Unni Mukundan’s Marco becomes first A-rated Malayalam film to earn over Rs 100 Crores

 Marco, starring Unni Mukundan, has made history by becoming the first A-rated Malayalam film to gross over Rs 100 crores worldwide. Released on December 2o, 2024, in Malayalam and Hindi, the film received widespread acclaim. Its Telugu release on January 1, 2025, set records with an impressive day-one collection of Rs 1.75 crores, making it the highest-grossing Malayalam film in the Telugu states.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Unni Mukundan shared the team’s confidence in the film’s success despite skipping traditional marketing strategies. “Traditional marketing is good, but we felt that people would want to come to theatres and experience cinema as it is. Our posters and teasers had created the curiosity we needed,” he said.

Made on a budget of Rs 30 crores, Marco relied on its strong storyline, proving that good content can attract audiences to theatres regardless of promotion campaigns.

Unni Mukundan’s dedication was pivotal to the film’s success. “Preparing for the role was extremely difficult for me,” he said. “I had just finished Jai Ganesh, where I played a specially-abled person in a wheelchair, which required me to gain weight. For Marco, I had to look lean for the intense action scenes, including a six-minute single-take action sequence. I followed a strict diet for a long time to achieve the required look.”

Directed by Haneef Adeni, Marco stars Yukthi Thareja in the lead female role, with Jagadish, Siddique and Kabir Singh Duhan in crucial roles. The movie was produced by Shareef Muhammad and Unni Mukundan under Cubes Entertainments and Unni Mukundan Films (UMF), with music composed by Ravi Basrur.