This actress gave a Rs 100-crore film at the age of 23, beating the likes of Katrina Kaif, Kriti Sanon, and Yami Gautam at the box office
Premalu, the Malayalam romantic drama, has been one of the biggest successes in Indian cinema this year. The small film, with a Rs 3-crore budget and no big stars, is on course to being one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time. It has also catapulted its two lead actors to stardom pretty early in their careers. The film’s female lead has a story rivalling most filmy characters, a story that took her from psychology to cinema and eventually stardom, all before she turns 24.
The actress left psychology for films
Mamitha Baiju, all of 23, is already a star. The actress was born in Kidangoor in Kerala to a doctor father. Even though Mamitha began her acting career in her teens, at her parents’ insistence, she continued to study. Mamitha did her schooling from her hometown before enrolling in Kochi’s Sacred Heart College to pursue B.Sc in Psychology. As per reports, at one time, Mamitha was seriously considering a career in psychology. But life had other plans.
Mamitha Baiju’s film career
Mamitha made her film debut with Sarvori Palakkan in 2001 at the age of 16. Over the next few years, she appeared in a number of teen dramas and ensembles, apart from playing supporting roles in a handful of bigger films. Her breakthrough came with Operation Java in 2021, where her performance was noted. Prominent roles in Kho-Kho, Super Sharanya, and Pranaya Vilasam followed over the next two years. But it was Premalu that made her an overnight star. The film, made on a Rs 3-crore budget, earned Rs 136 crore worldwide, becoming the year 2024’s biggest sleeper hit. The Girish AD film’s popularity across India has made Mamitha (as well as her co-star Naslen) a known face and name beyond Kerala as well. She made her Tamil language debut with Rebel in March 2024.
How Mamitha beat the likes of Kriti Sanon, Katrina Kaif, and Yami Gautam
Premalu’s Rs 136-crore haul worldwide makes it the eighth-highest-grossing Indian film of 2024 (as of April 24). This means that the Mamitha-led film has out-earned Katrina Kaif’s Merry Christmas (Rs 26 crore), Yami Gautam’s Article 370 (Rs 110 crore), and even Kriti Sanon’s Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (Rs 133 crore). To outdo such veterans at just 23 is no mean feat.
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 "Mamitha Baiju (Image: Instagram)")
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