Marco, Rifle Club set in the same universe? Fan theory based on Mikhael suggests so, here’s why

Unni Mukundan’s Marco and Aashiq Abu’s Rifle Club were the two big Malayalam releases the past week, and the two share an interesting connection.

A still from Marco, Mikhael and Rifle Club

Two of the biggest releases for Christmas from Malayalam cinema this year were action-thrillers – one being the thrill-a-minute Rifle Club, helmed by Aashiq Abu, and the other being Marco, one of the most violent films from Indian cinema. Interestingly, fans have observed the two also have a connection.

Also read: Rifle Club movie review: Aashiq Abu’s all-star cast fires in this fun, crisp and riveting thriller

While Marco, directed by Haneef Adeni, is not a spin-off, it’s based on the antagonist of the filmmaker’s Mikhael, which had Nivin Pauly in the lead. Unni played the villain in the movie, and even though both Mikhael and Marco – as movies – don't share anything in common, fans revisited the scenes with Nivin and Unni online, post the release of the latest film.

What’s common between Marco and Rifle Club?

The most notable of these scenes includes the climax fight sequence of the characters from Mikhael. Incidentally, those who had also watched Rifle Club, which hit theatres a day ahead of Marco’s release on December 20, were quick to note that actress Navani Devanand, who played Mikhael’s sister, Jennifer John, was the common link between the two latest releases.

Also read: ‘Marco 100x better than Animal’: Netizens compare violent film with Ranbir Kapoor's blockbuster

Navani’s character Nadiya was the chief reason in Rifle Club that led to the central conflict between an arms dealer’s gang and members of a rifle club in Wayanad in the Aashiq Abu film, which also has Dileesh Pothan, Anurag Kashyap, and Darshana Rajendran among others.

Marco leads the Kerala box office race this Xmas season

While both Rifle Club and Marco opened to largely positive reviews, it’s the A-rated Unni Mukundan-starrer that is leading the box office race so far. The film, which also has Jagadeesh, Siddique, and Abhimanyu Shammi Thilakan, has already grossed close to Rs 15 crore from Kerala and the rest of India by Day 3.

Rifle Club, meanwhile, saw a good jump on Sunday, earning Rs 1.60 crore at the box office, taking its overall tally to Rs 5.10 crore in four days. It remains to be seen which movie will falter in the coming week, with Mohanlal’s Barroz also set to hit theatres on December 25.

Also read: Unni Mukundan on Marco clash with Mohanlal’s Barroz: ‘He could have done a mass movie, but...’

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