Thenmavin Kombathu’s re-release in Kerala has stumbled at the box office, grossing just ₹13 lakh on its opening day despite a wide rollout across 455 screens. The 1994 Malayalam classic, directed by Priyadarshan and starring Mohanlal, Shobana, Nedumudi Venu, Pappu, Sreenivasan, Sukumari, and Kaviyoor Ponnamma, was restored in 4K Dolby Atmos for its revival — yet failed to enter Mohanlal’s top five Day 1 re-release grossers in the state. This is notable given that no major films were released in Kerala over the weekend, and the film had the highest number of screens for any recent re-release of a Mohanlal title. The original 35mm print was scanned in 4K as part of the restoration process, a move intended to elevate the viewing experience for both longtime fans and new audiences. Still, the film’s performance suggests that even revered classics may struggle to draw crowds when expectations aren’t matched by momentum. The story follows Manickam (Mohanlal), a loyal manservant and best friend to Srikrishnan (Nedumudi Venu), who are unexpectedly joined on a trip by Karuthambi (Shobana) and her uncle. As both men fall for Karuthambi, tensions rise, especially when Srikrishnan becomes increasingly possessive. The film remains one of the most celebrated works in Mollywood history, frequently cited in discussions of Malayalam cinema’s golden era. Yet this re-release has not lived up to that legacy in terms of commercial returns. Meanwhile, Fahadh Faasil’s Telugu debut Don’t Trouble The Trouble is facing a similar fate. The fantasy film, produced by S.S. Rajamouli under Showing Business and Arka Media Works, co-produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, opened with ₹1.65 crore in India. But by its second Friday, it had dropped 81% from its opening-day earnings, collecting only ₹3 lakh across 39 shows. Its total net collection stands at ₹4.44 crore, with gross collections reaching ₹5.24 crore. The film, directed by Shashank Yeleti, stars Fahadh as Suri, a man desperate to pay off a debt of ₹25 lakh, who plans to kidnap a child from a wealthy family, only to be confronted by Divya (Ssara Palekar), a young girl who claims she used magical powers to make her parents vanish. Despite the high-profile production and the actor’s growing reputation, the film has struggled to generate buzz. With no significant competition in either region, the weak results point to deeper issues: audience fatigue, lack of word-of-mouth, or simply the difficulty of reviving a classic without a strong marketing push. The next few days will determine whether these films can recover. Or if they’ll become cautionary tales in the age of re-releases and regional debuts.