25 years of Malayalam cinema: How the industry transformed from churning out stinkers to becoming the face of the new era

Also Read | Dileep’s downfall: How the 2017 Kerala actor abduction and assault case accused dug his own grave in cinema and real life

In a way, the 2000s were a period of quiescence. It is, I feel, by far the only decade after Malayalam cinema found its footing when it witnessed an intellectual and creative stagnation. Although the industry delivered quite a few blockbusters and memorable movies during this period, many of them carried the ghosts of old films. Not only were filmmakers hesitant to experiment, but the overall technical and creative quality of movies was considerably low. However, this wasn’t the case only in Malayalam; its major counterparts across the country faced a similar ordeal during this era. As senior directors were busy creating inconsequential movies that rehashed their old hit formulas, the repercussions of a dearth of fresh minds at work became palpably evident.

Even as Joshiy dropped bombs like Praja and Dubai, Fazil outdid him with the atrocious Kaiyethum Doorath. IV Sasi’s contribution to the disappointment spree was Sradha. Amid all this, light-hearted family dramas helmed by directors like Sathyan Anthikkad, Kamal, and Lal Jose, hard-hitting dramas by Blessy, and comedies by Rafi–Mecartin, Johny Antony, and Shafi offered respite to the audience. However, none of them broke the mould; they all adhered to conventional stylistics and simply focused on storytelling.

A poster of Mohanlal’s Vamanapuram Bus Route. (Credit: IMDb)

Onnaman, Thaskara Veeran and more

Having reached the zenith of superstardom by then, both Mohanlal and Mammootty were clueless about what to do next. Their movie choices were so poor that it seemed like they were giving out dates based on their friendships with directors and producers, without even reading the scripts or listening to story narrations. Although they delivered blockbusters like Narasimham, Ravanaprabhu, Balettan, Valliettan, Chronic Bachelor and Sethurama Iyer CBI, this era also marked a time when they appeared engaged in an unofficial battle to see who could produce the most stinkers. While Mohanlal delivered duds like Onnaman, Chathurangam, Hariharan Pilla Happy Aanu, Kilukkam Kilukilukkam, Mahasamudram and Vamanapuram Bus Route, Mammootty also did not hold back, and did abysmal movies like Dubai, Phantom, Pattalam, Vajram, Balram vs Tharadas, Prajapathy and Thaskara Veeran.

With both Jayaram and Suresh Gopi also going through challenging phases in their careers, Dileep (later accused of masterminding the 2017 Kerala actress abduction and assault case) began to soar with blockbusters like CID Moosa and Meesa Madhavan. Despite being a mediocre actor, the audience flocked to his comedies because the industry had little else to offer. Meanwhile, younger actors like Kunchacko Boban, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jayasurya, Meera Jasmine, Bhavana, Navya Nair, and Kavya Madhavan also began making strides.

A poster of Mammootty’s Vajram.

While 2005 proved to be a far better year with director Anwar Rasheed’s Mammootty-starrer Rajamanikyam revolutionising commercial masala cinema, Urvashi making a comeback through Achuvinte Amma, and films like Udayananu Tharam and Anandabhadram offering fresh stories and even fresher aesthetics, this did not mark the beginning of a resurrection. The industry was both weak and scared to try out new things.

One of the major reasons behind the fiasco was that the industry had largely forgotten its roots. It was no longer making movies anchored in its surroundings and familiar emotional grounds. Even while expressing pride in the classics created by yesteryear master directors like KG George, P Padmarajan, G Aravindan, Bharathan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and John Abraham, which exuded an unmistakable Malayalamness, the filmmakers of the 2000s were merely shooting in the dark, while also making futile attempts at cracking the formula for making bona fide hit movies.

Although the industry kept making strides in the independent cinema stream, with movies like Shantham, Pulijanmam, Neythukaran, Naalu Pennungal, Kutty Srank, and Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam receiving national recognition, the quality visible there never overflowed into the mainstream. As a result, audiences began turning to Malayalam-dubbed other-language movies, which they could enjoy with their brains turned off, and actors like Allu Arjun, as well as films like Arya, Happy, and Happy Days, found immense success in the state.

