Not to contradict the big box office phenomenon, Patriot, a special film with two significant names from the Malayalam film world (Mohanlal and Mammootty), has already broken its first tens of crores by booking them days earlier than scheduled via advance.
The rarely-seen joint venture of the two superstars has created a huge deal and buzz for fans of the two stars in Kerala as well as beyond the film, as the work is already generating anticipation. Patriot has already posted record-breaking advance ticket sales in the market and set the pace for the most pre-released set of films for Malayalam film companies.
Cinematic centres in large cities such as Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bengaluru have had houseful openings for the opening weekend, and tickets are sold out within a mere hour of the opening slots. So has traffic on online ticketing services, driven in part by the massive hype for the film.
The film Patriot is directed by an acclaimed filmmaker, although to date, he has not been featured in promotions, and is very lively in its action and emotional narrative. According to early reports, Mohanlal and Mammootty are also playing equally effective yet multi-layered characters, playing up the drama and anticipation to a great extent.
Industry sources feel that the film's booking won't only come from a few stars, but a sleek ad campaign and teaser releases, as well as word-of-mouth excitement. Patriot is already receiving mention on social media as well. Various platforms use the hashtag (and so do fans of its themes)
The overseas market, on which the film operates, also looks bright, with hefty pre-sale deals in the Middle East, the US, and the UK, which are the central gateways of Malayalam cinema. If this trend continues, Patriot has the potential to have one of Malayalam’s largest opening weekends at the box office.
The international box office could see the film set several records domestically and abroad, trade analysts say. That's all the more reason to wonder whether Patriot is going to take the big pre-release buzz that fueled the action this past year and convert it into box office success. To be fair, there’s one certain thing: the collective star energy of Mohanlal and Mammootty has once more become one unstoppable force.
