 crore.

The producers’ association also noted that Mammootty-starrer 'Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse', Basil Joseph’s 'Ponman', and 'Oru Jaathi Jathakam', starring Vineeth Sreenivasan in the lead, were among the few films that made profits from sources other than theatre revenue.

The associations cite the soaring salaries of actors and technicians—taking up nearly 60% of a movie’s total budget—as a major reason for the financial crisis. In January, 28 Malayalam movies were released, along with one re-release ('Aavanazhi'). Additionally, 12 films from other languages were also released in theatres across Kerala.

The film associations stated that the Malayalam film industry is facing a severe crisis, with an estimated loss of Rs 110 crore in January alone.

Movies released in January (Title, budget, and theatre share)
'Communist Pacha' – Budget: Rs 2 crore | Share: Rs 1,25,000
'ID, the Fake' – Budget: Rs 2.47 crore | Share: Rs 1,50,000
'Identity' – Budget: Rs 30 crore | Share: Rs 3.5 crore
'The Malabar Tales' – Budget: Rs 50 lakh | Share: Rs 2.5 lakh
'Orumbettavan' – Budget: Rs 2.5 crore | Share: Rs 3 lakh
'Rekhachithram' – Budget: Rs 8.56 crore | Share: Rs 12.5 crore

'Ennu Swantam Punyalan' – Budget: Rs 8.7 crore | Share: Rs 1.2 crore
'Pravinkoodu Shappu' – Budget: Rs 18 crore | Share: Rs 4 crore
'Adachayi' – Budget: Rs 50 lakh | Share: Not available
'Off Road' – Budget: Rs 1 crore | Share: Rs 63,000
'1098' – Budget: Rs 40 lakh | Share: Not available
'Dominic and the Ladies' Purse' – Budget: Rs 19 crore | Share: Rs 4.25 crore

'Am Ah' – Budget: Rs 3.5 crore | Share: Rs 30 lakh
'Anpodu Kanmani' – Budget: Rs 3 crore | Share: Rs 25 lakh
'Avirachante Swantham Inangathi' – Budget: Rs 45 lakh | Share: Rs 1.5 lakh
'Besty' – Budget: Rs 4.81 crore | Share: Rs 20 lakh
'Ponman' – Budget: Rs 8.9 crore | Share: Rs 2.5 crore
'Oru Jaathi Jathakam' – Budget: Rs 5 crore | Share: Rs 1.5 crore

'Ente Priyathamanu' – Budget: Rs 2.5 crore | Share: Not available
'Secret of Women' – Budget: Rs 60 lakh | Share: Rs 2 lakh
'4 Seasons' – Budget: Rs 2.5 crore | Share: Rs 10,000
'Oru Katha Oru Nalla Katha' – Budget: Rs 1 crore | Share: Rs 1 lakh
'Parannu Parannu Parannu Chellan' – Budget: Rs 3 crore | Share: Rs 3.5 lakh
'Deshakkaran' – Budget: Rs 90 lakh | Share: Rs 40,000
'Emerald' – Budget: Rs 20 lakh | Share: Rs 20,000
'Super Jimni' – Budget: Rs 2 crore | Share: Rs 15 lakh