A poster of Allu Arjun’s Arya.

Chotta Mumbai and Big B’s arrival

However, a few movies that arrived in 2007 heralded the impending reformation. Breaking the pattern popularised in the ’90s and early 2000s — where the localities in which stories were set, as well as their regional dialects, were given the least importance, stripping the films of nuance and authenticity while presenting savarna-ness as the norm — a new style began to evolve during this time.

Anwar Rasheed, who gave the Thiruvananthapuram accent — which had until then been the butt of many jokes — a mass appeal with Rajamanikyam, changed Malayalam cinema’s perception of Kochi as well with the Mohanlal-starrer Chotta Mumbai. This made industry professionals and audiences realise that many places in Kerala were yet to be explored. Amal Neerad’s Mammootty-led Big B gave this a bigger push. However, barring a few blockbusters like Twenty:20, Madambi, and Annan Thambi, as well as commendable works like Thirakkatha and Thalappavu, 2008 was also largely disappointing. Even as Subramaniapuram (2008) ushered in a new wave in Tamil cinema, the Malayalam industry was facing uncertainty. The success of the disgustingly misogynistic Veruthe Oru Bharya also raised concerns that the industry might once again be embracing the sickening trends that had worked well for it in the ’90s.

Ritu, Traffic and the New Generation film movement

While that trend did continue for some time with movies like Bhagyadevatha and Ivar Vivahitharayal, 2009 marked the arrival of a fresh era that commenced with films such as Shyamaprasad’s Ritu, Ranjith Sankar’s Passenger, and the anthological Kerala Café, which featured narrative and aesthetic palettes that significantly deviated from anything the industry had witnessed until then. Subsequently, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s debut Nayakan, and movies like Cocktail and Anwar, further cemented this fresh wave of cinema. Intriguingly, young actors like Prithviraj, Indrajith, and Jayasurya, among others, were readily on board with this trend, helping it gain acclaim quickly.

A poster of director Shyamaprasad’s Ritu.

2011 marked the proper entrenchment of this wave, later known as the “New Generation film movement,” with the arrival of Rajesh Pillai’s Traffic, penned by Bobby-Sanjay. Without even a single star and mostly featuring young or senior character actors, Traffic became a massive hit, reminding everyone that content was king. Without following any conventional formulas, either technically or narratively, the makers crafted Traffic from scratch, and its success paved the way for the entry of fresh talent into the industry, instilling in them the courage to think outside the box. The movie also effectively made the audience realise that they needn’t settle for less. Films like Chaappa Kurishu, Salt N’ Pepper, City of God and Melvilasom further propelled the wave. Yet, let’s not forget that 2011 was also the year of the widely panned blockbuster Krishnanum Radhayum, helmed by Santhosh Pandit.

The arrival of fresh actors like Fahadh Faasil, Dulquer Salmaan, Rima Kallingal, Nivin Pauly, and Parvathy Thiruvothu, among others — who weren’t the least bit conscious about their “image” and simply wanted to be part of good films — also helped the trend persist. Although the New Generation movement offered some liberation to women, as evidenced in movies like 22 Female Kottayam, Ee Adutha Kaalathu, Arike, Ozhimuri, and Trivandrum Lodge, Bahujans and other marginalised communities remained largely outside the frame, except for movies by directors like Dr Biju.

Annayum Rasoolum ushers in a new era

Nonetheless, the sudden surge of films featuring similar young characters from similar urban backdrops rendered the movement obsolete in no time. In a way, it can be said that the movement was merely a bridge the industry smartly crossed to reach the paradise introduced by Rajeev Ravi’s Annayum Rasoolum. While many “New Generation” movies were superficial, Annayum Rasoolum illustrated the importance of taking a deep dive into narratives and extracting their ethos to the fullest. While films like Shutter reminded the industry of the importance of experimentation to drive progress, the success of Amen highlighted that audiences were fully open to innovative movies.

