10 UNDERAPPRECIATED MALAYALAM FILMS you must watch

film Adwaitham

Like in the case of every other creative area, diversity in human taste has proved over time to be a very tricky thing with films and their successes. Now you could take any definition of success- its popularity or critical acceptance. Since one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, it shouldn’t be surprising when films applauded by critics, are booed by the masses, and the ones they snub end up breaking commercial records. Yet it somehow seem to always make sense as to why some thrive and some others bomb, except for a handful of films whose destinies seem far too bizarre, especially those ones that fail to get the attention they deserve- from public, or critics, or both, for no apparent reason- blame it on bad timing or lack of promotion or that very enigmatic reason like the one behind sudden unexpected death syndrome. There are also films that were successful at the time of release but were quickly forgotten in comparison to their far inferior counterparts that live on in pop culture. Following is a list of some of the most overlooked, underrated and forgotten films in the history of Malayalam cinema that deserve a far more superior place in our film canon.

                                                                    

10. Utharam 1989

Ignoring the ridiculous coincidence revealed as a part of the climactic twist, this eccentric mystery film is an unhurried investigation with absolutely no fanfare, or for that matter even thrills, into the driving force behind the suicide of a perfectly happy, up and coming poetess. No doubt, the film was critically accepted, but is a much overlooked work of art by the maverick filmmaker Pavithran that is remembered by only a selected few who cherish films with a difference. Written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier the suspense in Utharam builds up to an extremely disturbing backstory that is especially noteworthy for its twisted nature. But it’s a pity the film still remains largely forgotten.

9. Njan Gandharvan 1991

Although over the years, this fantasy film has gained a tad bit more acceptance than from the time of its initial release, Padmarajan’s final work is still one of the most underappreciated Malayalam films of all time. If it was owing to the difficulty in accepting a heavenly being as a tangible character, wasn’t a similar theme with even more magic successful in My Dear Kuttichathan? But then that had the trump card of being a 3D film- then a first in India, and it was also a children’s film. Maybe it was too early for Malayali audience to accept the delicate love between a starry-eyed teenager and a quixotic elf back in 1991, but Njan Gandharvan is certainly one of the best Padmarajan films ever.

8. Adwaitham 1992

Adwaitham was a big commercial success when it was released in the time of other memorable Mohanlal classics like Bharatham and Kilukkam, but is one of his most overlooked collaboration with Priyadarshan to date despite being a triumph both in terms of storytelling and performance. It is not a commercial potboiler like some of Priyadarshan’s other infrequent non-comedic ventures, but is never seen cited among his best works. With its original subject matter, earnest characterization and nuanced narrative, it is an important film to be watched. It takes strong digs at religious and political corruption in all sincerity, and boasts of some of the most dramatic scenes in Malayalam films like the protagonist’s striking retort following his friend’s murder and the edgy time-bomb scene to mention the least.

7. Irakal 1985

Along with Bharathan and Padmarajan, K.G. George was one of the torchbearers of the middle stream film movement in Malayalam cinema. His hilarious Panchavadi Palam and the intricate Yavanika are among the best Malayalam films of all time. But the psychological heavyweight Irakal that tells the story of the sadistic scion of a hopelessly iniquitous dysfunctional family failed to hit the bull’s eye despite its fresh theme. The unapologetically vile protagonist played by Ganesh Kumar in his acting debut is capable of giving you the willies, and must be that mysteriously strange person you run into once in a while, who as a kid must have killed dragonflies for sport. This film is one of the most underrated K.G. George films and is a must-watch.

6. Chenkol 1993

Forever eclipsed by the daunting success of its popular predecessor, this melancholy sequel to the heartbreaking Kireedam by the same screenwriter-director duo failed to make a mark and continues to be looked down upon as an undernourished sibling of the family prodigy. But Chenkol is a great film by its own right, and as an isolated piece of creation, tackles the unsavory themes of a criminal's life after prison and the utter degeneration of his helpless family into moral decay. It is only understandable that the audience wished them a better future having earnestly felt for their desperation in Kireedam, and their reluctance to accept the family’s doom had a big hand in Chenkol’s failure.

5. Paithrukam 1993

Jayaraj has filmed numerous nationally and internationally acclaimed films in the Malayalam language, but this one somehow seemed to have fallen through the holes. Paithrukam is a touching elegy about the age-old tussle between tradition and modernity that is tackled here using faith and atheism as the two opposing forces that dissipate a father-son relationship. It is honest in purpose and competent in craft, yet is a wonder why the all-too-understanding Malayali audience rebuffed it. The film was successful in proficiently establishing the rustic setting threatened by the wind of change. It is one of the very few realistic characters Suresh Gopi ever gave life to in films, and has Narendra Prasad in arguably his career-best performance.

4. Karunyam 1997

Lohithadas was invariably one of the all-time-bests in scriptwriting, but when it came to direction, it was way too obvious he was out of his element. However with those films that shine especially for the brilliance of screenplays, one might not pick too much on the directorial flaws, and Karunyam is one such work. If you have to credit anything other than the brilliantly insightful script, it has to be the stellar performance by Murali as the distraught head of a financially strained household. Maybe unemployment, one of the chief themes addressed in the film, was not too relevant at the time of its release, but the resulting development it shapes the film into has to be praised for treading sensitively dark areas of human mind with trained authority.

3. Kanathaya Penkutty 1985

The 1980s was a decade that celebrated murder mysteries, crime and detective films like no other in Malayalam cinema. K.N. Shasidharan’s Kanathaya Penkutty is one of them, but unlike K.G. George’s Yavanika, Padmarajan’s Kariyilakattu Pole or the CBI series, it failed to garner the attention it deserved. The investigation into the disappearance and subsequent murder of a teenage girl that eventually exposes the faux façades of people in our midst forms the basic plotline, but the candor associated with the police enquiry and the unassuming twist revealing the real perpetrator in the end makes it a great attempt in the detective genre. It is a well-structured study of the psychology of the crime committed, and is undoubtedly one of the most underrated murder mystery films in Malayalam.

2. Venkalam 1993

This one is a criminally undervalued Malayalam film of all time given its outstanding merit as a work of art, let alone a cinematic classic. With a debatably controversial idea at the heart of the plot, it sure can make you reflect upon the root causes that threaten family values, and redefine prejudices that sides tradition and modernity. The manipulations of K.P.A.C. Lalitha’s Kunjipennu, one of the most powerful female characters in Malayalam cinema, that forms the essential backbone of this dramatic fable, comes in with such great honesty that we forget to antagonize her intentions of getting both her sons to marry the same woman. It’s one of the very few Bharathan films where he struck the right balance between the script and the technique of filmmaking.

1. Oru Cheru Punchiri 2000

Despite having won a National Award (for Best film on Environment Conservation/Preservation) and having one of the biggest names like M.T. Vasudevan Nair attached to it, there were apparently no takers for this film and the desperate producer had to eventually sell it to a TV channel. While much was talked about the romance of the elderly in Blessy’s star spangled Pranayam, the brilliant portrayal of the cheerful love between the aging couple in this masterpiece is hardly ever brought up. Oru Cheru Punchiri featuring Oduvil Unnikrishnan and Nirmala Sreenivasan in the lead is one gem of a movie and must not be missed.

A few other films that never got the deserving credit are…

Dasharatham 1989

Aadhaaram 1992

Kannaki 2001

Ee Kanni Koodi 1990

Ozhimuri 2012