# Lucifer (2019 Indian film)

**Lucifer** (ലൂസിഫർ) is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language political action thriller film directed by [Prithviraj Sukumaran](https://www.edgepedia.org/prithviraj-sukumaran) in his directorial debut and written by [Murali Gopy](https://www.edgepedia.org/murali-gopy), starring Mohanlal as the enigmatic Stephen Nedumpally.<sup>[1](https://www.donbosco.ac.in/crm/public/uploads/academic_projects/OHs7VBTZHy4wlNi2Gmj8u7NwnpFaAw.pdf)</sup> Produced by [Antony Perumbavoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/antony-perumbavoor) under Aashirvad Cinemas, it was released in theaters on 28 March 2019 and became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films, with a reported worldwide gross of ₹1.275 billion (₹127.50 crore).<sup>[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Lucifer_2019)</sup> A sequel, *L2: Empuraan*, directed by Sukumaran and released in 2025, continues the story.<sup>[3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/mohanlal-starrer-l2-empuraan-streaming-on-jiohotstar/cid/2095758)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 28 March 2019 (India and overseas markets including the UAE, UK, US, Singapore, and Malaysia)<sup>[4](https://moviebuff.herokuapp.com/lucifer)</sup> |
| Director / writer | Prithviraj Sukumaran (directorial debut); screenplay and story by Murali Gopy<sup>[1](https://www.donbosco.ac.in/crm/public/uploads/academic_projects/OHs7VBTZHy4wlNi2Gmj8u7NwnpFaAw.pdf)</sup> |
| Lead cast | Mohanlal (Stephen Nedumpally), Vivek Oberoi (Bobby/Bimal Nair), Manju Warrier (Priyadarshini Ramdas), Tovino Thomas (Jathin Ramdas), Indrajith Sukumaran (Govardhan)<sup>[5](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12894/malayalam/lucifer/cast.and.crew.htm)</sup> |
| Runtime / certification | 2h 54m (174 minutes); certified U/A in India<sup>[6](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/lucifer-mohanlal-2019/ott.html)</sup> |
| Worldwide gross | ₹1.275 billion (₹127.50 crore) reported by Sacnilk (India net ₹652.1 million (₹65.21 crore), overseas ₹505 million (₹50.50 crore))<sup>[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Lucifer_2019)</sup> |
| Verdict | "All Time Blockbuster" for the Malayalam version per Sacnilk; the dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions flopped<sup>[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Lucifer_2019)</sup> |
| Sequel | *L2: Empuraan* (2025), with Mohanlal returning as Khureshi-Ab'raam<sup>[3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/mohanlal-starrer-l2-empuraan-streaming-on-jiohotstar/cid/2095758)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### Plot

The story is set in Kerala, where the death of Chief Minister P.K. Ramdas ([Sachin Khedekar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sachin-khedekar)), the supreme leader of the ruling party, opens a struggle for succession. Ramdas's son-in-law Bobby ([Vivek Oberoi](https://www.edgepedia.org/vivek-oberoi)) moves to seize power while pushing his illegitimate business interests, and rival factions and vested interests battle to fill the vacuum. Standing in their way is Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal), a mysterious and commanding figure with a shadowy past who protects Ramdas's family and legacy.<sup>[7](https://aashirvadcinemas.com/movies/lucifer)</sup> Rotten Tomatoes summarizes the premise as a political godfather who suddenly dies, after which "thieves begin to dress up as politicians to claim their stake, while one name gradually emerges to be the replacement."<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup>

The film carries extensive Biblical framing. Father Nedumpally (Fazil) asks Stephen where he was between the ages of roughly 16 and 25, and Stephen answers with a quotation about Jesus being lost in Galilee at twelve and returning at twenty-nine. Stephen likes to be addressed as "Lucifer," the fallen angel who, though he appears as a devil, is assigned to protect God's beloved ones.<sup>[9](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2019/03/27/lucifer-prithviraj-mohanlal-malayalam-movie-review-updates.html)</sup>

## Production

The project grew out of a long-held ambition. Screenwriter Murali Gopy said he discussed the story of *Lucifer* with Mohanlal in 2012, and that Prithviraj Sukumaran, on hearing it, was determined to make his directorial debut with a Mohanlal film, even offering to postpone his own acting assignments.<sup>[10](https://newsable.asianetnews.com/entertainment/prithviraj-was-determined-to-direct-lucifer)</sup> The film was announced in 2017, with pre-production officially confirmed on 2 April 2017 after earlier delays caused by the busy schedules of Mohanlal and [Sukumaran](https://www.edgepedia.org/sukumaran); rumors that the project had been dropped were denied by Gopy and the producer.<sup>[11](https://filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2019/mohanlal-prithviraj-lucifer-everything-about-the-movie-282357.html)</sup>

