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Malayalam cinema

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Not to be confused withMalay cinema.

Malayalam cinema
No.ofscreensscreens inKeralastate of India (2022)[1]
Main distributorsAashirvad Cinemas
Amal Neerad Productions
Anto Joseph Film Company
Anwar Rasheed Entertainments
Ashiq Usman Productions
August Cinema
AVA Productions
Bhavana Studios
Collective Phase One
E4 Entertainment
Fahadh Faasil and Friends
Friday Film House
Happy Hours Entertainments
Kavya Film Company
Lal Creations
LJ Films
Magic Frames
Mammootty Kampany
Merryland Studio
Mulakuppadam Films
Navodaya Studio
OPM Cinemas
Pauly Jr. Pictures
Prithviraj Productions
Revathy Kalamandhir
Sree Gokulam Movies
Swargachitra
Ram De Studios
Udaya Pictures
Wayfarer Films
Weekend Blockbusters
Working Class Hero
Produced feature films (2023)[2]
Total259
Indian cinema

Malayalam cinemais the segment ofIndian cinemadedicated to the production of motion pictures in theMalayalam language,which is widely spoken in the state ofKerala,India.[3]In 1982,Elippathayamwon theSutherland Trophyat theLondon Film Festival,and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by theBritish Film Institute.The filmMarana Simhasanamhas won the prestigiousCaméra d'Orat the1999 Cannes Film Festival.

Rajiv Anchal'sGuru(1997),Salim Ahamed'sAdaminte Makan Abu(2011),Lijo Jose Pellissery'sJallikkattu(2019) andJude Anthany Joseph's2018(2023) were Malayalam films sent by India as its official entries for theBest Foreign Language Film categoryat theAcademy Awards.

Other films which achieved global acclaim includeChemmeen(1965), which received a Certificate of Merit at theChicago International Film Festival,and a gold medal at theCannes Film Festivalfor Best Cinematography.[4]Swaham(1994) won theBronze Rosa Camunaat theBergamo Film MeetinginItaly.[5][6][7][8]The first3D filmproduced in India,My Dear Kuttichathan(1984), was made in Malayalam.[9]The firstCinemaScopefilm produced in Malayalam wasThacholi Ambu(1978).[10]

The first Malayalamfeature filmwasVigathakumaran,asilentfilm directed and produced byJ. C. Daniel.Production started in 1928, and it was released at the Capitol Theatre inThiruvananthapuramon 23 October 1930.[11]The firsttalkiein Malayalam wasBalan(1938) directed byS. Nottani.[12]

During the 1920s, the Malayalam film industry was based inThiruvananthapuram,although the film industry started to develop and flourish only by the late 1940s. Later the industry shifted toChennai(formerly Madras), which then was the capital of theSouth Indian film industry.By the late 1980s, the Malayalam film industry returned and established itself in Kerala[13]with the majority of locations, studios, production and post-production facilities being located inKochi.Kochi is the hub of the Malayalam film industry.[14][15][16][17]As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 12 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director at theNational Film Awards,India.[18]

History

[edit]
Vigathakumaran
A scene fromVigathakumaran,the first Malayalam feature film

Active Malayalam film production did not take place until the second half of the 20th century: there were only two silent films, and three Malayalam-language films before 1947.[19][20]With support from the Kerala state government production climbed from around 6 a year in the 1950s, to 30 a year in the 1960s, 40 a year in the 1970s, to 127 films in 1980.[19]

Origins 1928

[edit]

The first cinema hall inKerala,with a manually operated film projector, was opened inThrissurbyJose Kattookkaranin 1907. In 1913, the first permanent theatre in Kerala was established inThrissurtown by Kattookkaran and was called theJose Electrical Bioscope,nowJos Theatre.[21][22][23]

PK Rosy,the first actress of Malayalam movie industry

The first film made in Malayalam wasVigathakumaran.Production started in 1928, and it was released at the Capitol Theatre inThiruvananthapuramon 23 October 1930. It was produced and directed byJ. C. Daniel,a businessman with no prior film experience, who is credited as the father of Malayalam cinema.[11]Daniel founded the first film studio, The Travancore National Pictures Limited, in Kerala.[11]A second film,Marthanda Varma,based on a novel byC. V. Raman Pillai,was produced by R. Sundar Raj in 1933. However, after only being shown for four days, the film prints were confiscated due to a legal battle over copyright.[11]

The firsttalkiein Malayalam wasBalan,released in 1938.[12][24][25]It was directed byS. Nottaniwith a screenplay and songs written byMuthukulam Raghavan Pillai.It was produced byModern TheatresatSalemin the neighbouring state ofTamil Nadu.Balanwas followed byGnanambikain 1940, which was directed by S. Nottani. Then camePrahladain 1941, directed by K. Subramoniam of Madras and featuring Guru Gopinath and Thankamani Gopinath.

