Did 'Empuraan' just deliver a masterclass on how to sell a Malayalam film?
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Not many Indian films in the recent past have built and timed the tempo like Mohanlal-starrer 'Empuraan' prior to its release. For the Malayalam film industry, 'Empuraan' rewrote the proverbial underdog tale, shed the perennial tag of ‘small industry’ and broke cliches on promotions.
The run-up was marked by precisely timed releases of posters, songs, trailers and cheery, glitzy sessions hosted by a cohort of critics and influencers. In events curated with sartorial precision, Mohanlal and Prithviraj cracked up, fired riposte, teased and toyed with the hosts and played along even when they were lost in language; like magicians flaunting hand tricks before the final act of illusion.
In Kerala, opening-day shows sold out within hours, even temporarily crashing the popular booking platform BookMyShow. The scale of promotions and pre-booking frenzy surrounding 'Empuraan' is unprecedented in Malayalam cinema. The film is being marketed across India and overseas and touted as perhaps the biggest Malayalam film ever.
While 'Empuraan' is rewriting marketing strategies, Malayalam cinema has witnessed large-scale promotions before, though not to this extent. Film critic A Chandrashekhar pointed out that 'My Dear Kuttichathan' (1984), India’s first 3D film, directed by Jijo Punnoose and produced by Navodaya Studio, was a milestone in terms of marketing. “The movie was later remade into Hindi as 'Chhota Chetan' in 1998 with a massive promotional campaign, making it a pan-Indian success. In fact, 'My Dear Kuttichathan' was released thrice, each time with revisions to keep up with technology and audience expectations,” he said.
Marketing methods have evolved significantly since then. “Back then, the biggest challenge was the physical limitations of technology. Navodaya Studios had to manufacture and distribute 3D glasses, unlike today when theatres provide them,” he added.
Another early example of big-budget filmmaking was 'Padayottam' (1982), starring Prem Nazir. However, as Chandrashekhar pointed out, the scale of promotions today is incomparable. “The kind of international appeal 'Empuraan' is aiming for wasn’t possible earlier. The content of older films was largely local, whereas 'Empuraan' has an inherently global narrative,” he said.
In recent years, Malayalam cinema has also faced challenges in getting audiences to theatres. During the dispute between actors and producers over remuneration and budgets, producers claimed that audience turnout had declined. Yet, 'Empuraan' has flipped this narrative. With sold-out shows across Kerala, it signals a resurgence of cinema-going culture. 'Empuraan' has become an event in itself.
Director Vysakh, who helmed 'Pulimurugan', the first Malayalam film to enter the ₹100-crore club, acknowledged this shift. “The marketing for 'Pulimurugan' and 'Empuraan' is entirely different. When 'Pulimurugan' was released in 2016, such high-budget promotions were unheard of in Malayalam cinema. Back then, only a small portion of the actual budget was allocated for promotions,” he said. However, post-release, the film gained massive traction, prompting its producer, Tomichan Mulakuppadam, to implement a strategic marketing push, further amplifying its success. “That strategy paved the way for how marketing is done now. It proved that Malayalam cinema could be profitable at an unprecedented scale,” Vysakh added.
He also revealed that Mohanlal did not take his remuneration for 'Pulimurugan' upfront and only accepted it after the film's release.
Vysakh also recalled an old conversation with Prithviraj, who told him that 'Pulimurugan' gave him the confidence to make 'Lucifer'. “He said the film’s success showed that Malayalam cinema could break commercial barriers, which encouraged him to approach 'Lucifer' on a grand scale,” Vysakh said.
'Lucifer', 'Empuraan’s' prequel, adopted an entirely different promotional approach than 'Pulimurugan', marking a new trend in Malayalam cinema’s marketing strategies. Now, 'Empuraan' is taking it to another level, with global screenings and large-scale promotions.
The strategic marketing of 'Empuraan' is not just leveraging Mohanlal’s star power but also Prithviraj’s approach to filmmaking. “Prithviraj treats his movies as products and markets them accordingly. Filmmakers have the confidence to recover their investment through proper branding,” said Chandrashekhar.
Unlike 'Pulimurugan', which had a distinctly local storyline that couldn’t be marketed internationally in the same way, 'Empuraan' has been designed for a wider audience. Even 'Drishyam', had to be adapted to suit different markets. However, 'Empuraan' has been conceptualised as a film with universal appeal. “What makes 'Empuraan' unique is that its marketing strategy adapts to each industry. In Bollywood, it’s promoted like a Hindi film; in Tollywood, like a Telugu film,” Chandrashekhar explained.
Veteran film PRO Vazhoor Jose highlighted that the scale of 'Empuraan’s' promotions is new to Malayalam cinema. “I don’t think even Bollywood has marketed a film at this level across so many countries,” he noted. The hype was not artificially created; it stemmed from the sheer scale of the project. “A high-budget film, shot across multiple countries, featuring Mohanlal and Prithviraj, it’s a combination that naturally generates excitement,” he said.
Producer Tomichan Mulakuppadam, who produced 'Pulimurugan', acknowledged how much the industry has changed. “Back then, we were uncertain whether 'Pulimurugan' would make money, and its success was a pleasant surprise. The marketing techniques used for 'Empuraan' were not even considered for 'Pulimurugan',” he said.
Producer Mummy Century agreed, stating that the concept of a ‘₹100-crore-club’ movie didn’t exist in Malayalam cinema until recently. “Now, markets have changed, and producers like Aashirvad Cinemas are taking risks with big budgets. When budgets rise, marketing naturally follows suit. Films like 'Manjummel Boys' and 'Premalu' have already shown that Malayalam cinema has a pan-Indian audience. Earlier, our films were mostly dubbed into other languages. Now, they are released as they are.”
The promotions have been designed to resonate across different regions, with Mohanlal and Prithviraj conducting interviews and engaging with audiences nationwide. The film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor and Gokulam Gopalan under Aashirvad Cinemas and Sree Gokulam Movies. It will be distributed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and North India by top production houses like Hombale Films, Sree Gokulam Movies, and Anil Thadani’s AA Films.
In an unprecedented move for Malayalam cinema, 'Empuraan' has inspired declarations of holidays on its release day, something previously seen only in larger industries. The film is set to release on March 27 in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. It will also be the first Malayalam film to be released in IMAX format.
According to Sacnilk, 'Empuraan' has already surpassed ₹35 crore in pre-sales for its opening day and crossed ₹50 crore gross for its opening weekend worldwide. It has recorded the highest opening collection for a Malayalam film in several countries.