Over the last three decades, Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan have been two of the most consistent and bankable superstars of Hindi cinema. They have starred in some of the biggest hits in Bollywood history, from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and Krrish to 3 Idiots and PK. So it makes for quite an absurd comparison when one learns that their lifetime collection of hit films is less than what one actor managed in a single calendar year, and that too, all in lead roles. This unthinkable feat was achieved by a superstar nearly four decades ago, and he is still going strong today.
The hero with 25 hit films in one year
In the 1980s, Malayalam cinema was going through a period of change. After Prem Nazir had retreated to doing very few films, the trio of Soman, Jayan, and Sukumaran emerged as the ‘new superstars’. But Jayan’s death in 1980 ended that run. Even as Sukumaran and Soman continued to churn out hits, younger stars vied for the top place. The two top contenders were Mammootty and Mohanlal. The latter staked his claim in 1986, his annus mirabilis. That year, Mohanlal appeared in 34 films as the lead. To put that in perspective, Dilip Kumar did just 52 films in his entire 53-year career.
Of the 34 films Mohanlal made in 1986, 25 were successful at the box office. At age 26, he established himself as one of the top stars of Malayalam cinema, a throne he is yet to abdicate. Till that point, he had been one of the many promising stars in Mollywood. But from then on, it was a diarchy where he and Mammootty reigned supreme.
How Mohanlal’s feat compares to Bollywood superstars
Giving 25 hits in a single year is no mean feat. Aamir Khan, one of the top stars in Hindi cinema history, has just 21 in his entire career (out of 44 films). Hrithik Roshan, on the other hand, has just 15 in 27 films. Even legends like Raj Kapoor (17), Manoj Kumar (19), and Rajendra Kumar (23) had fewer hits in their entire careers than Mohanlal’s 1986. Even more prolific Bollywood stars pale in comparison. Akshay Kumar had 4 hits each in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2013. Amitabh Bachchan had 5 hits in 1982, his peak. In fact, in the year when Mohanlal gave his 25 hits, Amitabh, then the country’s biggest star, only had one release.
Mohanlal’s recent career
Mohanlal has continued to be at the top of Malayalam cinema for four decades, a rather unprecedented feat. From 1986-2016, he was among the industry’s top grossers each year. After a series of misses in the late 2010s, Mohanlal returned to form in 2019 with Lucifer, which became the first Malayalam film to gross ₹200 crore. He also found success in Drishyam.
But the veteran reserved his best for 2025. The two releases he has had so far this year – L2: Empuraan and Thuradum – have been blockbusters, both earning over ₹200 crore each. Both films have out-earned Salman Khan‘s Sikandar and Ram Charan’s Game Changer. Even at 65, Mohanlal is giving younger superstars a run for their money at the box office.