**Filming.** The official pooja took place on 16 July 2018, attended by Sukumaran, his mother [Mallika Sukumaran](https://www.edgepedia.org/mallika-sukumaran), producer Antony Perumbavoor, and writer Murali Gopy.<sup>[12](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/prithviraj-directorial-lucifer-starts-rolling-84894)</sup> Principal photography began the same period in Vandiperiyar in [Idukki district](https://www.edgepedia.org/idukki-district).<sup>[11](https://filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2019/mohanlal-prithviraj-lucifer-everything-about-the-movie-282357.html)</sup> The technical crew included cinematographer Sujith Vaassudev, composer Deepak Dev, editor Samjith Mohammed, and action choreographer Stunt Silva.<sup>[13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-Ya0NZQso)</sup>

An earlier, unrelated project connects the film's family history: Sukumaran's father, the actor Sukumaran, had planned a 1997 directorial venture titled *Paadam Pootha Kaalam*, scripted with Reji Mathew, which was abandoned after his death on 16 June 1997. Mallika Sukumaran described *Lucifer* as fulfilling something of that unrealized dream.<sup>[14](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2019/03/20/lucifer-movie-prithviraj-opens-up-mallika-sukumaran.html)</sup>

## Box office

*Lucifer* set a commercial benchmark for [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema). [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) reported that the film crossed the ₹1 billion (₹100 crore) mark within 10 days of release, a first-of-its-kind claim for the industry at the time.<sup>[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/lucifer-mohanlal-amazon-prime-video-5726896/)</sup> Trade figures vary by tracker. Sacnilk reports a total worldwide gross of ₹1.275 billion (₹127.50 crore), made up of ₹770 million (₹77.00 crore) India gross (₹652.1 million (₹65.21 crore) net) and ₹505 million (₹50.50 crore) overseas, against a stated budget of ₹250 million (₹25.00 crore), with an "All Time Blockbuster" verdict.<sup>[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Lucifer_2019)</sup> BoxOfficeIndia24 lists a slightly higher worldwide figure of ₹1.292 billion (₹129.20 crore) against a ₹350 million (₹35 crore) budget, calling it a blockbuster with 369.1% recovery.<sup>[16](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/movie/lucifer/box-office-collection)</sup> An Onmanorama year-end report put the budget at ₹360 million (₹36 crore).<sup>[17](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/12/24/malayalam-cinema-2019-yearender-hits-flops-box-office-collection.amp.html)</sup>

**Regional split.** Nearly all of the film's earnings came from the Malayalam version, which Sacnilk records at ₹635.5 million (₹63.55 crore) net and an "All Time Blockbuster" verdict. The dubbed Tamil version netted ₹5.5 million (₹0.55 crore) and the Telugu version ₹11.1 million (₹1.11 crore), both labeled disasters.<sup>[2](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Lucifer_2019)</sup> Industry bodies including the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, the Kerala Film Producers Association, and FEUOK put the film's Kerala-theater gross at ₹400 million (₹40 crore), and trade sources noted that industry insiders regarded the makers' claimed ₹2 billion (₹200 crore) figure as exaggerated.<sup>[18](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/star-power-still-drives-mollywood/articleshow/69690133.cms)</sup> A later academic account states that as of July 2021, *Lucifer* was the only Malayalam film to earn more than ₹2 billion (₹200 crore) when box office collections are combined with satellite and digital streaming rights in other languages.<sup>[1](https://www.donbosco.ac.in/crm/public/uploads/academic_projects/OHs7VBTZHy4wlNi2Gmj8u7NwnpFaAw.pdf)</sup>

**Overseas.** The film set an all-time record for a Malayalam film in the United States on its opening day, grossing $43,075 (about ₹2.98 million (₹29.8 lakh)), and about 100 special late-night shows were added in Kerala after 11:45 pm to meet demand.<sup>[19](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/03/29/lucifer-movie-box-office-opening-day-collection.amp.html)</sup> Rotten Tomatoes lists a United States gross of $693.8K for the film's run.<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup>

## Reception

Critical response was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a Tomatometer score of 40% from five critics, with an average of rated reviews of 5.20/10, while the audience Popcornmeter stands at 79% from more than 100 ratings.<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup> IMDb lists 7.5/10.<sup>[20](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0NYJS1ARLZXEBXPMBA0YIMASOO?tr=cv)</sup>

Reviewers consistently framed the film as a star vehicle. Sanjith Sidhardhan of The Times of India gave it 3.5/5, calling it "a mass entertainer that is sure to please the fans and has enough going for to make it an engaging thriller as well."<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup> S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote that it is "almost a diehard Mohanlal fan's fantasy come true, but unfortunately it fails to rise above that."<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup> Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express (2.5/5) credited Sukumavan with "a flair for direction" while suggesting he trim the running time and background score; Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost (1.75/5) found the film's ambition overwhelming its material.<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup> A Silverscreen India review criticized the editing and pacing, noting that the antagonist Bimal Nair poses little threat, but praised a restrained scene between [Manju Warrier](https://www.edgepedia.org/manju-warrier) and Saniya Iyyappan and Mohanlal's ease in heightened drama.<sup>[21](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/reviews/lucifer-review-prithvirajs-directorial-debut-struggles-to-find-its-feet/)</sup> Manorama's review called it "a pure Mohanlal flick," praising the director-cinematographer pairing and Vivek Oberoi's dubbed dialogue delivery, and drew the same comparison others made: what [Karthik Subbaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/karthik-subbaraj) was to [Rajinikanth](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajinikanth) in *Petta*, Sukumaran is to Mohanlal in *Lucifer*.<sup>[9](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2019/03/27/lucifer-prithviraj-mohanlal-malayalam-movie-review-updates.html)</sup>

