The Kerala Film Producers Association (FEFKA) recently took an interesting step by publishing a list of Malayalam films released in January 2025, along with their respective budgets and theatrical shares. The aim of releasing such a statement was to highlight the financial struggles faced by Malayalam cinema, exacerbated by the taxes imposed on collections. The report also underscores the rising production costs of these films, which are largely driven by the increasing salaries of top stars. ‘Rekhachithram’ Movie Review: Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan Impress in This Creative Blend of Cinema Nostalgia and Absorbing Mystery.

Speaking to the press on behalf of FEFKA, producer G Suresh Kumar (father of actress Keerthy Suresh) stated, "According to the figures for January, out of the 28 films released, only one can be considered a financial success. The rest have incurred losses. Two recently released films are performing well, but their figures will only be available next month. The loss for January alone amounts to INR 110 crore. If this trend continues, the industry is headed for collapse."

So, which is the hit film he is referring to? January 2025 saw the release of several high-profile movies, including Identity (starring Tovino Thomas and Trisha Krishnan), Rekhachithram (featuring Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan), Pravin Koodu Shappu (with Basil Joseph and Soubin Shahir), Dominic and the Ladies Purse (starring Mammootty), Ponman (also featuring Basil Joseph), and others. ‘PonMan’ Movie Review: An Absorbing Tale of Gold, Greed, and Gumption Led by Basil Joseph’s Stellar Performance.

Let’s examine the box office collections, budgets (as revealed by FEFKA), and theatrical shares of these major releases to determine the hits and flops of January 2025.

1.  Identity

Directed by Akhil Paul and Anas Khan, Identity stars Tovino Thomas, Trisha Krishnan, Vinay Rai and Aju Varghese.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 30 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 16.9 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 3.5 crore

Box Office Verdict: Flop

2. Communist Pacha Adhava Appa

Directed by Shamim Moideen, the movie stars Althaf Salim, Nazlin Jameela, Zakariya, and Sajin Cherukayil.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 2 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 0.04 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 1.25 lakh

Box Office Verdict: Disaster

3. ID: The Fake

Directed by Arun Sivavilasam, the movie stars Dhyan Sreenivasan. Divya Pillai, and Kalabhavan Shajohn.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 2.47 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 0.07 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 1.5 lakh

Box Office Verdict: Disaster

4. Rekhachithram

Directed by  Jofin T Chacko, Rekhachithram stars Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 8.56 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 55 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 12.5 crore

Box Office Verdict: Hit

5. Ennu Swantham Punyalan

Directed by Mahesh Madhu, Ennu Swantham Punyalan stars Arjun Ashokan, Balu Varghese, and Anaswara Rajan.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 8.7 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 2.61 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 1.20 crore

Box Office Verdict: Flop

6. Pravinkoodu Shappu

Directed by Sreeraj Sreenivaasan, Pravinkoodu Shappu stars Soubin Shahir, Basil Joseph, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Chandini Sreedharan.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 18 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 5.25 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 4 crore

Box Office Verdict: Flop

7. Dominic and the Ladies' Purse

Directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, Dominic and the Ladies' Purse stars Mammootty, Sushmitha Bhat, and Gokul Suresh. ‘Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse’ Movie Review: Mammootty’s Charisma Dependably Carries Gautham Vasudevan Menon’s Quaint Yet Imperfect Mystery.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 19.28 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 19.6 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 4.25 crore

Box Office Verdict: Below Average

8. Am Ah

Directed by Thomas Sebastian, Am Ah stars Dileesh Pothan, Jaffar Idukki, and Devadarshini.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 3.5 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 0.37 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 30 lakh

Box Office Verdict: Flop

9. Anpodu Kanmani

Directed by Liju Thomaz, Anpodu Kanmani stars Arjun Ashokan, Anagha Narayanan, and Althaf Salim.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 3 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 0.54 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 25 lakh

Box Office Verdict: Flop

10. Besty

Directed by Shaanu Samad, Besty stars Ashkar Saudan, Shaheen Siddique, and Sakshi Agarwal.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 4.81 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): 0.16 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 20 lakh

Box Office Verdict: Disaster

11.  Ponman

Directed by Jothish Shankar, Ponman stars Basil Joseph, Sajin Gopu, and Lijomol Jose.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 8.91 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 6.09 crore (India Gross Only Available)

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 2.5 crore

Box Office Verdict: Yet to be Determined

12. Oru Jaathi Jathakam

Directed by M Mohanan, Oru Jaathi Jathakam stars Vineeth Sreenivasan, Nikhila Vimal, Kayadu Lohar, Aiswarya Mithun, and Sayanora Philip.

Budget (Per FEFKA): INR 5 crore

Box Office Collection (WW Gross): INR 0.35 crore

Theatrical Share (Per FEFKA): INR 1.5 crore

Box Office Verdict: Moving to Flop

Full List of Malayalam Movies of January 2025

From the data, it is evident that Rekhachitram was the only clear hit last month. The rest of the films have struggled to make an impact in theatres, with their high budgets playing a significant role in their underperformance. It is still too early to judge Ponman, as its theatrical performance is showing steady growth, thanks to glowing reviews and positive word-of-mouth from audiences. The situation is so dire that OTT platforms are reportedly refusing to acquire high-budget films, pushing releases like Mohanlal’s Thudarum and Mammootty’s Bazooka to later dates to allow more time for negotiations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2025 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).