Will Dulquer Salmaan's 'Kurup' emerge as a blockbuster?

'Kurup', a pan-India movie, has hit the screens in multiple languages

Actor Dulquer Salmaan's latest movie Kurup is slated to hit the screens on Friday much to the delight of fans. The biggie has been directed by Srinath Rajendran and is touted to be a gamechanger for the young hero. So, will the crime drama emerge as DQ's biggest hit and help Mollywood regain its mojo after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic? Here is our SWOT analysis.

Strengths

The film is based on the life of the 'most wanted criminal' Sukumara Kurup, who has been missing since 1984, and has pretty much everything that one associates with a commercial crime drama. Fans are eager to know whether the makers have done justice to what appears to be a violent tale about a controversial figure. This curiosity should help the biggie open to a phenomenal response at the box office. Dulquer, one of M-town's brightest prospects, has consolidated his standing in Kerala with films such as Bangalore Days, Ustad Hotel, Kali, Jomonte Suvisheshangal, and the blockbuster Varane Avashyamund. His star power is likely to help the film get wide patronage.

Weakness

The film's leading lady Sobhita Dhulipala, who made her Mollywood debut with Moothon, isn't considered to be an A-lister in the Malayalam film industry. The storyline may not appeal to the non-kerala audience as it is rooted its the state's past. This may prove to be a problem as Kurup is touted to be a pan-India movie and has hit screens in multiple languages. Moreover, the flick's unlikely to the be top choice of the family audience as violence will be an integral part of the narrative.

Opportunities

Kurup is set to have a free run at the Kerala box office as it's the only major Malayalam movie to hit the screens this week. The positive response to Vijay's Master in Kerala indicated that the audience is ready to back a film even in Covid times provided it offers an engaging experience. Kurup fits the bill, which should work in its favour.

Threats

Kurup is likely to face competition from Sooryanvanshi, which hit screens last week, in the Hindi market. Rajinikanth's Annaatthe is set to be the choice to the family audience in Tamil Nadu even in its second week. Moreover, given scale and budget, it needs to stay to have a long run at the box office to be commercially successful. This will be possible only if it receives rave reviews.