One of the most anticipated Indian films of 2024, director Lijo Jose Pellissery's Malayalam film Malaikottai Vaaliban, starring Mohanlal in the lead role, hit the screens on Thursday with shows starting as early as 6:30 am in Kerala. The movie also witnessed exceptional advance bookings and an expansive worldwide release previously unseen for a Malayalam movie, setting the stage for Mohanlal to deliver another potential industry hit.

On its opening day, the film recorded an India nett collection of Rs 5.5 crore, with an overall occupancy rate of 51.23 per cent. While the morning screenings boasted a high occupancy rate of 59.81 per cent, it dipped to 37.09 per cent during the afternoon. However, the evening and night shows saw an improvement, with rates reaching 48.62 per cent and 59.41 per cent, respectively.

According to the local industry tracker What The Fuss, Malaikottai Vaaliban earned Rs 4.76 crore in Kerala on its release day, with 3,12,670 admissions across 1,980 shows, collectively achieving an occupancy rate of 56.11 per cent. The tracker noted that this is a good opening for a Malayalam movie.

However, going by What The Fuss' figures, the film doesn't stand anywhere close to the list of biggest openers in Kerala, despite significant hype around it. Currently, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay-starrer Leo holds the record for the highest opening day collection in Kerala (Rs 12 crore), followed by Prashanth Neel’s Yash-starrer KGF (Rs 7.25 crore), VA Shrikumar’s Mohanlal-starrer Odiyan (Rs 6.76 crore), and Nelson’s Vijay-starrer Beast (Rs 6.6 crore).

(With inputs from agencies)