Mammootty's Kannur Squad faces serious threat from Thalapathy Vijay's Leo

Malayalam superstar Mammootty is now basking in the back-to-back success of his movies. His latest police procedural drama Kannur Squad has made quite an impression on both critics and audiences. Even though it continues to be one of the top choices at the box office, it may be forced to end its theatrical run early in Kerala.

Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay commands a huge fan following in Kerala. So much so that his movies take the bigger opening in the state in comparison to the biggest stars of Malayalam cinema. And Leo is set to create a new record in the state.

ALSO READ: Kannur Squad movie review: Mammootty’s police procedural is an engaging, expertly-crafted crime drama

Thalapathy Vijay dominate cinemas in Kerala

Sree Gokulam Movies, which is distributing the movie in Kerala, is leaving no stone unturned to give Leo a big launch in the state. The company is also carrying out several promotional events mobilising fans across the state. In a first, the distribution company held the pre-release event for Leo without any presence of the movie's cast and crew. Hundreds of fans turned up to show their support for the movie. That was seen as a true sign of Vijay's growing popularity among the Malayalam-speaking audiences.

In light of the demand for Leo, Sree Gokulam Movies is aiming to secure as many screens as possible. According to reports, the movie might amass more than 600 screens. This could mean early retirement for Kannur Squad in cinemas in Kerala.

ALSO READ: Producer Lalit Kumar: Thalapathy Vijay's Leo set to release on 30,000 screens globally

Besides playing the lead role, Mammoothy has also bankrolled the movie under his home production banner Mammootty Kampany. Directed by Roby Varghese Raj, the movie also stars Rony David Raj, Shabareesh Varma, Azees Nedumangad, Vijayaraghavan, and Kishore.

Inspired by real-life events, Kannur Squad garnered glowing reviews from critics. It also became one of the all-time hits of Malayalam cinema by earning more than Rs 50 crore from its worldwide ticket sales.

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