Epic Expense, Epic Fail: The Box Office Trials of Six Mohanlal Mega Movies

'Malaikottai Vaaliban' stands out as one of the most significant disappointments in Mohanlal's career. Despite the considerable anticipation surrounding this epic period action drama directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, it garnered mixed reviews and fell short of expectations, particularly in its box office performance.

Starring Mohanlal, Shriya Saran, Roma Asrani, and Lakshmi Rai, this romantic-action film faced widespread criticism from both critics and audiences, leading to substantial financial losses despite its star-studded cast.

The movie revolves around the naval chiefs of the 16th century who courageously battled the Portuguese army. Directed by Priyadarshan, this period drama is considered one of the most high-budget Malayalam films, with reported costs exceeding Rs 100 crore. Despite hitting the big screens on December 2, 2021, the film received predominantly negative responses from audiences, leading to its failure at the box office.

'Lailaa O Lailaa' is a Malayalam film released in 2015 starring Mohanlal and Amala Paul. While the film received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences, it did not perform well commercially, making it a disappointment at the box office. Despite having popular actors and a suspenseful storyline, the movie faced challenges in meeting expectations, and its underwhelming performance contributed to its categorization as a commercial failure.

Released in 2022, the thriller film 'Monster,' featuring Mohanlal, received unfavorable reviews from audiences and critics during its theatrical run. The movie faced a ban in Gulf countries due to its LGBTQ content. Following this, Bahrain decided to lift the ban under the condition that the filmmakers make cuts totaling 13 minutes from the film.

Produced with a budget of approximately Rs 25 crore, the action film 'Aaraattu,' helmed by director B Unnikrishnan, witnessed disappointing box office results upon its theatrical release in 2022. The cast includes Mohanlal, Shraddha Srinath, Ramachandra Raju, Siddique, Sijayaraghavan, Saikumar, and Nedumudi Venu in pivotal roles.