Priyadarshan and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal have given several hits together. Be it tragedies like Thalavattam and Minnaram, comedies like Boeing Boeing or the crime thriller Oppam, the duo have the ability to create magic on the big screen.

One of their projects actually won three trophies at the 67th National Film Awards even before its release. The project was awarded the Best Feature Film. While Sujith Sudhakaran and V Sai received the honour for Best Costume Design, Priyadarshan’s son Siddharth won the award for Best Special Effects.

The Priyadarshan directorial became the title with the most awards during the 67th edition of the ceremony. But once it was released, the hype did not translate to the expected box office collection.

The movie we are talking about is Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham or Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea. The historical drama starred Mohanlal as the historical figure Kunjali Marakkar IV.

The National Award winner’s character was based on the real-life admiral who commanded the fleet of King Samoothiri, the erstwhile ruler of Calicut. The epic historical actioner was produced by Antony Perumbavoor under Aashirvad Cinemas.

Marakkar also starred Pranav Mohanlal, Prabhu, Manju Warrier, Arjun, Suniel Shetty, Suhasini, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Keerthi Suresh, Fazil, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, and Ashok Selvan in pivotal roles.

The movie was made on a budget of Rs 100 crore, as per reports. It was announced a day before the film’s release on December 2, 2021, that Marakkar had entered the Rs 100 crore club even before hitting cinemas due to its pricey OTT rights.

However, once it was released, the film failed to gather momentum. On day 1, Marakkar minted Rs 6.37 crore. However, it received negative reviews from both critics and fans. During the course of its theatrical run, Marakkar collected only Rs 45.4 crore worldwide, disappointing fans.

However, Priyadarshan and Mohanlal’s close bond remains. The Hera Pheri director is now working on Haiwaan, the Hindi remake of Oppam. Mohanlal will have a cameo in the film.

Haiwaan also stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in the lead. The film’s shooting wrapped up in December 2025.

Not just that, Mohanlal will star in Priyadarshan’s 100th feature. The director has hinted that the project may be his last one.