Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran's latest venture, L2E: Empuraan, has taken the Malayalam film industry by storm, setting unprecedented box office records within hours of its release. Debuting on March 27, 2025, the film amassed over ₹9.19 crore by 2 PM, surpassing the previous opening day record held by The Goat Life with a day one collection of ₹8.95 crore.
The film has sold tickets worth almost ₹20 crore in advance bookings, and given the strong response it has been receiving, it seems poised to touch at least ₹30 crore by the end of the day. Empuraan serves as the second installment in a planned trilogy following the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer. Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and featuring Mohanlal reprising his role as Stephen Nedumpally, also known as Khureshi Ab'raam, the film has captivated audiences with its gripping narrative and stellar performances.
The ensemble cast includes Prithviraj himself, alongside Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, and international actors such as Rick Yune and Jerome Flynn, adding a global appeal to the production. The production journey of Empuraan was extensive, spanning 14 months from October 2023 to December 2024. Filming locations were diverse, covering various parts of India, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Ladakh, as well as international locales in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
A significant highlight of Empuraan is its pioneering use of technology in Malayalam cinema. It is the first film in the industry to be released in IMAX and EPIQ formats. Even in international markets, the film has been generating a lot of buzz. Before the screening began on March 27, the film had sold tickets worth US $4 million in overseas markets. In North America, the film’s premiere shows contributed about US $575,000, while in the UAE, its premiere plus day one advance ticket sales stood at US $1.32 million.
L2 Empuraan is one of the most anticipated films of 2025 from Malayalam cinema. The movie is an official second part of the big hit Lucifer (2019). Now, L2 Empuraan has been released in Pan-India in multiple languages on March 27, 2025. As per the advance booking report, L2 Empuraan crossed ₹12 crore gross in Kerala alone, which means it has a strong chance to collect ₹18 to ₹20 crore gross in Kerala on day one. In the last 24 hours before the film's release, it sold over 234,000 tickets in India, indicating incredible hype.
In its Hindi version, L2 Empuraan has released in over 800 screens across India. The film has a strong chance to earn around ₹1 to ₹2 crore nett in the Hindi version alone. Across India, the Mohanlal starrer film is expected to cross ₹25 to ₹27 crore gross. If that happens, it will be the highest-grossing day one collection for a Malayalam film.
The much-awaited movie L2: Empuraan was finally released in theatres today, and since its release, the movie has been receiving positive feedback from fans and netizens. Prithviraj Sukumaran, who also featured in the lead role, has directed the movie. Early fan reactions suggest that the film has struck a deep chord with audiences and is poised to make a massive impact at the box office.
Mohanlal's latest release has already rewritten records, raking in an impressive ₹19.4 crore (including block bookings) through advance ticket sales, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. The movie generated massive buzz worldwide, driven by its striking promotional material and well-executed marketing campaign. One X user stated, "Whatever haters say, Kerala has accepted Empuraan. Empuraan has clicked with the audience. It’s over for the haters." Another fan praised, "Didn’t feel like I was watching a Malayalam movie. Extravaganza making and top-notch direction. Theater watch recommended. #Mohanlal #Manju & #Prithviraj steals the show. My rating 3.5/5! #Empuraan."
Another fan praised both actor and director, writing, "Nicely executed work from @PrithviOfficial." A user remarked, "The whole jungle fight sequence and Vaada 2.0 erupted the whole theatre. May be the biggest theatre moment of recent times. Watch out for end credits." Salman Khan, while interacting with the media, talked about back-to-back releases and appreciated Prithviraj’s film L2: Empuraan. He said, “I love Mohanlal sir as an actor. Prithviraj is directing it, and I know that it’s going to be an excellent film.”
As per industry tracker Sacnilk, L2: Empuraan earned around ₹19.4 crore through advance booking (including blocked seats). The movie recorded about ₹50 crore in pre-sales worldwide. The box office collection of Empuraan is at ₹13.44 crore in India net, as per Sacnilk data. The movie saw 58.82% Malayalam occupancy on Thursday, March 27, 2025. It registered 1 million ticket sales in advance on Book My Show in just two days. The data showed that on BookMyShow, Empuraan witnessed a record-breaking 628,000 tickets on the first day, followed by 163,000 on the second day, 110,000 on the third day, and over 100,000 tickets on the fourth day. The majority of the tickets were sold in Kerala.
Simply put, on its opening day, the film saw pre-sales worth ₹5 crore globally on a gross basis. This makes Empuraan the first-ever Mollywood film to do so. Earlier, movies like Bollywood's Chennai Express, Tollywood's Baahubali, Kollywood's Kabali, and Sandalwood's KGF recorded ₹50 crore openings. The film has also received mixed reviews overall, with some praising the action, visuals, and Prithviraj's emotional flashback, while others felt the second half lost steam.
As announced by the team, Lucifer is a trilogy, implying the existence of a third film as a continuation of the series. During a September 2019 event, Prithviraj mentioned that the third film will explore a much darker theme in the series. In January 2025, while discussing the cinematographic techniques used in Empuraan, Prithviraj confirmed that the same would be utilized in the third film as well. The storyline sets up a future conflict in Lucifer 3 between Khureshi Ab'raam's Indo-Arab group and the Shen Triad, with Mohanlal and Rick Yune in leading roles.
