Early trade discussions point to strong audience interest for the upcoming release featuring Mohanlal, Mammootty and Nayanthara as industry watchers track its performance against previous big Malayalam openings in recent years.
Published: April 30, 2026 8:38 PM IST
The upcoming Malayalam film Patriot is already building strong excitement as it brings together two of the biggest stars of the industry, Mohanlal and Mammootty, after more than a decade. The buzz around the film has grown quickly because of its scale, star power and long gap reunion. Early trade reports suggest that the film is heading for a huge opening at the box office, especially in Kerala and overseas markets. Fans are showing massive interest, which has pushed advance bookings to strong levels. Industry experts believe it could become one of the biggest Malayalam openings ever, depending on final turnout.
How strong is Patriot’s advance booking performance?
Advance booking for Patriot has shown solid momentum before release. Reports indicate that pre-sales in India have reached nearly Rs 3 crore, with most of the contribution coming from Kerala. Around 90 percent of bookings are from the state, which highlights its strong regional pull. Overseas response is also impressive, particularly in Gulf countries, where demand is high due to the fan following of the lead actors. International advance gross is estimated to be around Rs 10 crore overall, which reflects strong global interest ahead of release.
What is Patriot’s box office prediction for Day 1?
Trade expectations suggest that Patriot may earn around Rs 8 crore net in Kerala on the opening day. With contributions from other Indian regions the domestic total could reach Rs 9 crore net. Overseas earnings are expected to boost the total further, taking worldwide Day 1 collections close to Rs 25 crore. This would place the film as the second biggest Malayalam opening ever in terms of box office performance.
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Why is Patriot creating so much buzz?
The film brings together a powerful and iconic cast including Mohanlal, Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, Darshana Rajendran and Revathi. The film is written co edited and directed by renowned filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan. This strong ensemble cast has played a major role in building anticipation among audiences across different regions.
For the unversed, Mohanlal and Mammootty last shared the screen in the 2013 film Kadal Kadannu Oru Maathukutty, where Mohanlal made a cameo appearance as himself. However, their last major collaboration in which both actors played full-fledged lead roles was the 2008 blockbuster Twenty:20, directed by Joshiy.
How Patriot compares with past Malayalam openings?
If the film crosses Rs 17 crore worldwide it will surpass the career best opening of Mammootty’s Turbo. A Rs 20 crore plus start will place it among the top Malayalam openings. However the all time record remains with L2: Empuraan which opened at around Rs 68 crore. While Patriot may not reach that level it is still expected to outperform several major releases in the industry.
