In a surprising revelation for the Indian film industry, Google has unveiled its annual list of the top 10 most searched movies of 2025. The results have sent shockwaves through the Malayalam cinema landscape, highlighting a stark disconnect between box office success and online curiosity. Despite a stellar year for superstar Mohanlal, only one Malayalam film managed to crack the coveted pan-Indian list, and it wasn't one of his blockbusters.
Pan-Indian List Dominated by Gen Z and Blockbusters
The top spot on Google's 2025 search chart was claimed by the Gen Z love story 'Saiyaaraa', featuring Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday. Following closely in second place was the much-anticipated Kannada blockbuster 'Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1'. The third position was secured by the highly discussed Tamil film 'Coolie', starring the legendary Rajinikanth.
Occupying the fourth spot was the high-octane action sequel 'War 2', featuring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. A major surprise came in fifth place, where the 2009 romantic film 'Sanam Teri Kasam' experienced a massive resurgence in searches. This surge was driven by a wave of nostalgia after the movie's re-release in cinemas, proving that classic stories can capture new-generation attention decades later.
Marco Leads Malayalam Charge in a Major Upset
The sole Malayalam representative on the list, securing the fifth position overall, is Unni Mukundan's 'Marco'. The film, which showcased Mukundan in what was widely described as his most brutal avatar, has clearly sustained significant public interest. Released in theatres during the Christmas weekend of 2024, it later arrived on OTT platforms in February 2025. This dual-window release strategy created a prolonged and sustained search trail across both digital and traditional media platforms throughout the year.
The remainder of Google's top 10 most searched movies list for 2025 includes:
- Akshay Kumar's comedy franchise entry 'Housefull 5'
- Ram Charan's political action drama 'Game Changer'
- The Sanya Malhotra-fronted film 'Mrs.'
- The animated epic 'Mahavatar Narsimha'
Mohanlal's Notable Absence Sparks Debate
The complete absence of any Mohanlal film from the top 10 has become a major talking point among fans and industry observers across Kerala. The superstar had an exceptionally strong year in 2025, delivering three back-to-back theatrical hits: 'L2 Empuraan', 'Thudarum', and 'Hridayapoorvam'.
'L2 Empuraan', in particular, generated national headlines not just for its box office performance—where it briefly became the highest-grossing Malayalam film until 'Lokah' surpassed it—but also due to the various controversies surrounding it. Despite this dominance in cinema halls and significant media buzz, none of these successful projects translated into enough Google search volume to break into the top 10.
This trend underscores a fascinating divergence in modern film metrics. It highlights the clear difference between theatrical success, driven by ticket sales, and online search popularity, which is fueled by sustained curiosity, digital marketing, and post-release engagement on streaming platforms. The case of 'Marco' demonstrates how a film can leverage its OTT release window to maintain a strong search presence, while even the biggest box office champions may not sustain that level of online inquiry.
