Malaikkottai Vaaliban emerges as a monumental action-packed drama in the realm of Malayalam cinema, with the illustrious Mohanlal at its helm. Positioned as a ‘Pan-Indian’ endeavor, this cinematic spectacle made waves with its simultaneous release across multiple major languages.
Anticipation for the film surged following Mohanlal’s previous blockbuster, Neru (2023), setting high expectations for this Republic Day weekend unveiling. Despite garnering a mixed bag of reviews from critics, who lauded the stellar performances while critiquing other elements, the film’s theatrical performance fell short of projections, amassing a worldwide gross of just INR 30 crores.
In response to the film’s theatrical outcome, the production team opted for an early digital premiere on Hotstar. The film, available in its original Malayalam version, is also accessible in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. It remains to be seen whether the response from OTT audiences will diverge from that of cinema-goers.