10 ROMANTIC FILMS IN MALAYALAM worth your time

film Annayum Rasoolum

The sheer idea of romance, in general, has never stopped being a part and parcel of Indian Cinema from the time of its very conception, let alone in the Malayalam language. Be it an action thriller, political satire or a murder mystery, romance somehow seemed to always make its way into even the unlikeliest of turfs. The protagonists are always expected to have a love interest, and they are invariably covered in the eventual scripts how much ever fleeting it may be. Romantic comedies are one of the most successful genres, and the sensational records of films of the likes of Thenmavin Kombath, Godfather and Chithram says a lot about their reach (which is why they will be accounted for in another list altogether). Even a complex film like Thoovanathumbikal that deals with a man’s tussle with the lines separating love and lust and his quest thereof is remembered more as a romantic film although it’s so much more than that. Then there are those serious romantic films mostly falling in the drama genre, where love between the lead characters is the main focus. However there always seem to be a level of associated schmaltziness that requires some quality taming for a decent output with these types, call it jinx or occupational hazard (that jaded films like Madanolsavam and Aniyathipravu), but there certainly is a handful of those ones too. Following is a list of some such films that stays clear of the corny and that are totally worth your time if you are a fan of the genre.

10. Sukhamo Devi 1986

The love story is not all that picture-perfect in Sukhamo Devi, maybe since it was based on true story from the real life experience of debutant director Venu Nagavalli who also scripted the film. Sukhamo Devi, one of the highest grossers of the year and featuring Shankar, Urvashi, Mohanlal and Geeta in the lead roles, is a parable on unrequited love that narrates the intertwining lives of two pairs of lovers hounded by sad fate.

9. Meghamalhar 2001

About a year before Biju Menon chose Samyukta Varma as life partner, the couple donned similar roles in a handful of movies, and one such memorable pairing happened in Kamal’s Meghamalhar inspired by the British film Brief Encounter, which told the story of a chance encounter that develops into infatuation and later to love between a married man and a married woman. The immense romantic scope of platonic love makes the film very engaging.

8. Ennennum Kannettante 1986

Apart from the variety in choice of topics used in his films, Fazil is also known for his penchant for ‘tender love stories with a twist’ and Ennennum Kannettante is one such film that, set during a holiday season against the dynamics of a large Hindu Tharavad, recounts the love between two adolescents, the titular Kannan and his cousin Radhika played by Sangeeth and Sonia respectively. Although a commercial failure, the film remade in Tamil was a huge success.

7. Pranayam 2011

Belssy’s Pranayam binds three elderly romantics played by Anupam Kher, Jayaprada and Mohanlal, with an aching past and a crippled future. This endearing love triangle takes a shot at the nuances of pickled emotions and explores the uncertainty associated with its acknowledgement and subsequent liberation. The film that won Blessy the Kerala State Film Award for Best Director is an optimistic love story that without overlooking the foibles of characters addresses the immortality of love upfront.

6. Innale 1990

Padmarajan’s Innale, Malayalam for ‘yesterday’, featuring Shobhana and Jayaram in lead roles is about Maya, a recovering victim of a scathing bus accident with amnesia, and Sarath Menon, the son of her doctor who falls madly in love with her discounting her uncertain past. For the love in Innale, there is an impending threat of her regaining memory that may very well end it all, and it is this uncertainty that enriches the romantic experience altogether.  

5. Nakhakshathangal 1986

One of the most innocent love stories in the Malayalam language, Naghakshathangal, written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Hariharan, featuring Vineeth, Monisha, in her National Award winning role, and Saleema, recounts the life experiences of a runaway teenager and the two girls that fall in love with him on the way. The tragic turn this subtle love story takes in the end can plague you for days on end for the naivety of adolescence.

4. Chemmeen 1965

Thakazhi’s immortal novel of the same name, set in the fishermen community about doomed love, was made into a film by Ramu Kariat that went on to win the National Award for Best Film of the year. Featuring Sheela, Madhu and Sathyan in the lead roles, Chemmeen that recounts the love between a Hindu fisherwoman and a Muslim trader before and after her marriage to another fisherman, brilliantly weaves in the ancient logic of the fishwives connecting a woman’s chastity to the safety of her man at sea.

3. Mathilukal 1965

Another adaptation of yet another literary classic, Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s quirky love story is based on Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s autobiographical novella that recounts his days in the jail as a political prisoner during the Indian Independence Movement, where he falls in love with a voice from the other side of the wall that demarcates the female cells. The film is a great watch with generous scope for stretching our imagination amidst the protagonist’s candid affair with the voice of the female inmate.  

2. Annayum Rasoolum 2013

Rajeev Ravi’s directorial debut, executed with admirable technical brilliance and featuring Fahad Fazil and Andrea Jeremiah, is a moving love story that has the beauty and guiltlessness of childhood infatuations. The film revolves around the love between a young Muslim taxi driver and a Christian salesgirl, which unhurriedly evolves through stalking, unspoken confessions and finally eloping, leading to unforeseen and unhappy repercussions. In many ways, Annayum Rasoolum could also be seen as a genre-bending movie.

1. Namukku Parkan Munthiri Thoppukal 1986

Namukku Parkan Munthiri Thoppukal directed by Padmarajan and featuring Mohanlal and Shari in the lead, is a straightforward love story with an evolved perception of the idea of true love that eventually crushes down and walks over social stigmas that plague it. The love here is between a prosperous rancher and his demure neighbor who is desperate to flee the antics of her violent stepfather. Apart from the craft in filmmaking, the film is also known for its generous allusions to the Bible.