A Comprehensive Overview of the History Malayalam Cinema

And a list of 67 Malayalam Movies That Made a Mark in the Industry

Shankar

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Cold Brew Blogs

8 min readApr 30, 2020

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This is part of Writer & Geek Show’s upcoming episodes on Malayalam Cinema.

Find the complete list of movies mentioned: List of 67 Malayalam Movies

Over the years, the landscape of Malayalam cinema has changed. I mean… it has evolved. From the hero-centric, superhuman and outright chauvinistic characters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it has moved to character-centric, common man, and realistic stories.

A scene from Vigathakumaran | Source: Mathrubhumi

Who would have thought there is any potential to the industry when J C Daniel crafted the masterpiece, Vigathakumaran — the first Malayalam movie, back in 1930. Though Daniel lost most of his belongings producing movies and lived in relative poverty later in life, Malayalam cinema exceeded everyone’s expectations and grew into a landscape that boasts some of the most finely crafted works of Indian cinema.

From the get-go, Malayalam cinema showed promise with its themes surrounding relevant social issues even though it took off only during the latter half of the 20th century. There were only two silent films and three talkies made between 1928 and 1947 and it was produced by Tamil producers. But the setting up of Udaya Studios in Alleppey by Kunchacko (Yes, that is Kunchacko Boban’s grandfather) and the release of Nirmala (1948) produced by P J Cherian resulted in breaking that barrier. It witnessed more people realising the power of cinema as a medium of expression and getting involved in its production.

Nirmala was a game-changer in many ways. It was the first to feature playback singing and dance numbers. This paved the way to make songs and dance numbers a regular fixture in Malayalam movies. Also, Cherian cast his family members in lead roles in the movie, in the process, banishing the thought that cinema is not a profession for noble families.

Notable movies till 1950

The production of Malayalam movies skyrocketed over the decades with 6 movies per year in the 50s, to 30 in the 60s, 40 in the 70s, and a whopping 127 in the 80s. It also marked a shift of the industry from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai (formerly known as Madras) in the 40s and back to Kerala in the 80s. Each of the decades saw numerous changes with change in themes, to the incorporation of various new technologies, and the brilliance of emerging artists.

For example, the 50s highlight was the movie Neelakuyil directed by Ramu Kariat and P Bhaskaran. With the legendary Sathyan playing the lead, the movie was based on social evils of that time like caste discrimination and injustice towards women. It also observed the use of original scores, moving away from copying popular tunes from Hindi cinema. Another milestone was the movie Jeevitha Nouka, produced for ₹5 lakh, released in 1951 with Thikkurrishi Sukumaran Nair and B S Saroja playing the lead. It was the first super hit Malayalam film with a theatrical run of 284 days. The decade also marked the release of the neo-noir film, Newspaper Boy (1955) which is noted for its entire production from scripting to direction being controlled by students.

Notable movies from the 1950s

The 1960s again noticed movies being made with an emphasis on social causes. But it was also the decade that witnessed the use of new technologies for filmmaking. Filmmakers realised it is a medium to express themselves. The 60s was the time for experimentation leading to many firsts such as the first colour film, Kandam Becha Coat (1961), the first horror film, Bhargavi Nilayam (1964), and the first psychological thriller, Yakshi (1968).

A classic scene from the movie Chemeen

The 1965 film, Chemmen, written and directed by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and Ramu Kariat, respectively, won the National Film Award for the Best Feature Film from the President helping the industry gain widespread recognition and appreciation. It was the time when the Sheela-Prem Nazir pairing broke records left and right starring in 130 films as the leading on-screen pair.

Notable movies from the 1960s

The 1970s witnessed a new wave of Malayalam cinema where the bridging of parallel and commercial cinema was at its best. It was also the time when political and action movies gained a following. Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s directorial debut, Swayamvaram in 1972 is known for pioneering the new wave of cinema movement in the industry. Chattakari (1974) and Avalude Ravukal (1978) were some of the boldest Malayalam movies of that time with the latter being the first A certified movie. The movies were based on the themes of teenage pregnancy and prostitution, respectively, which were topics that were profoundly frowned upon during those times.

The latter half of the 1970s witnessed the emergence of the legendary actor Jayan. He reformed the industry with his macho image and action sequences never seen before. Like who can forget the “We are not beggars…” dialogue from the movie Angadi (1980). It still gives me goosebumps.

Notable movies from the 1970s

The 1980s was the decade of combining common man’s problems with comedy. The rise of geniuses like Sreenivasan spearheaded this genre of movies to the forefront with movies such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), and Varavelpu (1989). 1981 was a milestone year for Malayalam cinema with the release of Elippathayam and Manjil Virinja Pookkal. The former being screened at the London Film Festival and winning the Sunderland Trophy and the latter propelling Mohanlal Viswanathan, our very own Lalettan, to stardom. Though it is almost impossible to imagine that he started his career predominantly playing antagonistic characters.

