Dies Irae Box Office: Prabhas' Mighty Baahubali Usurped by Pranav Mohanlal?

Malayalam cinema continues its incredible run of creativity and box office dominance as Rahul Sadasivan’s Dies Irae, starring Pranav Mohanlal, opened to a phenomenal response worldwide. The psychological horror-thriller, which released last Friday, has reportedly earned an estimated Rs. 39 crore gross in its opening weekend, making it one of the biggest openings in Malayalam cinema history.

What makes this even more remarkable is that Dies Irae is an A-rated horror film, a genre that typically caters to a niche audience. Despite the restrictive certification, the film has beaten the opening records of other major Malayalam hits, including Marco, which had collected Rs. 31.3 crore during its first three days.

Industry trackers and trade analysts are calling it a blockbuster opening, with theatres across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the Gulf countries witnessing near-houseful shows over the weekend. Even in non-Malayalam markets like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, Dies Irae is running to packed houses, helped by rave social media reviews and word-of-mouth appreciation.

The film’s impact has been so strong that it is now being compared with Bahubali: The Epic, which dominated the box office during its re-release last week. Both films have managed to draw audiences purely on the strength of cinematic experience and storytelling power, proving that regional cinema is now standing shoulder to shoulder with national blockbusters.

Directed by Rahul Sadasivan, the visionary filmmaker behind Bramayugam, the film follows a deeply unsettling narrative that explores guilt, revenge, and the supernatural. Critics have praised Sadasivan’s atmospheric direction and Pranav Mohanlal’s hauntingly restrained performance, calling it one of the finest horror films in recent Indian cinema.

With a spectacular start and continuing strong weekday bookings, Dies Irae is well on its way to becoming one of the defining Malayalam hits of the decade. Trade experts expect the film to comfortably cross the Rs. 60 crore mark within the first week, cementing its status as a massive blockbuster and a new benchmark for Malayalam horror thrillers.

Despite the roaring success of Dies Irae, there’s simply no dethroning Baahubali. Even in its re-release, Prabhas continues to reign supreme at the box office, reminding everyone why his legacy remains unmatched.