Kattalan Box Office Day 1 (Early Update): Antony Varghese's Film Sees Decent Start; Did It Beat Drishyam 3?

Kattalan Evening Occupancy Day 1: The Malayalam action thriller Kattalan (2026) created strong excitement among cinema lovers even before its theatrical release. Directed by Paul George, the film starred Antony Varghese in a rugged lead role and marked one of the biggest action entertainers of the year. The movie also featured Dushara Vijayan, Siddique, Jagadish, Kabir Duhan Singh, Sunil, and Anson Paul in important roles. Set against the backdrop of ivory smuggling and violent gang rivalries, Kattalan followed a dark and intense story filled with revenge, survival, and power struggles.

The makers focused heavily on realism, and several scenes were reportedly shot using real elephants instead of CGI, which increased curiosity among audiences. Kattalan generated massive buzz on social media after its teaser and trailer were released. Fans praised Antony Varghese's fierce screen presence and Ravi Basrur's powerful background score. Discussions around the film's possible connection to the Marco universe also added to the hype. The visually rich trailer, high-voltage action scenes, and forest setting made Kattalan one of the most talked-about Malayalam films of 2026. The film eventually opened to mixed but highly energetic reactions from audiences and fans online.

Kattalan Evening Occupancy Day 1

According to a report published in Sacnilk, Kattalan has recorded an occupancy of 40.17% during evening shows on day 1 (first Thursday) and failed to beat the opening day occupancy of Drishyam 3 during evening shows which was around 71%

Kattalan Box Office Collection Day 1 (Evening Trend)

To note, Kattalan has made a collection of Rs 1.9cr on day 1 (first Thursday) including Rs 1.6cr in Malayalam, Rs 22 lakhs in Hindi, Rs 2 lakhs in Tamil and Rs 6 lakhs in Telugu until 7:30pm

Meanwhile, Antony has called Kattalan as the biggest film of his career. Talking to Hollywood Reporter India, Antony stated, "I think the budget alone will come up to around the ₹30 to ₹35 crore. It's the biggest film I've done as a hero. I have that responsibility and the excitement of becoming part of such a film. But one cannot call Kattalan just a pure action film either. It has emotions, tricks and a mix of everything".