PremiumAnto Joseph: 'Want Empuraan and MMMN to do what KGF and Kantara did for Kannada film industry' | Exclusive
Producer Anto Joseph, who is backing Mammootty and Mohanlal’s Mahesh Narayanan directorial (MMMN), talks about the reason for producing this big-budget film that also has Nayanthara and Fahadh Faasil.
Last Updated: 01.22 PM, Feb 10, 2025
The recent press meet of the Kerala Film Producers’ Association brought to light the crisis that the Malayalam film industry has been going through – with only a handful of movies making profits for its producers. Even superstar films such as Mohanlal’s Barroz, which was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 112 Cr, failed to recover even 15% of its expense in theatrical share, according to a list revealed by the producers.
On the other hand, Malayalam cinema is also gearing up for two of its biggest movies to date in L2: Empuraan, which has Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Mahesh Narayanan film, temporarily referred to as MMMN with Mammootty, Mohanlal, Nayanthara, Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban and Asif Ali.
OTTplay got in touch with its producer Anto Joseph, to know the rationale behind backing a huge film like MMNM, which is reported to be made on a budget exceeding Rs 100 Cr.
Anto Joseph on Mammootty and Mohanlal’s MMNM and Empuraan
“Certain films, irrespective of artistes’ remuneration, help make the industry bigger,” he says. “For instance, Kantara came at a time when Kannada film industry was going through a crisis. As a maker of a film like KGF and that too with an actor like Yash, you would never expect it to recover its budget from Kannada industry alone. But the movie helped make the industry one of the biggest in the country. And soon after that you had Kantara.”
Anto explains that this had previously happened in Malayalam too, with the multi-starrer Twenty: 20 in 2008 that went on to become the industry’s biggest hit back then. “It helped make the industry bigger. With a massive film like L2: Empuraan, producer Antony Perumbavoor is trying to do the same thing. It will be released across the country in almost all languages,” says the producer, who had also backed movies such as Malik and Take Off.
Five out of the top 8 highest opening-day grossers in Kerala are other language films with Vijay’s Leo leading the list, he points out. “Let me ask this, if a Rajinikanth or a Vijay film releases in Kerala, we Malayalis go to theatres to watch them and give them record-breaking openings. But none of our Malayalam films get that. Our audience wait for reviews and good reports before doing that for our films,” he says.
‘We want to create a bigger market for Malayalam cinema’
With Empuraan and MMMN, he hopes that Antony and himself can “create such a market for our films”. “Antony wanted a movie like Empuraan to be made on the enormous scale that it deserved to be made in. He has obviously partnered with other production houses to release it widely in other languages too. Our film will be the next big Malayalam release this year and we also want to achieve the same feat, if not bigger – to create a market for Malayalam cinema in all languages,” explains Anto.
Also read: Rick Yune in Mohanlal's Empuraan: Did UK talent agency spoil Prithviraj Sukumaran’s well-laid plans?
Ask him, for such movies to also be mounted on a bigger scale, how much the artiste’s remunerations play a role? This especially because it was raised as a hurdle by the producers at the press meet and the figures that are being widely reported on MMMN has Mammootty and Mohanlal’s remunerations at over Rs 15 Cr each.
Malayalam artistes are more cooperative: Anto Joseph
While Anto doesn’t say anything about the remunerations, he admits that it’s “absolutely necessary” for the artists to also be supportive of such ventures. “(On the remuneration hike) I don’t think there’s anything different from whatever exists in other industries. In fact, I would like to think the artistes in our industry are more cooperative,” he concludes.
MMMN has currently wrapped up its Kochi schedule, which also had Nayanthara, and the team will be next heading to Delhi. The cast and crew have already shot in Sri Lanka, UAE, and Azerbaijan.