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NewsSiddique had directed many popular comedies in Malayalam cinema with his friend Lal, like 'Godfather', 'In Harihar Nagar', and 'Ramji Rao Speaking'.Writer and director of many comedies in Malayalam cinema, Siddique, passed away in Kochi on August 8, Tuesday. He suffered a cardiac arrest on Saturday at a hospital in Kochi, where he was admitted since July 10 due to respiratory issues. The 60-year-old filmmaker hailed from Kochi. Like many artistes of his generation, Siddique had begun his career at the mimicry troupe run by Kalabhavan, a prestigious arts centre in Kerala. With Lal, his friend and colleague at Kalabhavan, he forayed into Malayalam cinema in the latter half of the 80s, writing comedies of a new flavour with an element of melancholy in them. If comedies were mostly written as a parallel track in films until then, in Siddque and Lal’s works, they merged with the main storyline,...

Thiruvananthapuram, May 21 (Ians) Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was presented with a Kia Ev 6 costing Rs 72 lakh on his 63rd birthday on Sunday by businessman Alex K. Varghese of Hedge Equities, a stockbroking firm of which the actor is the brand ambassador.

Mohanlal celebrated his birthday at his Kochi residence with his wife Suchithra. His close friend and former Kerala minister, Shibu Baby John, and actor-director Major Ravi were present with him at his residence during the celebrations.

One of the most versatile actors in the Malayalam industry, Mohanlal made his debut at the age of 18 with the movie “Thiranottam” (the movie was shelved for several years due to technical issues and later released).

It was the 1980 movie “Manjil Virinja Pookal”, directed by Fazil (father of the rising pan-India star Fahadh Faasil), which portrayed him as an antagonist, that turned out to be his official debut movie. There was no looking back...

ControversyThose who have followed the Sreenivasan-Mohanlal filmography would have registered that the duo’s rift began around 2012, when Sreenivasan wrote a lazy and distasteful sequel to their 2005 collaboration ‘Udayananu Tharam’.Sreenivasan and Mohanlal and in Udayananu TharamA few days ago, Malayalam actor-writer-director Sreenivasan made some scathing remarks against actor Mohanlal, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of several Malayalam film enthusiasts. Every media outlet took up the issue, dissecting Sreenivasan’s statements and holding extensive discussions on what could possibly have gone wrong between them. Even his own son, actor and director Dhyan Sreenivasan, openly expressed his displeasure with his father’s comments. “He should have never said that,” Dhyan had said, questioning why Sreenivasan continued to act with Mohanlal even after “discovering that he was a hypocrite”. But those who have followed the Sreenivasan-Mohanlal filmography would have registered that this rift began around 2012, when Sreenivasan wrote...

DeathThe Malayalam actor was 76 years old and was admitted in ICU after he collapsed during a football tournament.Malayalam actor Mamukkoya, best known for his impactful comic performances, passed away on Wednesday, April 26, at a private hospital in Kerala’s Kozhikode. The 76-year-old actor, recognised by his distinct Malabar dialect, collapsed during the inauguration of a football tournament in the district on Monday, and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital in Wandoor, from where he was shifted to the Meitra Hospital in Kozhikode. He reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest followed by a haemorrhage, which led to his passing at about 1.05 pm on Wednesday afternoon. Mamukkoya, who was born in Pallikandi near Kallayi in Kozhikode, began his life as a worker in a timber yard. Theatre was his first love and he worked with amateur drama troupes before making his way into films. He essayed roles...

DeathInnocent was in a critical condition for the past few days and admitted at the Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi, where he passed away on Sunday night.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, March 27 condoled the death of noted actor Innocent, who passed away a day earlier. The Prime Minister said, "Pained by the passing away of noted actor and former MP Shri Innocent Vareed Thekkethala. He will be remembered for enthralling audiences and filling people's lives with humour. Condolences to his family and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.” Innocent passed away at the age of 75 on Sunday night due to Covid-19 related respiratory issues leading to organ failure and cardiac arrest. Innocent, also a cancer survivor, was in a critical condition for the past few days and admitted at the Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi. A veteran actor of Malayalam films, Innocent essayed roles in over 700 films in a career spanning five decades.

