I used to watch movies in four languages and it is one of my irresistible interests!
Malayalam cinema produced some of the finest films over the years. Sensible themes, strong scripts, closeness to reality and social relevance were once its trademark features. Nowadays it is struggling with lack of talented directors, stories, budget and audience. It is sad that the neighboring states identify Malayalam cinema through the soft porn movies. On reading about some of the best movies, you feel how good once it used to be. Believe me, this is not a complete list. There are hundreds of such movies.
At first I write about some of them which were class movies that attracted both the critic and the regular cine-goer.
1. Films by Padmarajan.
I just cannot describe my feeling when I watched his films. I cannot pick any one film superior to another. For me, he is the best director that South Indian cinema had produced. One cannot classify his films as of art house, commercial or any other genre. His films are parallel to all those! He is the one who utilized the maximum possibilities of the medium to tell subjects untouched by others.
My favorites among his works:
Moonnaam Pakkam (The Third Day): The relationship between a grand father and his grandson.
Music: Ilayaraja, Cast: Thilakan , Jayaram
Innale (Yesterday):It is about a woman who forgot her past.
Music : Perumbavoor G. Ravindranath, Cast : Shobhana , SureshGopi &Jayaram
Namukku Paarkkan Muntirithoppukal (Vineyards for us to dwell): The love story with Solomon’s verses sprinkled on.
Cast : Mohan Lal, Shaari & Thilakan
Toovanatumbikal (The bright sky’s dragon flies): Amazing story of the people with bright minds and darker lives.
Cast : Mohan Lal, Parvati & Sumalata
Season: The revenge against a 'treacherous' tourist by a man who makes his living in the Kovalam-beach !
Cast: Mohan Lal, Gavin.
Kariyilakkaattupole (Like the breeze of the withered leaves): A murder mystery.
Cast : Mohan Lal, Rahman & Mammootty.
2. Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam (The firefly glow):
The film is about the little hopes in life brought by some acquaintances. Nedumudi Venu and Sharada played a couple in their middle ages, both retired from their job as teachers. Then a girl (Parvati) comes to their life as a paying guest. The couple, who has no children, cares her as their daughter. She hates her father who is a sorcerer. When she marries her lover (Devan) with the support of the couple, her family deserts her. Later she dies and the couple takes care of her daughter. But finally they have to face the reality of blood-relations. One fine film that is perfect in all departments. The camera, music, direction, acting everything is excellent. Bharatanthe director never allowed the movie to slip into a mere tearjerker. It is not a tear jerker tragedy, but a film that gives an enigmatic feeling.
Director: Bharatan , Music : Johnson
Director Bharatan created many other superb movies like Amaram, Chamayam , Vaishali etc.
3. Kireedam (The Crown)
A young man involves in a fight with a local outlaw and it spoils his life and dreams. The young man was soon to become a policeman and he ends up as a criminal. The classic film by Sibi Malayil was later remade in Hindi by Priyadarshan. (Gardish didn’t have the intensity of Kireedam.)
Director : Sibi Malayil , Script : Lohitadas
Cast : Mohan Lal, Thilakan , and Mohan Raj.
4. Oru CBI Diary Kurippu.
This is the famous crime investigation film which broke collection records. Mammootty played a CBI officer who along with two subordinates solves the murder mystery. His character Seturama Iyer (Like another Sherlock Holmes!) is still the most saleable one. The makers attempted two sequels and both of them were hits! Now they are about to start its 4th sequel! (I heard that it is for the first time in the history of Indian cinema).
Director: K Madhu, Writer: S N Swami.
5. Naadodikkaatt. (The Wandering Wind)
Two jobless young men cheated by a fraud, reach Madras instead of reaching Dubai ! The job hunters fall in many problems and finally they become famous. This is one fine black comedy made in Malayalam. It was remade in Tamil, but it could not retain the fine treatment of the original.
Director : Satyan Anthikkad
Cast : Mohan Lal, Sreenivasan , Shobhana, Innocent and Thilakan
6. Ramji Rao Speaking!
Another black humor. The story of Maannar Mathai, a bankrupt drama consultant and his two paying guests Balakrishnan and Gopalakrishnan. Once they get a wrong telephone call from a gangster ‘Ramji Rao’ that changes their entire life! The film is a laugh riot. Priyadarshan remade the film in Hindi (Hera Pheri) and that too was a good one.
Director Duo : Siddiq – Lal . Music : Ilayaraja
Cast : Innocent , Sai Kumar , Mukesh &Mamukkoya.
7. Priyadarshan‘s films starring Mohan Lal: I recommend Chitram, Kilukkam , Taalavattam, Vandanam and Vellanakalude Naad : Mixture of healthy humour and sentiments.
8. Fazil ’s film ‘Manichitratazh’ .Ido not recommend **his other films like ‘Pappayude Swantam Appoos’ and ‘Harikrishnans’.
9. Panchavadippalam (The bridge of Panchavadi)
A unique film on Politics; I haven’t seen much works in the genre ‘Caricature movies ’. Hilarious, thought provoking and definitely a must see one. Director: KG George. ; Cast: Bharat Gopi, Thilakan, Sukumari and Sreenivasan.
10. Kazhcha (The Vision) Film by Blessy, the disciple of Padmarajan. It is the story of a vagabond Gujarati boy who meets a poor film exhibitor in a remote village in Kerala. This is the best film of year 2004. It is shot in the scenic backwaters.
Cast : Master Yash, Mammootty , Sanusha and Padmapriya.
There was a strong current of parallel or neo-realistic cinema in Malayalam starting from Ramadas’s ‘Newspaper Boy’ of the early fifties. Here is a list of such films which I liked.
1.Deivattinte Vikrutikal (God’s Mischief): The film is based on a story by M Mukundan from the collection “Mayyazhippuzhayude Teerangalil” . It is about an almost deserted French man in Mahe. (Mahe was a French Colony. It is a geographical part of Kerala and is now under the Pondichery Union Territory. ). Actor Raghuvaran played the French ‘Alfonse’ and he missed the National Award for just one vote by a jury member. Director : Lenin Rajendran
2.Pontan Maada **: Mammootty played the title role of Pontan Maada a deserted farmer. It is based on CV Sree Raman’s two works.
Director: T V Chandran Cast : Mammootty, Naseeruddin Shah
Continued in the comments section......