Until 1947 most Malayalam films were made by Tamil producers, P. J. Cherian[26]was the first Malayali producer to venture into this field after JC Daniel. PJ Cherian producedNirmalain 1948 with Joseph Cherian and Baby Joseph his son and daughter-in-law as hero and heroine. He also cast many other family members in other roles, trying to break the taboo that noble family people do not take up acting. ThusNirmalaset many firsts for introducing play-back singing. P.J. Cherian introduced play-back singing in Malayalam cinema. The lyrics of the film written byG. Sankara Kurupbecame popular.

Udaya Studios'Vellinakshatram(1949) was the first movie with audio to be made completely in Kerala.

1950s

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Malayalam cinema has always taken its themes from relevant social issues and has been interwoven with material fromliterature,drama,andpoliticssince its inception. One such film,Jeevitha Nouka(1951), was a musical drama that spoke about the problems in a joint family.

In 1954, the filmNeelakuyilcaptured national interest by winning the President's silver medal.[27]It was scripted by the well-known Malayalam novelistUroob,and directed byP. BhaskaranandRamu Kariat.

Newspaper Boy(1955) contained elements ofItalian neorealism.This film is notable as the product of a group of amateur college filmmakers. It told the story of a printing press employee and his family being stricken with extreme poverty.[28]

The music took a turn away from the trend of copying Tamil and Hindi songs. The poets Tirunainaarkurichy Madhavan Nair – Thirunaiyarkurichy,P. Bhaskaran,O. N. V. Kurup,and Vayalar Ramavarma rose up in this period as film lyricists. Brother Lakshmanan,Dakshinamurthy,K. Raghavan,G. Devarajan,M. S. Baburaj,and Pukhenthey Velappan Nair started a distinct style of Malayalam music. Kamukara Purushotaman, Mehboob,Kozhikode Abdul Kader,AM Raja,P. B. Sreenivas,K. P. Udayabhanu,Santha P. Nair,P. Leela,S. Janaki,P. Susheela,B. Vasantha, Renuka, andJikkiwere the most prominent singers of the 1950s.[citation needed]The drama artist and school teacherMuthukulam Raghavan Pillailent many of his skills to the cinema in this period.

1960s

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Ramu Kariat,one of the directors ofNeelakuyil(along with P. Bhaskaran), went on to become a successful director in the 1960s and 1970s.P. Bhaskarandirected many acclaimed and hit films in the 1960s and 70s. The cameraman ofNeelakkuyil,A. Vincent,also became a noted director of the 1960s and 1970s. Notable films of this decade includeOdayil Ninnu,Bhargavi Nilayam(1964),Chemmeen(1965),Murappennu(1965) andIruttinte Athmavu(1966).

Malayalam cinema's first colour film wasKandam Bacha Coat(1961).

Chemmeen(1965), directed byRamu Kariatand based on a novel of the same name byThakazhi Sivasankara Pillai,went on to become very popular and became the first South Indian film to win theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film.

Most of the films of the 1960s were animated by the nationalist and socialist projects and centered on issues relating to caste and class exploitation, the fight against obscurantist beliefs, the degeneration of the feudal class, and the break-up of the joint-family system.[29]

In the 1960s,M. Krishnan Nair,KunchackoandP. Subramaniamwere the leading Malayali producers. Thikkurusi Sukumaran Nair, Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Madhu, Adoor Bhasi, Bahadur, S.P. Pillai, K.P. Ummer, Kottarakara Sreedharan Nair, Raghavan, G.K. Pillai, Muthukulam, Joseprakash, Paravur Bharatan, Muthayya, Shankaradi, Govindankutty, K.R. Vijaya, Padmini, Ragini, Sharada, Sheela, Ambika, Jayabharathi, Arumula Ponnamma and Sadahna were among the more popular actors active in this period.[citation needed]

During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s,Kunchackomade significant contributions to Malayalam cinema, both as a producer and as director of some notable movies. He startedUdaya Studiosin Alleppey (Alappuzha) in 1947, reducing the travel to Madras (Chennai) for film crew and actors. This boosted Malayalam film production in Kerala.[citation needed]

Many directors sprang up in this period.P.N. MenonmadeRosyand laterChemparanthi.G. AravindanandAdoor Gopalakrishnanalso started work in the 1960s and became famous later.