ObituaryInnocent will go down in the history of Malayalam cinema as a stupendously talented actor, who spread unmitigated joy on screen, writes Neelima Menon.The heavily pronounced Irinjalakuda slang, that bashful tilt of his head, the peculiar gesticulations, the fine balance between subtlety and hyperbole, and the unforgettable one-liners delivered with soft precision. What made Innocent one of the most cheering sights in Malayalam cinema is all of these and more. Like most in his legion of stupendously talented supporting actors, Innocent flourished during the late 1980s and 90s, popularly termed as the ‘golden period’ in Malayalam cinema. It was during this period that Innocent, who had already made his debut as an actor and producer a decade earlier, found that his niche lay in initiating Malayalam cinema into the realm of satire. So after 50-60 films in which he played notable as well as forgettable characters, Innocent allied with...

DeathFrom being slapstick silly and lighthearted to sarcastic, shameless and quirky, there was no type of humour he couldn't pull off.Malayalam actor and politician Innocent passed away at the age of 75 at 10.30 pm on Sunday, March 26, due to Covid-19 related respiratory issues leading to organ failure and cardiac arrest. He might have had top-billing in only a handful of films but his sense of comic timing and razor sharp wit delivered in rib-tickling Thrissurian slang made him a scene-stealer in every film he was part of. He also wore many hats, first as an entrepreneur and later as a politician who fought an electoral battle and was elected as Member of Parliament representing Chalakudy constituency. He also served as the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists for many years. Innocent, also a cancer survivor, revelled in narrating funny anecdotes and wrote light-hearted books about his illness. He...

KollywoodCrazy Mohan made a foray into films through 'Poikkal Kuthirai' in 1983, but it wasn't until he collaborated with Kamal that he became wildly successful in cinema.K BalakumarKamal & Crazy Mohan/ Facebook'Crazy' Mohan never got tired of telling the story of how he ran into Kamal Haasan outside a burial site, where the actor was shooting for his film Sathya. It was the year 1988. Crazy Mohan, after his less than successful foray into films through Poikkal Kuthirai in 1983 (a rehash of his popular stage drama Marriage Made In Saloon), had stayed away from Kollywood. But veteran director (and old Tamil drama hand) Muktha Srinivasan got 'Crazy' back to films through the movie Katha Nayagan (a remake of the Malayalam cult hit Nadodikkattu). It was a middling hit in Tamil, but the humour in the movie was noticed, but nobody really registered who the dialogue writer was at that time.

MollywoodWhile viewers may be familiar with new age Malayalam cinema, this list is for those who want to catch up on old films but don’t know where to begin.Neelima MenonMalayalam cinema is increasingly becoming popular across the country, with multiplexes playing films with subtitles, and Ott platforms improving the accessibility of such films. While viewers might be familiar with new age Malayalam cinema, this list is for those who want to catch up on old Malayalam films but don’t know where to begin. The list below has some of the most iconic, most popular, most re-watched and celebrated cult comedy classics of Malayalam cinema. Available now on Hotstar and YouTube. Enjoy! Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal (1989): A casual observer can be forgiven for believing this to be a Sathyan Anthikad film (directed by Kamal). About a village called Peruvannapuram and its quaint, disarmingly original inhabitants. Every village stereotype is present,...

MollywoodThe film stars Tovino Thomas in the lead as a struggling filmmaker.Digital NativeDigital NativeDirector Salim Ahamed, known for directing critically acclaimed films, is wielding the megaphone for the Malayalam film And the Oscar Goes To. The film has Tovino Thomas playing the role of a struggling filmmaker and veteran actor Sreenivasan playing a film star. Anu Sithara plays the woman lead in and the director has also roped in a foreign actor to play the part of another woman lead. And The Oscar Goes To has a very talented technical crew with Bijibal roped in to score the music, Madhu Ambat for cinematography and the Oscar winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty for sound mixing and designing. According to reports, a major portion of the film will be shot in the Us and Canada, and locations have already been earmarked for this. Besides the foreign locations, the shooting will also take place in Mumbai,...