Despite arriving amid significant hype as one of 2023’s biggest Malayalam movies and marking Dulquer Salmaan’s first theatrical release on his home turf in almost two years since Kurup (2021), director Abhilash Joshiy’s King of Kotha became a critical and commercial failure. Not only did the movie flop, but it also drew significant trolling towards the cast and crew, particularly Dulquer Salmaan and Aishwarya Lakshmi, who played the lead roles.

Recently, Aishwarya admitted that the King of Kotha debacle affected her significantly, resulting in fewer opportunities for her in Malayalam cinema. She said filmmakers in the industry grew sceptical about casting her in the aftermath, and the trolling reached such high levels that she even lost confidence in working with Dulquer again.

How King of Kotha debacle affected Aishwarya’s career

Aishwarya Lakshmi revealed that she once even turned down a commercial where she was supposed to appear alongside Dulquer because she felt the brand would suffer if people once again trolled their pairing.

“King of Kotha came amid huge hype in 2023. But after that, it felt like the Malayalam industry was afraid to cast me anymore. Not just me; Dulquer and the film’s crew also faced trolls. My acting and dialogue delivery were all trolled. But many times, I have also felt that what they say is right,” Aishwarya reportedly shared during a conversation with renowned television presenter Ranjini Haridas on the latter’s YouTube channel.

‘Mocked on sets’: Aishwarya recalls getting trolled for ‘Rajuvetta’ line

“Many people made fun of me for the way I called Dulquer ‘Rajuvetta’ in the film. It hurt me deeply when an assistant director (AD) called me that and made fun of me during the shooting of Hello Mummy (2024). Like that, many things happened,” she said.

Aishwarya further recalled, “After that, I had an ad shoot coming up with Dulquer. But I told the team, ‘The repercussions have been terrible; it will be trouble for you.’ I don’t think I can work with Dulquer anymore. Such trolls have affected me that much.”

King of Kotha budget and box office collection

Also starring Shabeer Kallarakkal, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Nyla Usha, and Chemban Vinod Jose, King of Kotha marked the directorial debut of Abhilash Joshiy, the son of legendary Malayalam filmmaker Joshiy. Mounted on a reported budget of Rs 50 crore, King of Kotha grossed just Rs 31.35 crore globally, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.

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Aishwarya Lakshmi made her acting debut in director Althaf Salim’s Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela (2017), where she starred alongside Nivin Pauly. She has since appeared in movies such as Mayaanadhi (2017), Varathan (2018), Vijay Superum Pournamiyum (2019), Kaanekkaane (2021), Jagame Thandhiram (2021), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022), Kumari (2022), Gatta Kusthi (2022), Archana 31 Not Out (2022), Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023), Maaman (2025), and Gatta Kusthi 2 (2026).