1970s

[edit]
Further information:List of Malayalam films of the 1970s
Adoor Gopalakrishnanis one of the pioneers of Indianparallel cinema.

The 70s saw the emergence of a new wave of cinema in Malayalam. The growth of the film society movement in Kerala introduced the works of the French and Italian New Wave directors to the discerning Malayali film enthusiasts.Adoor Gopalakrishnan's first film,Swayamvaram(1972), brought Malayalam cinema to the international film arena. In 1973M. T. Vasudevan Nair,who was by then recognised as an important author in Malayalam, directed his first film,Nirmalyam,which won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film.G. AravindanfollowedAdoor's lead with hisUttarayanamin 1974.K. P. Kumaran'sAdhithi(1974) was another film that was acclaimed by the critics.Cinematographers who won the National Awardfor their work on Malayalam films in the 1970s wereMankada Ravi VarmaforSwayamvaram(1972),P. S. NivasforMohiniyattam(1977), andShaji N. KarunforThampu(1979).John Abraham,K. R. Mohanan,K. G. George,and G. S. Panikkar were products of thePune Film Institutewho made significant contributions.[citation needed]

During the late 1970s, some young artists started seeing Malayalam cinema as a medium of expression and thought of it as a tool to revitalise society. A noted director, Aravindan, was famous in Kerala as a cartoonist before he started making films. His important movies includeKanchana Sita(1977),Thampu(1978),Kummatty(1979),Chidambaram(1985),Oridathu(1986), andVasthuhara(1990).

The 1970s also saw the emergence of the notable directorP. G. Viswambharanwith his debut filmOzhukinethireand the mythical filmSatyavan Savithri,which were well accepted.

Also, commercial cinema in this period saw several worker-class themed films which mostly hadM. G. Soman,SukumaranandSudheerin the lead followed by the emergence of a new genre of pure action-themed films, in a movement led byJayan.However, this was short-lived, and almost ended when Jayan died while performing astuntinKolilakkam(1980).

1980s

[edit]
Further information:List of Malayalam films of the 1980s
See also:Malayalam softcore pornography

The Malayalam cinema of this period was characterised by detailedscreenplaysdealing with everyday life with a lucid narration of plot intermingling with humour and melancholy. This was aided by thecinematographyand lighting. The films had warm background music.

In 1981 Fazil directed Manjil Virinja Pookal the film also introduced then Romantic starShankar (actor)and later actorMohanlalto the world. Adoor Gopalakrishnan madeElippathayamin 1981. This movie won theBritish Film Instituteaward.[citation needed]The year 1981 also saw the rise of actorMammoottythrough the movieSphodanamdirected byP. G. Viswambharan.

In the 1980sPadmarajanmade some of the landmark motion pictures in Malayalam cinema, including masterpieces likeOridathoru Phayalvaan(1981),Koodevide(1983),Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam(1985),Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil(1986),Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal(1986),Thoovanathumbikal(1987),Moonnam Pakkam(1988),Innale(1989) andSeason(1989). He wrote several short stories that were unique in content and presentation. His novels handled the darkest emotions and considered as classics. Most plots were nascent for that age literature. All works were so cinematic and can be easily visualised to the celluloid version.[citation needed]

K. G. Georgereleased films includingYavanikaandAdaminte Vaariyellu.This was the period during which script writerM. T. Vasudevan Nairstarted teaming up with directorHariharanto produce works likePanchagni,Nakhakshathangal,AranyakamandOru Vadakkan Veeragatha.John Abraham's films such asAmma Ariyaanaddressed people's issues and raised the finance directly from people. The period had movies with humour from directors likePriyadarshan,Sathyan Anthikad,KamalandSiddique-Lal.Piravi(1989) byShaji N. Karunwas the first Malayalam film to win theCaméra d'Or-Mention at the Cannes Film Festival.[5]

RatheeshandSukumaranalso were leading stars in the industry in the early eighties. By the end of 80s, Mammooty and Mohanlal also established themselves as the leading actors in Malayalam.

