Landed in theatres with sky-high expectations and enough controversy to fill a movie of its own, Empuraan — the sequel to the 2019 hit Lucifer — seemed all set for a blockbuster run.
But if early box office trends are anything to go by, that momentum might be slipping faster than expected.
The film opened strong, riding on the legacy of Lucifer, directed again by Prithviraj Sukumaran and led by superstar Mohanlal. Initial numbers showed promise. According to reports from the box office tracker Sacnilk, Empuraan managed to collect ₹91.25 crore from Indian theatres by April 4.
However, that figure is quite a bit short of the bold claims made by the film's production team, who had earlier stated the film crossed ₹100 crore in just four days. There’s no confirmation yet, but trade insiders seem to be raising eyebrows.
After a powerful opening weekend — ₹13.25 crore on Saturday and ₹13.65 crore on Sunday — the collections began to dip. Monday saw earnings fall to ₹11.15 crore, followed by ₹8.55 crore on Tuesday. By Wednesday, it had dropped to ₹5.65 crore, and on April 4, it slipped further to just ₹3 crore.
A trend like this suggests that the film may not be able to sustain its early high. Weekend bookings, especially on April 5, appeared slow, even in key centres like Kochi. Some say the lukewarm public response and mixed reviews might be to blame for the lack of repeat viewers.
There’s been some chatter that the film’s earnings from overseas could be better than its domestic collections. A Hindustan Times report, quoting sources close to the team, suggests Empuraan pulled in around ₹103 crore from international markets. That might sound impressive, but reports also indicate that beyond the opening weekend, the film’s performance abroad has been mostly average.
Co-producer Gokulam Gopalan recently told the media that the film's production budget stands somewhere between ₹140–170 crore — and that doesn’t even include Mohanlal’s or Prithviraj’s remuneration. Add that, and the costs go even higher.
With the current pace, it's being speculated that recovering the full investment through theatrical revenue alone could be difficult. The math is straightforward. After deducting taxes, theatre commissions, and distributor shares, producers typically get only 30–35% of the total collection. So for every ₹100 earned, only around ₹30–35 might end up in the producer’s pocket.
To fully recover the costs, the film would likely need to cross ₹400 crore globally. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, actor-director Prithviraj is also facing some heat off-screen. Following questions posed to Gokulam Gopalan by the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department has reportedly reached out to Prithviraj for clarity on certain financial matters.
The department has asked for details about the income he earned from films like Kaduva, Jana Gana Mana, and Gold. While he didn’t take any salary as an actor for these projects, reports suggest he earned around ₹40 crore as a co-producer. The tax officials want a clear explanation on that money, which was reportedly received in the name of the production company.
Officials have clarified that this is part of routine procedure and not an unusual move.
