Cinema VinesVismaya Mohanlal’s first feature, Thudakkam, opened on August 7 and instantly became the highest‑opening female‑led Malayalam film, surpassing Kalyani Priyadarshan’s Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra. According to the trade portal Sacnilk, Thudakkam earned ₹2.55 crore net in India and a worldwide gross of ₹6.86 crore on its opening day, just edging out Lokah’s ₹2.70 crore net and ₹6.63 crore worldwide.
Despite the record day, the film’s opening weekend was modest compared to its predecessor. In its first three days, Thudakkam collected ₹10.43 crore net domestically and ₹23.46 crore worldwide, while Lokah pulled in ₹14.30 crore net and ₹40.87 crore worldwide, buoyed by stronger critical reception.
The action thriller, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph and written with Akhil Krishna and Linish Nellikkal, features Vismaya alongside Ashish Joe Antony, Bobby Kurian, Sai Kumar, Manoj K. Jayan, KB Ganesh Kumar, Miya George, Chippy Renjith, Kottayam Ramesh and Jaffar Idukki. Production was handled by Antony Perumbavoor’s Aashirvad Cinemas, and the film includes an extended cameo by Vismaya’s father, Mohanlal.
In a heartfelt post‑release message, Mohanlal wrote, “A father’s heart couldn’t ask for more. Watching Vismaya begin her journey with Thudakkam, and seeing the love you’ve shown her, is a blessing I’ll always cherish.” He added his admiration for director Aashish Joe Antony, whom he has known since childhood, and thanked him for welcoming both the director and his daughter.
Lokah, released in 2025, is the first film in a franchise written and directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan under Wayfarer Films. The cast includes Kalyani, Naslen, Sandy, Chandu Salim Kumar and Arun Kurian, with cameos from Tovino Thomas, Dulquer, Anna Ben, Sunny Wayne, Soubin Shahir, Santhy Balachandran, Ahaana Krishna, Balu Varghese and Vijay Menon. The veteran Mammootty lent his voice to a key character, and the film benefited from favourable reviews that helped it achieve a larger weekend haul than Thudakkam.
