Synopsis
Laholi is a small village in India whose inhabitants are poor, simple-minded, and are used to their lives being controlled by the dictatorial Landlord Thakurain and her brother, Baj Bahadur. Although Lilaram is the one with the highest educational qualifications, he is unable to secure any job.
He decides to make a living selling lottery tickets, especially the Delhi-based Malamaal Weekly, but is barely able to make ends meet for him. Then one day he finds out that a villager, who bought the ticket from him is the winner. He concocts a scheme with his wife, which involves pawning her pet goat with the Thakurain, getting people together for a feast, so that he can get their tickets back - but all in vain.
Then he finds out that the only one who was absent was the town drunkard Anthony Fernandes. When he goes to Anthony's house he finds him dead. But Anthony is clutching his winning lottery ticket. When Lilaram tries to take the ticket from Anthony's hand, another villager, Balwant, happens to come by, both of them compromise and decide to share the one crore prize.
But things go out of control when the Lottery inspector comes and almost everyone gets involved in the scheme!
Trivia
|  | Several reviewers consider this film to be very similar to Waking Ned (1998). Both films have the same story line. However director Priyadarshan claims it is "totally and absolutely original".
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| | T-Series and PPC have signed Priyadarshan to direct the sequel to 'Malamaal Weekly', which will be called 'Malamaal Weekly 2'. It will feature the same star cast as the original.
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| | Finding the location for Malamaal Weekly was a huge problem for director Priyadarshan and his team. The task was to find the correct village setting with one kothi or haveli, at least four to five distinct streets and the rest a very small settlement. After considering Ooty and Panchmari, the team finally decided on Karaikudi and Polachi.
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| | The haveli shown in the film as the zamindar's haveli was actually owned by the erstwhile king, the Raja of Chettinad.
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| | Malamaal Weekly has been shot in the same village where Priyadarshan's Virasat was shot.
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