After a couple of dismal years, Mohanlal has truly owned 2025 at the box office like no one ever. No single lead actor can claim the record of having two back to back INR 200 crore grossers (worldwide) released within the span of a month - and yet that's what Mohanlal delivered in the month of April with the blockbuster successes of L2: Empuraan and Thudarum, the latter being the more profitable of the two. ‘Thudarum’ vs ’L2: Empuraan: 5 Reasons Why Mohanlal-Tharun Moorthy’s Film Is Better Box Office Performer Than Prithviraj Sukumaran Directorial.

Now, Mohanlal is scoring another hit - this time with a re-release of Chotta Mumbai. The action-comedy masala entertainer, originally released in 2007 and a major hit then, returned to cinemas on June 6 with a digitally remastered 4K Dolby Atmos version. Despite the film having been widely watched on television and OTT platforms over the years, Mohanlal fans thronged theatres to relive the antics of Thala and his good-for-nothing gang from Chotta Mumbai, leading to packed shows, with some theatres in Kerala even replacing shows of Kamal Haasan's new release Thug Life (which opened to poor reviews) with the Malayalam movie.

Since morning, videos from cinema halls screening Chotta Mumbai have gone viral on social media, with fans seen and heard cheering wildly at iconic scenes from the film.

Videos From Inside Theatres Screening 'Chotta Mumbai'

Apsara Kozhikode

Creating Cochin Carnival Inside Theatre

Kavitha, Ernakulam

Anaswara, Kottayam

Ariesplex, Thiruvananthapuram

Lakshmi Theatre, Bengaluru

'Chotta Mumbai' -  Plot and Cast

Chotta Mumbai was the second directorial outing of Anwar Rasheed, whose debut film Rajamanikyam with Mammootty became an all-time blockbuster. Scripted by Benny P Nayarambalam, the film is set in a Kochi slum nicknamed 'Chotta Mumbai' due to the prevalence of small-time gangs. One such gang is led by Thala (played by Mohanlal), the son of a former wrestler (Saikumar), who is frustrated by his son's unemployment and carefree ways. Thala’s gang members include his cousin Tomichan (Indrajith Sukumaran), Mullan Chandrappan (Siddique), Sainu (Manikuttan), and Susheelan (Bijukuttan). Padakkam Basheer (Jagathy Sreekumar), another local goon, occasionally joins in their frivolities.

Although often in trouble with the law, Thala and his crew never harm innocents. Their 'quotation' jobs mostly involve beating up perverts or guarding the shoot of a Shakeela film. Things take a darker turn when Thala, his father, and his fiancée - played by Bhavana, who portrays the feisty auto driver Parakkum Latha - witness the murder of a police officer. This drags them into conflict with a dangerous cop (played by the late Kalabhavan Mani) and his sociopathic younger brother (Vinayakan). ‘Thudarum’ Movie Review: Mohanlal Gets Fantastic Showcase of His Brilliance in Tharun Moorthy’s Gripping Fan-Tribute Thriller.

'Chotta Mumbai' Re-Release Trailer

Rather than relying on a tightly constructed plot, Chotta Mumbai thrives on its quirky comedic setpiences that have unexpected twists, such as the hilarious scene where Thala and his gang seek 'help' from Basheer after being kicked out of his home. Several characters became cult favourites - Thala, Parakkum Latha, Mullan Chandrappan (with Siddique in one of his funniest roles), and Pambu Chackochan, memorably played by the late Rajan P Dev. Even Suraj Venjaramoodu, then an emerging comedic actor, shines in his brief appearance as Mama Suni (though his climax scene hasn’t aged well and borders on problematic).

The soundtrack was also a big hit, with songs like the funky "Chettikulangara” reprise, the energetic "Thala" anthem, and the pre-climax item number “Vasco da Gama” becoming crowd favourites.

Where to Watch 'Chotta Mumbai' Online?

You can stream Chotta Mumbai on Sun NXT.

Interestingly, it’s Mohanlal’s re-releases that seem to be finding strong second lives at the box office among other Malayalam actors, including his biggest box office rival, Mammootty. His 2000 musical drama Devadoothan, which flopped in its original run, became profitable during its re-release. Even Manichitrathazhu, arguably the most rewatched Malayalam film of all time, and Spadikam, a very favourite Mohanlal film among fans, pulled in crowds during their 4K re-releases - proving that nostalgia, when combined with Lalettan's star power, can draw in crowds aplenty no matter how many times they have been watched and enjoyed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 07, 2025 12:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).