South Indian Box Office Report 2025: Malayalam Cinema Thrives While Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada Face Challenges

The South Indian film industry experienced a year of contrasts in 2025, with clear disparities emerging between its major players. Malayalam cinema stood out for its strong content, while Telugu films relied heavily on star power. Tamil cinema grappled with the impact of high production budgets, and Kannada cinema struggled to gain widespread recognition.

BookMyShow data indicated a shift in audience preferences, with viewers prioritizing quality over star power. *Kantara: Chapter 1* was the most re-watched film on the platform, drawing over 600,000 repeat viewers. *Coolie* led in advance ticket sales, selling 2.4 million tickets before its release. Single-screen cinemas remained important, generating over 55% of *Hari Hara Veera Mallu-Part 1*'s sales.

Tamil Cinema: Navigating a Critical Juncture

Tamil cinema faced a challenging year. While big-budget films featuring A-list stars, such as Rajinikanth's *Coolie* and Ajith Kumar's *Good Bad Ugly*, performed well financially, several other high-budget productions like Kamal Haasan's *Thug Life*, Suriya's *Retro*, and Vikram's *Veera Dheera Sooran* did not meet expectations.

Industry tracker Ramesh Bala noted that *Coolie*, despite its star-studded cast, grossed approximately ₹500 crore, falling short of the ₹1,000 crore benchmark set by *Jailer* in the previous year. Ajith's *Good Bad Ugly* was a success, but *Vidaamuyarchi* underperformed.

That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. films such as Pradeep Ranganathan's *Dragon*, Sasikumar's *Tourist Family*, Vijay Sethupathi's *Thalaivan Thalaivii*, Soori's *Maaman*, and Manikandan's *Kudumbasthan* attracted family audiences to theaters.

Trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai emphasized the importance of content over star power in Tamil cinema, noting that audiences are increasingly prioritizing quality. He also pointed out that escalating budgets contributed to the limited number of successful films. For a film to succeed with a large budget, it needs to recoup a significant portion of its investment during the opening weekend. Mid-budget films, like *Tourist Family*, rely more on positive word-of-mouth.

Distributor Tirupur Subramaniam suggested that the four-week theatrical window is deterring audiences from going to the cinema.

Tamil cinema needs to address these challenges in 2026 to avoid a potential crisis.

Telugu Cinema: Star Power Reigns Supreme

Telugu cinema saw major films achieve significant success in 2025. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. medium and small-budget films struggled to gain traction, despite some receiving positive audience reception. Films like *Little Hearts*, *Court*, *Single*, and *Kishkindhapuri* lacked the necessary promotional support.

Sreedhar Pillai observed that the Telugu film industry remains heavily reliant on star power. Ramesh Bala added that the combined theater count in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh exceeds 2,500, and the region is known for its enthusiastic moviegoing culture. Films such as Pawan Kalyan's *They Call Me OG* and Venkatesh's *Sankranthiki Vasthunnam* performed well, and *The Girlfriend* was a profitable venture. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. anticipated releases such as Pawan Kalyan's *Hari Hara Veera Mallu*, Vijay Deverakonda's *Kingdom*, and Nandamuri Balakrishna's *Akhanda 2* failed to live up to expectations.

Bala noted a shift in audience behavior, with fewer people automatically going to theaters, even for big releases.

Malayalam Cinema: A Year of Consistent Success

Malayalam cinema continued its strong performance from 2024 into 2025. The industry consistently delivered both big-budget productions and content-driven films. Notable releases included *Lokah: Chapter 1*, Mohanlal's *L2: Empuraan*, *Hridayapoorvam*, Mammootty's *Kalamkaval*, *Eko*, *Dies Irae*, *Rekhachithram*, *Officer on Duty*, *Avihitham*, and *Alappuzha Gymkhana*.

Ramesh Bala highlighted Malayalam cinema's consistent success rate and strong content. He noted that most of their major hits performed exceptionally well throughout South India, and the industry's focus on content allowed it to thrive despite operating on relatively tight budgets.

Sreedhar Pillai emphasized that Malayalam cinema's strength lies in its diverse content. He pointed out that Mammootty's *Dominic and the Ladies Purse* did not perform well due to its commercial approach, while his *Kalamkaval* was a box office success because he played the antagonist and Vinayakan played the protagonist. He also noted that Malayalam films typically adhere to a runtime of two to two hours and fifteen minutes, which has become an ideal length in the post-COVID era.

Kannada Cinema: Facing an Uphill Battle

Kannada cinema faced a challenging year in 2025. While Rishab Shetty's *Kantara: Chapter 1*, *Mahavatar Narsimha*, and Raj B Shetty's *Su From So* were considered successful, many other films underperformed. *Elumale* received recognition, but *Mithya* did not get the attention it deserved.

Ramesh Bala noted the limited number of breakout films and observed that audiences in Bengaluru often prefer films from other languages over Kannada films. He stressed the importance of supporting Kannada cinema.

Bala also noted that the number of Kannada films released each year is lower compared to other industries. He emphasized that for Kannada films to succeed, they need to reach audiences in other states, which only a few films managed to do.

Kichcha Sudeep's *Mark* and Shivarajkumar's *45*, scheduled for release on December 25, may potentially rank among the top five highest-grossing Kannada films.

A Shifting Landscape for South Indian Cinema

The post-COVID-19 era has presented challenges for the film industry across India. Ramesh Bala noted that theaters are becoming optional due to inflation, and the four-week theatrical window is not helping. Audiences are becoming more selective, and films with mediocre content are no longer performing well.

Sreedhar Pillai emphasized the importance of story presentation in an era of short attention spans. He noted that theatrical runs have shortened, and the quality of the story and its presentation are crucial. Malayalam cinema has excelled in this regard, and *Kantara: Chapter 1* also performed well across India due to its novelty.

The key takeaway for 2026 is that authentic storytelling within sustainable budgets will be essential for success. The era of guaranteed success based solely on star power has ended, and audiences are now rewarding innovation and quality over formula.