## Streaming and legacy

The film began streaming on Amazon Prime Video in May 2019, with the Indian Express reporting a 16 May start and Rotten Tomatoes listing a streaming release date of 20 May 2019.<sup>[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/lucifer-mohanlal-amazon-prime-video-5726896/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)</sup> It remains available on Prime Video and SonyLIV, including a Hindi-dubbed version.<sup>[22](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/lucifer)</sup>

The film's success established the *Lucifer* franchise. Its sequel, *L2: Empuraan* (2025), again directed by Sukumaran, features Mohanlal in the role revealed at the end of the first film as Khureshi-Ab'raam, and became the first Malayalam movie to cross ₹3 billion (₹300 crore) globally.<sup>[3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/mohanlal-starrer-l2-empuraan-streaming-on-jiohotstar/cid/2095758)</sup> Within Malayalam cinema, *Lucifer* is frequently cited as a turning point for large-scale, star-driven productions; a 2019 year-end industry review counted it among the small group of the year's 192 Malayalam releases that earned back their costs.<sup>[17](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/12/24/malayalam-cinema-2019-yearender-hits-flops-box-office-collection.amp.html)</sup>

## References

1. [Chapter Two (academic thesis citing Lucifer's ₹200 crore combined earnings as of July 2021), Don Bosco College repository](https://www.donbosco.ac.in/crm/public/uploads/academic_projects/OHs7VBTZHy4wlNi2Gmj8u7NwnpFaAw.pdf)
2. [Lucifer (2019) – Review, Rating & Box Office Collection, Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Lucifer_2019)
3. ['L2: Empuraan' out on OTT, The Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/mohanlal-starrer-l2-empuraan-streaming-on-jiohotstar/cid/2095758)
4. [Lucifer (2019), Moviebuff](https://moviebuff.herokuapp.com/lucifer)
5. [Lucifer Cast and Crew, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12894/malayalam/lucifer/cast.and.crew.htm)
6. [Lucifer OTT Release, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/lucifer-mohanlal-2019/ott.html)
7. [Lucifer, Aashirvad Cinemas](https://aashirvadcinemas.com/movies/lucifer)
8. [Lucifer, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucifer)
9. [Mohanlal's Lucifer review: a fanboy film by Prithviraj!, Manorama English](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2019/03/27/lucifer-prithviraj-mohanlal-malayalam-movie-review-updates.html)
10. [Murali Gopi reveals 'story' behind Mohanlal's 'Lucifer', Asianet Newsable](https://newsable.asianetnews.com/entertainment/prithviraj-was-determined-to-direct-lucifer)
11. [Mohanlal-Prithviraj Duo's Lucifer: Everything You Want To Know, Filmibeat](https://filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2019/mohanlal-prithviraj-lucifer-everything-about-the-movie-282357.html)
12. [Prithviraj directorial 'Lucifer' starts rolling, The News Minute](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/prithviraj-directorial-lucifer-starts-rolling-84894)
13. [Lucifer Official Trailer (credits), YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-Ya0NZQso)
14. ['Prithvi realises Sukumaran's unfulfilled dream with Lucifer', Manorama English](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2019/03/20/lucifer-movie-prithviraj-opens-up-mallika-sukumaran.html)
15. [Mohanlal's Lucifer to stream on Amazon Prime Video, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/lucifer-mohanlal-amazon-prime-video-5726896/)
16. [Lucifer Hit or Flop? Box Office Collection, BoxOfficeIndia24](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/movie/lucifer/box-office-collection)
17. [Malayalam cinema 2019: the hits and misses from 192 movies, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/12/24/malayalam-cinema-2019-yearender-hits-flops-box-office-collection.amp.html)
18. ['Star power still drives Mollywood', The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/star-power-still-drives-mollywood/articleshow/69690133.cms)
19. ['Lucifer' box office: opening day collection out, Manorama English](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/03/29/lucifer-movie-box-office-opening-day-collection.amp.html)
20. [Lucifer (Malayalam), Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0NYJS1ARLZXEBXPMBA0YIMASOO?tr=cv)
21. [Lucifer Review: Prithviraj's Directorial Debut Struggles To Find Its Feet, Silverscreen India](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/reviews/lucifer-review-prithvirajs-directorial-debut-struggles-to-find-its-feet/)
22. [Lucifer streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/lucifer)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Malayalam films of the 2010s › Malayalam films of 2016 to 2019*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license