10 OF THE BEST SATHYAN ANTHIKKAD FILMS thus far

film Thalayanamanthram

Sathyan Anthikkad is undoubtedly one of the best film directors working in Malayalam cinema today, although for the past couple of years he seems to have been grappling with a series of paltry scripts jading his reputation. But we still have faith in him. He has already proved himself to be the unparalleled master of people’s cinema in the actual sense of the word, and anybody Malayali at heart will be able to relate to every last detail addressed in his films. His heroes are always the common man and his setting, the quintessential Malayali middle-class. His collaborations with the clever scripts of Sreenivasan and Ragunath Paleri have gifted us with some of the most lighthearted gems addressing serious and prevalent social issues. Following is a list of some of his best films that you most certainly don’t want to miss.

100 PHOTOGRAPHIC MOMENTS FROM MALAYALAM FILMS thus far

film Akasha Gopuram

“To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.”

20 OF THE MOST EXHILARATING DRAMATIC MOMENTS in Malayalam Cinema

# Spoiler Alert #

film Devasuram

What Merriam-Webster describes as dramatic should either be “sudden and extreme”, “greatly effecting people’s emotions” or “attracting attention, causing people to look, listen etc.” So understandably it should either be striking, exciting or impressive, and intended to create an effect. Following is a list of some such moments in Malayalam Cinema, some of which stands out for the suspense and action, while some others booms with its deep silence; either ways dramatic alright!

20 OF THE MOST PROMISING DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS IN MALAYALAM CINEMA THUS FAR

film 1983

The first works by not all film directors are worth mentioning, not even by those ones that would go on to prove their greatness in the long run. But there are certainly quite a few of them that showed sheer brilliance in their maiden attempt, some of them who continued to repeat the magic and some other who fizzled out after that initial foray. Following is a list of some of the most promising directorial debuts in the Malayalam language.

10 ‘A’ RATED MALAYALAM FILMS you don’t want to miss

Although film censorship is a hugely divisive topic, film certification is one area that is more or less considered a useful check to regulate and classify the public exhibition of films. Of the different categories that films are certified under, ‘A’ rated films are those that are strictly restricted to adults, ‘U’ that can have unrestricted public exhibition, and ‘U/A’ that stipulate parental guidance for viewers below 12 years of age. But again the criteria for certifying films have often been debated for the probable influence of individual perception, tolerance and POVs on the variables of categorization. Any film with excessive violence, sex and coarse language that are strong in nature are bound to earn an ‘A’, but as to who decides the definition of ‘strong’ is what makes it questionable. Following is a list of some of the best ‘A’ rated Malayalam films of which some may not entirely seem loyal to the ‘letter’.

15 MALAYALAM MOVIE CHARACTERS BASED ON REAL PEOPLE

Art imitating life and fact inspiring fiction is no new drill. In fact the earliest artistic creations have to have originated from life. So obviously they’ve been doing this for longer than you think. Biopics and movies based on true events even form a sizable genre, although the allusions to real life are way too direct there, and shall be discussed in a different list altogether. But then there are cases where real people inspire fictitious characters that may not always be exact replicas, and may occasionally even be used with artistic license to tell a different story. Following is a list of such movie characters from the Malayalam cinema based on real people.

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.

50 more ICONIC MOVIE QUOTES from Malayalam Films

Following is a list of some of the most notable one-liners, statements, quips, insults, puns, misquotes and punchlines in Malayalam Cinema- conceived by our illustrious canon of screenwriters and brought to life by our brilliant line-up of actors- that are especially distinguished for its durable impact, comedic brilliance and unlimited quotability, and lives on in popular culture through its constant use and reuse over the course of time.

10 MALAYALAM MOVIES WITH KIDS AS CENTRAL CHARACTERS worth your time

film 101 Chodyangal

Except a handful of them, films about children somehow don’t seem to get the kind of attention they deserve in Malayalam, be it in terms of production or reception. Maybe we grownups don’t care enough to look at things through a child’s perspective anymore, conveniently forgetting how we were all there once. Or maybe, we’ve always been looking at it the wrong way. However the results of some of the few attempts in Malayalam Cinema at capturing the innocence and unpredictability of childhood cannot be ignored, especially some recent ones that seem especially promising. Following is a list of such Malayalam films featuring kids as central characters, although not always narrated through their perspective.