A poster of director Rajeev Ravi’s Annayum Rasoolum

Amid all this, Dileep’s extremely problematic films like Mayamohini and Mr Marumakan continued to find takers, mostly families, for whom the predatory and sexist behaviours glorified in his movies were quite normal. Yet, with the success of unconventional films like Mumbai Police, Neram and North 24 Kaatham, audiences also began to realise that movies needn’t be overtly problematic to entertain. Thus, Dileep’s flicks began facing audience wrath, as exemplified by the results of Sringaravelan and Nadodimannan. While Jeethu Joseph impressed all with Memories, his Drishyam earned Malayalam cinema its much-needed pan-Indian recognition. It also opened new horizons for the industry at the box office, becoming the first Malayalam movie to enter the Rs 50 crore club.

In the years since, the industry has been trying to maintain a proper balance between critical and commercial success. Amid the many abysmal movies it churned out every year, Malayalam cinema also managed to compensate with at least a handful of commendable works. While making crass movies like Ring Master, Manglish, Laila O Laila, and Welcome to Central Jail, the industry also offered films such as Bangalore Days, Munnariyippu, Premam, CR No: 89, Ennu Ninte Moideen, Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal, Ozhivudivasathe Kali, and Oppam, which impressed audiences. While Pulimurugan took Malayalam cinema to fresh heights at the box office, Dileesh Pothan’s Maheshinte Prathikaaram and Rajeev Ravi’s Kammatipaadam helped it regain its lost voice, and works such as Angamaly Diaries, Parava, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Sudani from Nigeria, Ee Ma Yau, Virus, Unda, Jallikattu, Moothon and Android Kunjappan helped amplify that voice.

Although one can’t say that they were all superior works with their hearts in the right place, they all contributed to the industry’s progress in one way or another. To make it clearer, consider this: while Oru Adaar Love made Malayalam cinema a national joke, Kumbalangi Nights helped it gain a reputation as one of the best — if not the best — in India. Meanwhile, Lucifer gave the commercial mass-movie formula a fresh twist. And all three were released in the same year.

A poster of director Dileesh Pothan’s Maheshinte Prathikaaram.

How Malayalam cinema continued its journey during and post COVID

When world cinema came to a standstill due to COVID, Malayalam cinema continued its journey. While its small size and ability to make small films were indeed factors, the lack of hesitation on the part of its stars and technicians to collaborate or share the spotlight was another. Thanks also to its willingness to experiment, it could easily produce C U Soon, which opened to worldwide attention. With The Great Indian Kitchen, Drishyam 2, Joji, Nayattu, Malik, Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam, Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, Kurup, Churuli, and Minnal Murali earning widespread, and in some cases global, recognition, the industry grew further. It made the most of the OTT boom, too. With Mammootty embracing the changing times and completely shedding his mega stardom to take on extremely unconventional roles such as the ones in Puzhu, Rorschach, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Bramayugam and Kalamkaval, all of which showcased his extraordinary and unrivalled performances, the prospects of the industry grew further, allowing younger talents to be more fearless.

At the same time, the discussions that movies like Pada, Malayankunju, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, B 32 Muthal 44 Vare, Kaathal – The Core, Moonwalk, Ronth, and Feminichi Fathima helped ignite regarding caste and/or gender politics, combined with the peak cinematic excellence offered by films like Thallumaala, Aattam, Family, The Goat Life, Ullozhukku, Kishkindha Kandam, All We Imagine as Light, Thadavu and Eko, as well as the technical brilliance in works like Saudi Vellakka, The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang, Purusha Pretham, Ponman, and Malaikottai Vaaliban, have all contributed to the industry’s rise.

Actor Kalyani Priyadarshan in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. (Credit: IMDb)

The blockbuster success of out-of-the-box movies like 2018, Manjummel Boys, Aavesham, and ARM only further highlights the industry’s current strength. With Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, a female-led superhero movie revolving around a yakshi who is portrayed as the saviour of the outcast and marginalised, currently ranking as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, Malayalam cinema’s glory is at an all-time high. But will it be able to sustain all this? Only time can reveal that.