Actor Mammootty's latest movie The Priest, which hit the screens on Thursday (March 11), has done pretty well over the first weekend. The film has reportedly collected around Rs 8 crore at the Kerala box office in four days despite the fact that most theatres are operating at 50 per cent capacity.
The Priest is only the second movie after Vijay's Master to do well at the Kerala box office post the pandemic. The perception is that the positive response to the biggie may help the Malayalam film industry regain its mojo after the lockdown. It is also likely to give Mammootty a slight edge over 'arch rival' Mohanlal. Many expected 'Lalettan' to revive the industry with Drishyam 2 but that did not happen as the thriller released on an OTT platform, skipping the theatrical route.
The Priest has received rave reviews with most critics praising the 'Megastar' for hitting it out of the park with his performance. Manju Warrier too has impressed critics with her work. The word of mouth is positive, which may help the film remain the choice of the masses in the coming days.
Mammootty, meanwhile, is going through a busy phase on the work front. The veteran actor will next be seen in the political-thriller One, which features him in the role of a principled chief minister. The biggie has piqued the curiosity of the fans and may emerge as a hit. He also has the Amal Neerad-directed Bheeshma Parvam in his kitty. The film is touted to have massy action and features the Uncle star in a new avatar. The mass hero and the ace filmmaker were to team up for Bilal, a sequel to their cult classic Big B, but the film was put on hold due to the Covid-19 situation. They are expected to revive Bilal after wrapping up Bheeshma Parvam.