Mother turns monster, kills 2 children

At a time when several actors of his generation across Indian cinema are struggling to secure even a single theatrical release in a year, Malayalam superstar and legendary thespian Mohanlal achieved a rare and remarkable feat in 2025 by delivering a hat-trick of box office successes.

The actor enjoyed a stellar run with L2: Empuraan, Thudarum, and Hridayapoorvam. While L2: Empuraan and Thudarum went on to emerge as two of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, Hridayapoorvam proved its strength through steady collections, eventually attaining hit status over the long run.

Adding to the momentum, Mohanlal had a fourth release in the same year with Vrusshabha, a bilingual fantasy drama built around the theme of reincarnation. Released on the eve of Christmas, the film carried significant expectations but unfortunately failed to meet them. The ambitious project received below-par reviews from critics and suffered from weak word of mouth, which directly impacted its box office performance.

According to trade estimates, Vrusshabha is likely to conclude its theatrical run on a disappointing note, potentially breaking Mohanlal’s otherwise flawless success streak in 2025. Mounted on a massive budget of ₹120 crore and backed by high technical values, the film required only a decent audience response to capitalise on the Christmas holidays, extended weekend, and New Year period. However, poor openings and negative audience feedback significantly curtailed its earning potential.

Despite being promoted as a bilingual and released across multiple South Indian languages, Vrusshabha has shown minimal traction in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada markets, further limiting its recovery prospects. Unless the film witnesses an extraordinary turnaround, its box office fate appears largely sealed.

Looking ahead, Mohanlal has a strong opportunity to reclaim momentum with Drishyam 3, the third instalment of his blockbuster franchise directed by Jeethu Joseph. The film has already completed shooting and is slated for release next year. Given the massive success of the first two parts, expectations are understandably high.

Whether Mohanlal stages yet another grand comeback with Drishyam 3 remains to be seen—but his extraordinary 2025 run has already reaffirmed his enduring box office supremacy.