M T Vasudevan Nair made his presence known with his screenplay for movies like Nakhakshathangal (1986), that helped Monisha win the National Award for Best Actress at the age of 15, and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1988), an epic historical drama which showed Chandu Chekavar as a misunderstood hero. Director P Padmarajan also made his mark with the 1987 romantic drama, Thoovanathumbikal, and the 1988 mystery thriller, Aparan. The decade also delivered Malayalam’s own investigative thriller detective series with Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988), the first movie from the four-part series, with Mammootty playing the role of Sethurama Iyer.

The 80s observed many firsts with Padayottam (1982), a film based on the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, becoming the first Malayalam film to be shot in 70 mm, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), the first Indian 3D film, and Adipapam (1988) gaining the crown of being the first Malayalam softcore film.

Notable movies from the 1980s

The 1990s had a great start with movies such as the comedy-thriller In Harihar Nagar (1990) and comedy-drama Godfather (1991) running for over a year in theatres gaining cult status. It also saw a few larger than life stars take on a majority of screentime. With Mohanlal and Mammooty taking lead roles in almost all genres, Suresh Gopi shining in the action movie landscape, and Jayaram starring in your next-door neighbour, family-friendly characters.

Siddique-Lal’s Vietnam Colony was released in 1992 and it is noteworthy for having plot similarities with the 2009 movie Avatar — the second highest-grossing movie in the world. What does James Cameron have to say about that, I wonder? The time also witnessed movies like Manichitrathazhu (1993) where the female character of Shobana set the tone of the entire movie. Manichitrathazhu was also the first movie I watched in Theatres, and yeah, I fell in love with Shobana.

1993 also witnessed the release of O’Faby — first full live-action/animation Indian movie. Parinayam, released in 1994, won four National Awards and several State Awards for depicting the degrading caste systems of the early 20th century in detail. In 1997, Rajiv Anchal directed, Guru, earned Malayalam cinema its first nominations for the Oscars. And the 1998 black comedy Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, a film about an irresponsible husband who neglects his family, went on to become one of the classic Malayalam family dramas.

Notable movies from the 1990s

But things went stale in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The same formulas were used over and over again with the same actors. It was almost impossible for newcomers to make a mark in the industry. But there were again a few honourable firsts in the industry and the world of cinema. The 2001 film, The Guard, got recognition for being the first single actor cast movie in the world. The late legend Kalabhavan Mani played the role of a forest guard in a lonely isolated forest. And the 2006 film, Moonamathoral became the first digital movie in the world.

The late 2000s and 2010s changed the landscape altogether with the industry shedding its macho, unrealistic hero characters to featuring stories of the everyday common man. The era also observed the rise of many talented actors and directors like Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Fahad Fasil, the late Rajeev Pillai, Alphonse Puthren, Dulquer Salman, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Soubin Shahir, to name a few. The Malayalam cinematic experience transformed to combine thoughtful stories with commercial value. The industry also received its second Oscar nominations through Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) staring Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab.

Thondimuthalum Dhriksaakshiyum trailer

With movies like Drishyam, Mumbai Police, Munnariyippu, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Kammatipaadam, Angamali Diaries, and Kumbalangi Nights, the industry gained widespread recognition not just nationally but also internationally. After a decade or two of stalemate, it is amazing to see people who are passionate about the art of film making finally able to express themselves on the big screen.

Notable movies from the 21st century

Whenever a non-Malayalee friend of mine comes to me talking about how good the new Fahad movie is, or whenever I see a foreigner reviewing a Malayalam movie, my heart fills with joy knowing that Malayalam cinema is in the hands of the right people. If things continue on the same path, I expect great things for Malayalam cinema. Many more great movies, ever-expanding audiences leading to better budgets, resulting in a larger pool of talent, worldwide recognition, and maybe one day… an Oscar?! You never know!

Now, you must be wondering I have written a 10-minute read blog but have not mentioned anything about the significance of music in Malayalam Cinema. Well, it deserves a blog post on its own. Once that is done, I will link it here.

If you think I have missed out any movies worth mentioning (which I know are in plenty), please comment below and let me know.

Find the complete list, here: List of 67 Malayalam Movies

Find a blog I wrote about 9 New Age Malayalam Movies you should watch, here:

9 New Age Malayalam Movies You Should Watch

I had lost faith in Malayalam movies by the end of 2009. The typical, over the top, invincible, hero-centric movies…

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