The reunion of Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty after 13 years seems to be generating quite a buzz at the ticket window in Kerala. Patriot, the two veteran actors’ first film together since 2013, releases in theatres on May 1, and is expected to take a blockbuster start at the box office.
Patriot advance booking update
With under a day to go before the release of Patriot, advance bookings for the film are on in full swing. By the end of Wednesday (April 29), the spy thriller had generated pre-sales of nearly ₹3 crore in India, of which 90% came from Kerala alone. The film is generating massive buzz overseas, with reports stating that its opening weekend advance gross has crossed $600k internationally, of which $450k comes from just the Gulf region. This gives Patriot an advance booking gross of around ₹10 crore.
Patriot box office prediction
Given the reunion of Mohanlal and Mammotty, and the presence of Fahadh Faasil in the film, Patriot is expected to open with a massive number in Kerala. Trade insiders estimate the film could earn ₹8 crore net in Kerala on opening day, with ₹1+ crore in other parts of the country. This can give the film a start of ₹9 crore net ( ₹11 crore gross) domestically.
Overseas, buoyed by the huge craze for the two actors in the Gulf, Patriot is heading for a record-breaking opening. If advance bookings maintain their pace throughout Thursday, Patriot is looking at a $1.6 million start in international markets. This will give the film a ₹25-crore opening day, one of the best ever in Malayalam cinema history.
Patriot’s record-breaking start
All Patriot needs to do is cross ₹17 crore worldwide for its opening day to register Mammootty’s career-best start. The record currently resides with the 2024 release Turbo, which opened at ₹16.20 crore. Once it crosses ₹20 crore, it will surpass all but one Malayalam film. The all-time record belongs to Mohanlal L2: Empuraan, which opened at a jaw-dropping ₹68 crore last year. That mark is beyond Patriot’s reach, but it is expected to surpass the opening day grosses of Marakkar ( ₹20 crore), Kurup ( ₹19 crore), and Odiyan ( ₹18 crore).
All about Patriot
Written, co-edited, and directed by Mahesh Narayanan, Patriot stars Mohanlal and Mammootty alongside a stellar ensemble including Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, Darshana Rajendran, and Revathi. The film releases worldwide on May 1.