4 Malayalam films of 1988 ranked by box office. #1: Chithram (₹3.5 crore).
| # | Film | Lead | Director | Budget | Box office | Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chithram | Priyadarshan | ₹44 lakh | ₹3.5 crore | 7.95x | |
| 2 | 1921 | I. V. Sasi | ₹1.2 crore | ₹2 crore | 1.67x | |
| 2 | Oru CBI Diary Kurippu | K. Madhu | ₹37 lakh | ₹2 crore | 5.41x | |
| 4 | Vaisali | Bharathan | ₹1 crore |
Figures are shown in the currency they were reported in (Wikipedia, Wikidata or TMDB); no conversion.