Unlike the first four months of 2026, when big Malayalam movies were few and far between, May saw a flood of major films hit the screens one after the other, particularly since it was the peak summer vacation season. The showdown commenced with director Mahesh Narayanan’s Mammootty-Mohanlal starrer Patriot, which premiered on May 1. The next weekend saw the release of the Shane Nigam-led Dridam.Don’t Miss | Malayalam cinema 2026 half-yearly report: Death of multi-starrers and rise of underdogs?One week later, director Arun Anirudhan arrived with Athiradi, starring Tovino Thomas and Basil Joseph. Meanwhile, director Jeethu Joseph’s Mohanlal-led Drishyam 3 released on May 21, and, as one of the most anticipated Indian films of the year, it recorded massive earnings.While all these films were trying their best to find a footing, another movie hit the screens: director Paul George’s Antony Varghese-starrer Kattalan. Although its makers had been desperately trying to create hype around the actioner since day one, all their efforts eventually went in vain, and Kattalan ended up as one of the biggest disasters of the year. Antony Varghese Pepe’s Kattalan hit the screens on May 28. (Credit: Instagram/@cubesentertainments)Since the movie was bankrolled by Shareef Muhammed under the banner of Cubes Entertainments, known for producing the blockbuster actioner Marco (2024), Kattalan had generated quite a buzz since its initial announcement in early 2025. Featuring Antony Varghese Pepe, best known for action roles, many had hoped that Kattalan would offer an enthralling experience. Besides, Cubes Entertainments kept promoting the movie well even while it was still in production, billing it as a pan-Indian spectacle.A star-studded cast and Malayalam’s ‘answer’ to Pushpa narrativeThe fact that the movie also featured major names like Sunil, Kabir Duhan Singh, Jagadish, and Dushara Vijayan in its cast added to the hype. With composer Ravi Basrur, known for his work in Prashanth Neel’s Yash-led KGF movies, also on board, the anticipation for the Antony-starrer grew further.Must Read | When Kamal Haasan cried for an entire day after learning the ‘truth’ about his motherStory continues below this adAs the makers began unveiling its promotional materials, many drew parallels between Kattalan and director Sukumar’s Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa films, with one narrative even predicting that it would be Malayalam cinema’s reply to Pushpa.Around the time of its release, Cubes Entertainments raised the hype by revealing that Kattalan would be released in over 1,100 theatres across India. The movie’s Karnataka theatrical distribution rights were acquired by Hombale Films, further fuelling anticipation.ICYMI | Salman Khan’s latest appearance sparks concern among fans: ‘He looks sick’Meanwhile, the makers also revealed that Kattalan was part of the Mikhael Extended Universe, following Nivin Pauly’s Mikhael (2019) and Unni Mukundan’s Marco, and that it included three post-credit scenes.Story continues below this adShocking Day 2 box office nosediveHowever, not a single element managed to save Kattalan, as it was pretty much dead on arrival. The hype that the makers tried to create failed to inspire audiences to book tickets. Although the movie performed well on Day 1, Kattalan took a shocking nosedive on Day 2 itself, owing to widespread negative reviews.72nd National Film Awards | Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, Article 370 win; check winners listWhile the movie recorded an India nett collection of Rs 3.80 crore on its opening day (Thursday, May 28), according to industry tracker Sacnilk, it dipped to Rs 1.60 crore on Day 2. By Day 4, Kattalan’s domestic earnings had dropped to lakhs, and on its first Sunday in theatres, the movie made just Rs 93 lakh in India. On Day 7, it minted only Rs 22 lakh.Rs 35 cr budget vs single-digit returns: Kattalan’s final verdictMounted on a mammoth budget of Rs 30-35 crore, as revealed by Antony Varghese to The Hollywood Reporter India, the movie grossed Rs 9.02 crore worldwide on Day 1, according to its makers. However, Cubes Entertainments did not release the box office figures thereafter, and that remains the last social media post from the production house’s Instagram handle so far.Story continues below this adHowever, data from Sacnilk claims that Kattalan grossed just Rs 8.93 crore worldwide during its theatrical run, making it one of the biggest Malayalam box-office bombs in recent times. Although Shemaroo had come on board as the movie’s digital and satellite distribution partner, Kattalan has yet to get an OTT release.