Friday Matinee - Oppam - The Onam winner

Kochi is the biggest city of Kerala and also the capital of the Mollywood films collection. The metro city accommodates scores of single screens and several multiplexes spreading across its region. Onam is the festival of Kerala and the Malayalee’s love for the cinema will be at it is peak during the holiday. This year is fortunately for the families and employees the holiday is stretched to the entire. This holiday has fruitfully used and the biggest beneficiary is the Malayalam cinema itself. All the releases of the Onam having superb run at Kochi Multiplexes with houseful shows. Even the early morning which normally used to have occupancy less than 30% is filled with higher occupancy. So reading on the wall is clear that Malayalam films occupancies will be higher till the end of this weekend. 

Shockingly the Multiplexes have reduced the shows of all the Malayalam films which are entering to second week from this Friday. These all movies had occupancies ranging from 70% to 90% on Thursday. The shows were reduced to accommodate the shows of other language films. It is pertinent to note Malayalam films have highly limited audience outside the Kerala and they can reap their best harvest only during the festival season and Onam is one of them. It is admitted that film lovers of Kerala accept other language film whole heartedly. But these big cinema houses should have spared at least this season for the Malayalam film. Mollywood film industry is having best ever Onam in recent time and it is moral responsibility of cinema houses to support them. But the Multiplexes has committed unpardonable and unethical wrong in their professional conduct towards Malayalam films which should be condemned by all the film lovers of Kochi.

On other hand, the vibrant box office of Mollywood is still in festive mood. Oppam , Oozham , Welcome to Central Jaildominates the theaters with huge collection.

Top 3 movies as on 16/09/2016

1 Oppam

One more record for the Super Star Mohanlal- Priyadarshan magic. Highest grosser for the first week by collecting 12.61 Cr in 7 days. Apart earth shattering pre Onam opening , the collection juggernaut is unstoppable even after the Onam. The number of houseful shows are increasing day by day. The film has grossed another 1.76 Cr on Thursday and the grand total for the 8 days is 14.37 Cr. It is going to break Premam’s second week grand total record of 20.37 Cr by Monday which will be 12th day of its run.  The Onam winner. Oppam is the real blockbuster of 2016. The film which has huge budget of 6.80 Cr recovered it in 8 days time. Excellent.

2.  Oozham

Still holds the second position with an impressive first week performance at Kerala box office. Oozham has collected approx 7.15 Cr in 8 days. The exorbitant budget of around 9 Cr is the biggest disadvantage it has. With remaining run and various rights the film may be able to recover the cost but a huge hit in terms of WOM and box office eludes Jithu Joseph. For Prithviraj , this film ends the drought of hit created by two consecutive non starters at box office Darvin and James.

3. Welcome to Central Jail

The film does no good for Janapriya Nayakan Dileep but the team WCJ celebrated the success of this film. With below average WOM no one expected the films to collect well. But grossed around 6 Cr in 6 days.  The second week will decide its fate.