Pulimurugan

Pulimurugan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVysakh
Written byUdayakrishna
Produced byTomichan Mulakuppadam
StarringMohanlal
Jagapathi Babu
Kamalini Mukherjee
CinematographyShaji Kumar
Edited byJohnkutty
Music byGopi Sundar
Production
company
Distributed byMulakupadam Release
Release date
  • 7 October 2016 (2016-10-07) (India)
Running time
159 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budget₹25 crore[2][3]
Box officeest. ₹137.50–₹152 crore[4][5][6]

Pulimurugan is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language epic action thriller film directed by Vysakh and produced by Tomichan Mulakuppadam through Mulakuppadam Films. The screenplay was written by Udayakrishna —half of the duo Udayakrishna and Sibi K. Thomas —in his first independent screenplay. The film stars Mohanlal in the titular role, along with a huge ensemble cast including Jagapati Babu, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Lal, Vinu Mohan, Kishore, Bala, Noby Marcose, Siddique, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nandhu, M. R. Gopakumar, Sudheer Karamana, Hareesh Peradi, Makarand Deshpande and Namitha. The film centers on Murugan, a skilled protector of Villagers of Puliyoor facing the threat of deadly tiger attacks. He meet Daddy Girija, an illegal drug dealer who take advantage of his innocence.

Principal photography commenced on 16 July 2015 in Hanoi, Vietnam, and was completed in early February 2016. The film score and soundtrack were composed by Gopi Sundar, while cinematography and editing was handled by Shaji Kumar and Johnkutty respectively. The film was released in both 3D and conventional format on 7 October 2016. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Pulimurugan became the first Malayalam film to earn more than ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹144 crore or US$17 million in 2023), setting several records at the box office and emerged as the highest grossing Malayalam film till date and held the record for seven years until it was surpassed by 2018. The film has recorded theater footfalls of around 7.5 million during its run in Kerala alone.[7] It is currently the fifth highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.

Two songs from the film—"Kaadanayum Kaalchilambe" and "Maanathe Maarikurumbe" were selected among the 70 eligible songs contending for the Academy Award for Best Original Song nomination in the 90th Academy Awards.[8] The film score was also selected among the 141 eligible scores contending for the Academy Award for Best Original Score nomination.[9]

  1. ^ "Pulimurugan". www.bbfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  2. ^ Parvathi, Rakhi (16 October 2016). "The man who pump primed Murugan into a box office roar". Malayala Manorama. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Interview Tomichan Mulakupadam Producer of Pulimurugan Film | Gulf Round Up 15 MAY 2016". Asianet News. 15 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Top highest grossing Mollywood films worldwide; 2018 tops with 143 crores in 20 days". PINKVILLA. 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Highest grossing Malayalam films worldwide: Manjummel Boys Tops, Premalu Fifth". PINKVILLA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Survival thriller '2018' Surging towards Rs 100-crore mark". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2023. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Defogger: Breaking down the Mollywood box office jingoism". Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ Willman, Chris (18 December 2017). "Oscars: Taylor Swift, Nick Jonas Among Eligible Writers as Academy Announces 70 Best Song Choices". Variety. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  9. ^ Burlingame, Jon (19 December 2017). "Oscars: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi,' 'Dunkirk' Among 141 Original Scores Declared Eligible by Academy". Variety. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2017.