The Malayalam Cinema is oozing with the success of Dies Irae currently. The renowned director Rahul Sadasivan has made the right choice in casting Pranav Mohanlal as Rohan Shankar. Before Dies Irae, Pranav has also worked in some of the most successful films in the industry.
While L2: Empuraan, where he had a cameo, being amongst his recent ones, his career goes way back to the early 2000s. Along with his successful acting career, he has also worked as assistant director upon returning from Australia where he had completed his degree in Philosophy. Check the list below to find out more about Pranav’s films and the characteristics of his lead roles.
4. Aadhi
- Worldwide Collection: ₹50 crore
- India Net: ₹31.5cr
The titular character Aadhithya Mohan who’s a music director is played by Pranav. His character here as an urban youth gets entangled in a murder case. Pranav went through an extensive training phase before the filming and reportedly performed all his action stunts in the film himself without a dupe. The dedication he had shown for his character even before the filming had started told a story of determination to his fans.
3. Hridayam
- Worldwide Collection: ₹55 crore (Approx.)
- India Net: ₹26.06 cr
Pranav’s role Arun Neelakandan goes through life transformation in this film. The main plot could be classified under coming-of-age film as Arun starts the movie from his teen years and goes till his 30s. The teen engineering student embodied millions of youth and their journey of life. The film was widely praised for its raw portrayal of life and its different phases. Well, the audience saw a different side of Pranav here after Aadhi. Unlike the action focused storyline this movie brought out his acting skill of showcasing emotion in a way that the audience resonated instantly.
2. Varshangalkku Shesham
- Worldwide Collection: ₹81.69 Cr (Approx.)
- India Net: ₹38.99 Cr
This story follows two friends Murali and Venu and their dream of making it big in the industry. The film set in the 70s and 80s focused on showcasing the path of an artist’s life in the competitive entertainment industry of the time. This film gave Pranav a stage where he showcased his talent of delivering a more matured acting.
1. Dies Irae
- Worldwide Collection: Over ₹50 Cr (First week)
- India Net: ₹24.58 Cr (First Week Collection)
The numbers seem to be increasing at a steady phase for this one. Dies Irae brings Pranav as the lead actor and follows a supernatural story. Rohan played by Pranav is a young architect who happens to visit his recently deceased friend’s house. The story takes its first turn when Rohan takes a keepsake from his friend’s house which unleashes an evil energy. What follows after is a mix of supernatural instances and an uncovering of a mystery.
Special Mention: Irupathiyonnaam Noottaandu (2019) is also one of Pranav’s movies where he played the lead character of Appu. Though the movie could not sustain the box office number, the plot it brings is a unique take on modern cinema. In the movie Pranav’s character focuses more on leading a life unmatched to his father who is an underworld don. The plot later then shifts into him having to walk on the same path due to his romantic interests. This movie combined his acting skills of being an action backed hero with a maturity within. Thus, making the movie a good one time watch in his lead film list.
Final Take
Pranav Mohanlal has proved himself within a span of years how dedicated he is towards his acting career. There are other movies like Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, Barroz, and L2: Empuraan where he had a cameo or a supporting role.
Overall, his acting career till Dies Irae is a combination of various roles and characters which makes him the superstar he is today. Whether you are due to tune Dies Irae or have already watched it in the theatre and looking for more. This list consists of all the movies where he performed as a lead and made a visible impact on the Malayalam film industry.
References: The box office numbers are taken from various sources and research. The references include industry trackers like Sacnilk and movie database sites like IMDB. There may be variations in the numbers, so please refer to the sites if needed.
Written by Kenbi Riba