Kerala’s long-running affection for Allu Arjun — the Telugu star local fans nicknamed “Mallu Arjun” years ago — showed up at the box office again this week. The 4K remaster of his 2006 romantic comedy Happy, released in its Malayalam-dubbed form as Happy Be Happy on June 12, 2026, opened to more than ₹30 lakh in the state, well above what trade watchers expected from a nostalgia re-release.
That figure makes it the biggest re-release opening day for any non-Mohanlal film in Kerala, and the highest opening day for a dubbed Telugu re-release in the state. It now sits in strong company on the all-time re-release chart, just behind Devadoothan (₹35 lakh), Chotta Mumbai (₹37 lakh), Manichitrathazhu (₹50 lakh), Ravanaprabhu (₹70 lakh) and the record-holder Spadikam (₹88 lakh).
Festival-style crowds in Ernakulam
Much of the buzz centred on Ernakulam’s Savitha Theatre, where fans gathered hours before the first show with posters and drums. Clips circulating online showed packed halls, fans dancing to the songs and reciting the dubbed dialogue together. Theatre owners compared the mood to a festival release and added late-night shows in central districts to handle the crowds.
The response was also a vote of confidence in the technical work on the print. Happy Be Happy went out on premium single screens and multiplexes in 4K with Dolby Atmos and DTS audio. It had originally been planned for April 8, to line up with Allu Arjun’s birthday, before processing delays pushed it back — a wait that only built up anticipation.
The film behind the craze
Directed by A. Karunakaran and produced by Allu Aravind under Geetha Arts, Happy was an urban comedy that stepped away from the faction dramas common in Telugu cinema at the time. It follows Bunny, a high-energy pizza delivery boy, and Madhumati, a serious-minded student played by Genelia D’Souza, who end up in a secret contractual marriage under the same roof. Manoj Bajpayee plays a short-tempered police officer whose presence keeps pushing the couple’s situation along.
When the Malayalam dub first arrived in 2006 it ran for more than 175 days and turned Allu Arjun into a household name in Kerala, helped along by Yuvan Shankar Raja’s hugely popular soundtrack. With distributors now expanding screens into North Malabar for the weekend, the re-release has comfortably proved that the affection for Bunny in the state hasn’t faded.
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