Daijiworld Media Network - Kochi

Kochi, Dec 6: Mammootty’s latest crime thriller Kalamkaval has stormed into theatres with an impressive opening, collecting an estimated Rs 4.75 crore on Day 1, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. The film had already set high expectations with the third-highest advance bookings of the year in Mollywood, following Mohanlal’s Empuraan and Thudarum.

Released across more than 900 screens nationwide, the film recorded an overall occupancy of 49.29% on Friday. Audience turnout gradually climbed through the day—starting at 40.16% for morning shows, dipping to 34.56% in the afternoon, before rising sharply to 54.54% and peaking at 67.89% during the night shows.

Kochi emerged as the strongest market for Kalamkaval, with a remarkable 75.75% occupancy across 164 shows. Thiruvananthapuram registered 45.5% for 159 shows, while Bengaluru, despite hosting the highest number of shows at 172, saw a modest 34% response.

The opening marks a positive shift for Mammootty’s box office form, surpassing recent releases like Bazooka (Rs 3.2 crore), Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse (Rs 1.75 crore), and Bramayugam (Rs 3.65 crore). However, it still falls short of some of his biggest recent openers including Turbo, Bheeshma Parvam, and Agent.

In the 2025 Malayalam box office race, Kalamkaval has secured a respectable start—comfortably ahead of releases like Dies Irae and Hridayapoorvam, though far behind blockbusters L2: Empuraan and Thudarum.

With favourable word of mouth and no major competition at the box office, the film is expected to maintain momentum over the weekend. The coming days will determine whether Kalamkaval can climb into the year’s top grosser list.