New Delhi: Malayalam cinema has found its Animal moment, with Haneef Adeni’s action thriller Marco earning over Rs 50 crore in just five days. The film with seven action sequences has emerged as the most ‘violent’ film. Critics have put it in the league of Dharma Productions’ Kill and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s 2023 blockbuster Animal—two of the most violent movies in recent years. Marco has also beaten Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 earnings in Kerala after three weeks.
Marco stars Unni Mukundan and deploys the masala movie trope with gold trading, love of family, and some foot-tapping music.
“Malayalam movies are known for clever writing, thriller movies, and more accessible. Marco is an exception, and making something completely opposite of what an industry is known for, has worked in the director’s favour,” said senior film critic Ramesh Bala.
The film has also added an extra 140 shows in Hindi, with its ongoing successful run in theatres. Marco is giving Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz a run for its money. Barroz, released on Christmas, is a children’s fantasy film that has Mohanlal playing a friendly ghost.
‘Extreme violence’
Marco has also faced legal woes. Advocate JS Akhil submitted a formal complaint to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), claiming that its extreme violence should not be shown to children under 18. The film now has an ‘A’ certificate, but that has not deterred its box office run.
A woman even threw up after watching the extreme gore and violence depicted in the film, reports suggest.
With the success of Marco, there is also a rise in the trend of audiences enjoying more violent action films. Kill had become a surprise hit, despite no stars headlining the film, and earned Rs 47.12 crore. Vanga’s Animal earned more than Rs 900 crore worldwide. Even Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja made Rs 100 crore worldwide and emerged as a streaming hit post its release on Netflix. It amassed 18.6 million views.
“Korean movies are very popular in India. And they show a lot of blood and gore through knives and machetes and have beheadings. Even Rajinikanth’s Jailer had a beheading scene, which is unusual. Now makers are making violent films because audiences seem to like it, and they are becoming more mainstream,” said Bala.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)