Titles that define the next generation of Malayalam cinema!
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- DirectorSanal Kumar SasidharanStarsPradeep KumarGireesh NairArun NayarInner demons begins to unravel when 5 friends get together for a booze party in a remote location.A drama about alcoholic men and their inner demons / bigotries, portrayed efficaciously by an unknown bunch of actors and brilliantly crafted by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan. Most of the dialogue being ad-libbed and the entire second half captured in a single take, only adds to the positives. A film with multiple layers of interpretation, and a fairly disturbing climax, ‘Ozhivudivasathe Kali’ (based on a short story written by acclaimed writer Unni R) is one film that every Malayali (or non-Malayali for that matter) should add to their must-see list.
- DirectorDileesh PothanStarsFahadh FaasilAparna BalamuraliSoubin ShahirMahesh, a studio photographer and studio owner gets into a fight and loses. He ends up taking revenge which leads to certain realizations in his life.A relatable tale of score-settling depicted in an unconventional manner. The humor is sprinkled evenly in both halves, the romance bits carry just the right dose of mushiness, the stunts are prudently executed and the screenplay by Syam Pushkaran, thoroughly engaging. Fahadh is dependable as ever, while Alancier and Soubin Shahir bring the house down on occasions aplenty. What a cracker of a debut for Dileesh Pothan!
- DirectorArun KumarStarsIndrajith SukumaranTanu RoyMurali GopyThe movie features the lives of six different persons from different strata of the social life of the city, interconnected due to unexpected events beyond their control.A fine example of a screenplay that knits multiple story-lines in an intelligent, gripping manner. There are a few low-points too, but Murali Gopy’s skill in handling the screenplay coupled with Indrajith’s blazing performance positions this flick on my list of top films in the last 5 years. Pop-culture and bookish references blend seamlessly with the storyline. EAK is definitely a landmark film that signified the changing trends in Malayalam cinema and to an extent, succeeded in bringing certain tabooed topics boldly into the forefront.
- DirectorLijo Jose PellisseryStarsFahadh FaasilIndrajith SukumaranKalabhavan ManiAmen tells the story of people around an ancient Nasrani Church. The plot is set in a village, Kumarankary, where its inhabitants are always garbed in white - a motif which the film deftly employs to meld the elements of fantasy and spirituality. A young, handsome cleric (Indrajith Sukumaran) arrives as the Kathanar (Syrian priest) of the church, whose senior Kathanar is Fr. Abraham (Joy Mathew), a grumpy fellow. The village has a mix of issues, which range from the love between Solomon (Fahadh Faasil) and Sosanna (Swati Reddy) to the fate of a band crushed by frequent failures in contests. The movie sets itself a lot of targets like the fate of Solomon's love, his dazzling self-discovery of a trait not known to him before and some sober spiritual and religious conflicts. Amen promises a luxuriant plot replete with music, faith, fantasy and romance and an amazingly varied set of characters. As the parish seriously discusses whether to retain the church's band that had lost to the rival group in the earlier band competition, a young priest Fr. Vincent Vattoli (Indrajit) takes charge under Fr.Ottaplackan. He is stylish, dares to defy conventions and is in support of the romance between Solomon and Sosanna. His actions irk the senior priest and things take a serious turn after a while. The people agrees to a pact that sets the fate of Solomon's love with Sosanna, and the Kumarankary church band's future. The band goes on to win the competition, and the film ends on a truly surprising climax.Lijo Jose Pellissery’s genre mishmash (satire / drama / fantasy / romance / musical) worked wonders when it released back in the summer of 2013. Fahadh, Indrajith, Kalabhavan Mani, Joy Mathew and Chemban Vinod garnered critical and audience acclaim through their energetic performances. The musical score by Prashant Pillai and scintillating cinematography by Abhinandan Ramanujam proved to be major pluses. The white-clad eccentric villagers of Kumarankary are not going to be forgotten any soon.
- DirectorRajeev RaviStarsDulquer SalmaanVinayakanShaun RomyKrishnan, who has been living away from his family and friends in Mumbai, gets a call from his friend Ganga in Kerala, out of the blue. He senses danger, and leaves for Kammattipadam, where both of them grew up.A gritty, testosterone-driven drama that sheds light on the evolution of the city of Ernakulam and the role of the real-estate / goonda lobby in it. Leading the thug-pack is Manikandan who plays the role of Balettan, the dark-skinned thug who impresses with his don’t-give-a-*beep* attitude and daredevil antics, indirectly becoming an idol to his brother Ganga, played superbly by Vinayakan and his buddy Krishnan, played by none other than Dulquer Salmaan. Performances are uniformly astounding and having a director like Rajeev Ravi at the helm only helped.
- DirectorAnjali MenonStarsDulquer SalmaanNivin PaulyNazriya NazimA fun roller coaster ride about three young people, Aju, Divya and Kuttan who are cousins, reach Bangalore to dream, discover and explore.A feel-good flick that delves into the coming-of-age saga of three cousins played by Nivin Pauly, Nazriya and Dulquer, unfolding in the city of Bengaluru. However, it has to be mentioned that Fahadh ended up stealing the limelight away from the rest. Anjali Menon’s script is a crowd-pleaser in all senses, and her delightful packaging made sure the movie spread cheer to all n’ sundry.
- DirectorRosshan AndrrewsStarsPrithviraj SukumaranJayasuryaRahmanACP Antony is the only one who knows the truth behind ACP Aaryan's murder. Antony meets with an accident, losing his memory and is unable to reveal the killer. He is forced to investigate the murder again hoping that he remembers something.A buddy-cop thriller that surprises you in more ways than one. Bobby-Sanjay’s script subverts most cliches associated with the genre and brings to the viewer a thrilling cinematic experience. The (extremely bold) move taken by a star such as Prithviraj was widely appreciated. By far, the best film in Rosshan Andrrews’ filmography. The narrative unfurls in a cleverly constructed manner, saving the shocks for the last.
- DirectorRanjithStarsMammoottyPriyamaniJesse Fox AllenPranchiyettan is a successful businessman who often has talks with an imaginary St. Francis of Assisi. The story deals with how he goes about changing his embarrassing image to making a name for himself using wealth and contacts.After plenty of films that centered on various slangs spoken by the people residing in different districts of Kerala ended up borderline sickening, this Ranjith venture struck gold at the box-office and won over the hearts of critics and audience alike. Led by a solid performance from Mammootty, this satirical comedy carved out a niche of its own with its quirky screenplay, the skilful application of the Thrissur slang and fantasy element meshed with satire.
- DirectorAnil Radhakrishnan MenonStarsFahadh FaasilNedumudi VenuSwathi ReddyHarikrishan, a software engineer who suffers from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is asked to go on an assignment to Trivandrum, as his colleagues are not able to stand his behavior.Anil Radhakrishnan Menon’s debut film is a magnificent road movie depicting the challenges faced by an I.T professional suffering from OCD. The screenplay is laced with umpteen instances that make you laugh and cry. The film benefits immensely from the presence of strong characters played by Nedumudi Venu, Swathi Reddy and Chemban Vinod. Fahadh’s performance, as expected, was laudable.
- DirectorJeethu JosephStarsMohanlalMeenaAsha SharathA man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits an accidental crime.This Jeethu Joseph directorial led to the birth of a new genre in Malayalam cinema..’family thriller’. A first-half full of familial banter and light-hearted comedy, and a second that keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat, ‘Drishyam’ also turned out to be the highest grossing Malayalam movie in its time. Asha Sarath and Kalabhavan Shajon emerged as stand-out performers.