10 BOOK-TO-MOVIE ADAPTATIONS IN MALAYALAM worth your time

film Akam

Films that are adaptations of literary classics have never been received as well as those ones with original scripts. One major reason is the limitations that one man’s perception puts on the wild imaginings of countless readers that have already constructed the visual language individually in their minds. So it inadvertently has to be something that trumped these divergent visualizations. It only gets trickier when the literary works are more popular, as the success of its film adaptation heavily relies on appeasing a wider imaginative spectrum. Movie adaptations of famous books were a major draw in the Malayalam cinema since the 1950s, and it only grew rampant in the 60s. Although the fad slightly waned by the 70s, a few good adaptions graced us with their ingenuity every once in a while ever since. Following is a list of a handful of such book-to-movie adaptations in the Malayalam language that are worth your time.

50 ICONIC MOVIE QUOTES from Malayalam Films

Following is a list of some of the most notable one-liners, statements, quips, insults, puns, misquotes and punchlines from Malayalam films- conceived by our illustrious canon of screenwriters and brought to life by our brilliant line-up of actors- that are especially distinguished for its durable impact, comedic brilliance and unlimited quotability, and lives on in popular culture through its widespread and constant use.

15 BEST SHOBANA PERFORMANCES in Malayalam films

film Innale

Regarded in the highest echelon of Indian actors, Shobana has had a long and distinguished career in films in various languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English. She has won the National Award for best actress twice, and is also the recipient of the coveted Padma Shri for her outstanding contributions to classical dance. An idol to a majority of the current breed of young actors and aspirants alike, she is a force of nature for those who truly know her work. Following is a list of some of her best performances in Malayalam films.

25 MALAYALAM MOVIES FROM THE 1980s you don’t want to miss

film Nadodikattu

One of the most sought after decades by filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike, the coveted 1980s were an absolute treat in the Malayalam Cinema. There was no dearth to quality subject matter or their brilliant executions, which is why a major part of the so-called golden era of Malayalam films is proudly placed in here. Following is a list of some of the best films from the 1980s you absolutely don’t want to miss.

25 MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES BY NON-MALAYALI ACTORS in Malayalam films

film Vaishali

In a country like India where language changes every few hundred kilometers, it would be ridiculous for an actor to stick to just his mother tongue when it comes to choice of films, as that will mean drawing a very close circle around the range of characters he or she would end up doing in a lifetime. So understandably there are countless crossover collaborations flushing the language barrier down the tube. In Malayalam films we have had numerous non-Malayali actors from all over the country portraying incredible characters that are not just memorable but also amazing depictions winning coveted awards and everything. Following is a list of such memorable performances, some of which are so iconic they have earned a place in Malayalam pop culture, although they are not all famous for necessarily playing Malayalam speaking characters.

12 MALAYALAM MOVIES BASED ON FAMOUS PLAYS

film Kaliyattam

Kerala has a lingering and deep-rooted tradition of theatre, dating back to the aristocratic days of Ashtapadiyattom, Koodiyattom, Krishnanattom and finally Ramanattom that would further evolve into the distinguished Kathakali. However these forms of art that back then catered only to the blue-blooded tastes of the privileged, slowly began to take up the cause of the suppressed and the downtrodden with the advent of our very own renaissance, although in its most primitive form and simpler techniques. It gradually evolved through the ups and downs as strong voices against all social injustices, perfecting the form as it progressed. Then the revolutionary theatre movement called the Kerala People’s Art Club, popularly known as KPAC, came into being, and acceptance of plays as works of art as well as strong medium of expression increased. With the prominence of films as the newest medium of art, many of their plays were successfully adapted to the silver screen, and the trend continues to this day, even if it was a non-KPAC play or a non-Malayalam play. Following is a list of such Malayalam films based on famous plays that you should check out just in case you are a huge fan of the theatre.