Marco UAE box-office collection: Unni Mukundan gets his career's biggest boost

Dubai: South Indian actor Unni Mukundan’s latest Malayalam blockbuster Marco is proving to be the actor's biggest ever box-office opening.

According to the local distributor Phars Films, in just 19 days since its release in the Gulf, the film has raked in an impressive $2.8 million (approximately Dh10million) across the region, with the UAE contributing a staggering $1.95 million (Dh7 million) and recording 176,000 admissions in UAE alone.

The film’s strong performance in markets such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait highlights its widespread appeal in the region. Speaking on the milestone, Mukundan who is also the co-producer of Marco in an exclusive interview with Gulf News said, “These numbers are overwhelming and humbling. It’s a testament to how Malayalam cinema can resonate globally when we dare to push boundaries."

He also said that the sad reality of the entertainment business is that a movie or an actor is put on a pedestal only if it attains box-office success.

Marco has sparked widespread conversation for its unapologetically violent and gripping revenge narrative. Declared one of the most gory films in Malayalam cinema, it includes graphic sequences of butchering hands, limbs, and eyeballs, as well as a controversial scene involving a newborn held over a vat of acid.

“I’ve read the reviews—some love it, some hate it. But isn’t that what cinema should do? Provoke, challenge, and start conversations?” Mukundan remarked.

During the same interview, he said that he was chuffed that a director like Ram Gopal Verma, who has directed violent hits like 'Satya', had praised and lauded his work.

Despite its polarising content, Marco has drawn audiences in droves, proving the appetite for stylised action and intense storytelling.

“Call me a pan-Indian superstar if you will ... In the last three week, I have been feeling like one,” he said. “Labels like these matter because they reflect the hard work and risks we take to reach this point.”

With Marco continuing to dominate at the box office, it’s clear that Mukundan’s bold choices and the film’s audacious approach are reshaping perceptions of Malayalam cinema on a global stage.

"We are planning to release this film in South Korea too ... I want to take 'Marco' to all parts of the globe," said Unni to Gulf News.