In 2024, Malayalam cinema experienced a significant milestone with the release of Manjummel Boys, which achieved the status of the highest-grossing Malayalam film in history. The industry, known as Mollywood, is optimistic about replicating this success with upcoming releases, including Prithviraj’s L2: Empuraan, scheduled for March. However, as of January 2025, Rekhachithram has distinguished itself as the leading film, excelling in both box office performance and audience appreciation. Let us examine the top three Malayalam films from January 2025.

Mollywood January 2025 box office

Rekhachithram tops box office

Rekhachithram, featuring Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan, leads the box office with worldwide earnings of Rs 51.25 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. Directed by Jofin T Chacko, this film has become the first blockbuster from the Malayalam film industry in 2025. The intriguing narrative of Rekhachithram delves into the realm of alternative history, centring on a police officer (Asif Ali) who investigates the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a film set in 1985. The cast also includes notable performances by Manoj K. Jayan, Siddique, Jagadish, Zarin Shihab, Saikumar, Harisree Ashokan, and Indrans. Currently, the film continues to screen in over 160 theatres during its fourth week of release.

 Identity

Tovino Thomas inaugurated the Mollywood box office for 2025 with his action thriller, Identity. The film commenced its journey positively upon its release on January 2, 2025, garnering Rs 1.8 crore on its opening day. Despite its numerous plot twists, the action thriller struggled to maintain its box office momentum, accumulating Rs 16.9 crore in global earnings, according to Sacnilk. The film centres around a sketch artist, a police officer, and an eyewitness involved in a murder investigation. Tovino portrays the artist Haran, while Vinay Rai plays the role of the police officer, and Trisha takes on the part of the eyewitness. Identity made its debut on OTT platforms via Zee5 on January 31, 2025, and is also available for viewing on OTTplay Premium.

Dominic and the Ladies' Purse

Mammootty's film, Dominic and the Ladies' Purse, was highly anticipated, particularly as it represented the Malayalam directorial debut of Gautham Vasudev Menon. This investigative thriller premiered on January 23, 2025, receiving mixed reviews and achieving a respectable box office opening. As the film concludes its first week in theatres, its global earnings have reached Rs 14.5 crore as of January 31, 2025, according to Sacnilk. The cast also includes Gokul Suresh, Viji Venkatesh, and Sushmitha Bhat.

Currently, Identity holds the second position in box office rankings; however, its total earnings may soon be surpassed by Mammootty’s Dominic and the Ladies' Purse, which continues to screen in cinemas.

Other January 2025 releases

A significant release this month was Pravinkoodu Shappu, featuring Basil Joseph in the role of a police officer, alongside Soubin Shahir and Chemban Vinod. The film premiered on January 16, 2025, and received predominantly favourable reviews; however, its box office performance has been underwhelming, with worldwide earnings amounting to Rs 5.19 crore to date.

Another film, Ennu Swantham Punyalan, which stars Anaswara Rajan alongside Arjun Ashokan and Balu Varghese, was released the day following Rekhachithram. Unfortunately, this film also failed to make a significant impact, with total worldwide collections reaching only Rs 2.6 crore.

Additionally, Basil Joseph's Ponman and Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Oru Jaathi Jathakam were released in theatres on January 30 and 31, respectively. It remains to be seen how these films will fare in the upcoming days.

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