The first Malayalam film ever to collect a Rs 100 crore (£ 10 million) at the box office, Mohan Lal's 'Pulimurugan' took yet another honour within a month of its release. While Bollywood has long walked past the milestone, it remains a big deal in the Kerala film industry. The movie opened to a raging audience on October 7, most of the credit for which can be given to Lalettan's evergrowing fan club. While producer Tomichan Mulakupudam and director Vysakh were confident of the chances of their movie breaking the barrier, not all were.
"Nobody could have expected 'Pulimurugan' to make Rs 100 crore, that too within a month. It is no doubt a big achievement for Malayalam cinema; its success surely would encourage our producers to spend more on films," said director M Padmakumar. Tomichan had spent Rs 25 crore on a film, eventhough it is possible to make a Malayalam film featuring a superstar for less than Rs 7 crore. He said he not only invested in the making of the film, but on marketing also. "I backed my instinct, though I knew I was taking a big gamble," he said.
'Pulimurugan' was re;eased in major Indian cities, Gulf countries, and Europe including Poland.