The mid of 80s saw the emergence of low-qualityMalayalam softcore filmsmade with fairlylow budgets.They were remarked as B-grade films, and were certified as fit for adults only (A rated). These films emerged parallel with the mainstream Malayalam cinema. In 1986, roughly 14 of the 32-odd films released were classified as B-grade films.[30]

1990s

[edit]
Further information:List of Malayalam films of the 1990s

Some examples areMathilukal(1990) directed byAdoor Gopalakrishnan,Kattukuthira(1990) directed byP. G. Viswambharan,Amaram(1991) directed byBharathan,Ulladakkam(1992) directed byKamal,Kilukkam(1991) directed byPriyadarshan,Kamaladalam(1992) bySibi Malayil,Vidheyan(1993) byAdoor Gopalakrishnan,Devaasuram(1993) byI. V. Sasi,Manichitrathazhu(1993) by Fazil,Ponthan Mada(1993) byT. V. Chandran,Spadikam(1995) byBhadran,Commissioner(1994)The King(1995) byShaji Kailas,Hitler(1996) bySiddiqueandDesadanam(1997) byJayaraj.Due to a series of comedy films produced between the late 1980s and late 1990s made actors likeJagadish,Siddique,Mukesh,SreenivasanandJayarambecame very popular for their comedy roles. This series of comedy films begun in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with comedy films bySathyan AnthikadandSiddique-Lal,likePonmuttayidunna Tharavu,Mazhavilkavadi,Ramji Rao Speaking,Thalayana Manthram,In Harihar Nagar,andGodfather,and some of them went on to be remade by other directors in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and other languages. The success ofIn Harihar Nagarled to the production of a series of comedy films in the early and mid-1990s.

Swaham(1994), directed byShaji N. Karun,was the first Malayalam film entry for the competition in theCannes International Film Festival,where it was a nominee for thePalme d'Or.Murali Nair'sMarana Simhasanamlater won theCaméra d'Orat the1999 Cannes Film Festival.[31]Guru(1997), directed byRajiv Anchal,was chosen asIndia's official entry to the Oscarsto be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category for that year, making it the first film in Malayalam to be chosen for Oscar nomination. Noted script writerA.K. Lohithadasmade his directorial debut withBhoothakkannadi,for which he won theIndira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.[citation needed]

2000s

[edit]
Further information:List of Malayalam films of the 2000s

The millennium started with a blockbuster hitNarasimhamstarringMohanlal . In 2001 came the world's first film with only one actor in the cast,The Guard.Slapstick comedy was the predominant theme of the films of this era.C.I.D. Moosa(2003) byJohny Antony,Meesa Madhavan(2002) byLal JoseandKunjikoonan(2002) directed bySasi Shankerare examples. Sequels to a number of successful films were made. Some movies were examples of exemplary film making, such asMeghamalhar,Madhuranombarakattu,Nandanam,Perumazhakkalam,andKaazhcha.In 2008, Malayalam movie artists came together in the multistar filmTwenty:20to raise funds for the AMMA.[32]

The 2000-2003 period also saw witnessed theShakeela tharangam,that resulted in the series of production of low budgetsoftporn filmsin Malayalam cinema.The continued failure of comedy films and the theater strikes in Kerala, that started in the early 2000s, were the major reasons behind the comeback of B-grade films in Malayalam. Around 57 of the total 89 films released in 2001 belonged to the soft-porn category andShakeelafeatured in many of them.[33]

2010s

[edit]
Main article:New generation (Malayalam film movement)

After several years of quality deterioration, Malayalam films saw the signs of massive resurgence after 2010[34]with the release of several experimental films (known asNew Waveor New Generation films),[35]mostly from new directors. New Wave is characterised by fresh and unusual themes and new narrative techniques.[34][36]These films differ from conventional themes of the 1990s and 2000s and have introduced several new trends to the Malayalam industry.[37]While the new generation's formats and styles are deeply influenced by global and Indian trends, their themes are firmly rooted in Malayali life and mindscapes.[38]The new generation also helped the Malayalam film industry regain its past glory.[39]

Salim Ahamed'sAdaminte Makan Abuwas chosen as India's official entry to theAcademy Awardsto be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category in 2011.

Christian Brothers(2011) was released worldwide with a total of 310 prints on 18 March; it went to 154 centres in Kerala, 90 centres outside Kerala and 80 centres overseas, making it the widest release for a Malayalam film at that time. This record was later broken byPeruchazhi(2014), which released in 500 screens worldwide on 29 August.[40]Drishyam(2013) became the first Malayalam film to cross the 500 million mark at the box office. The film was critically acclaimed and was remade in four languages.[41]Later, in 2016,Pulimurugandirected by Vyshak became the first Malayalam film to cross the 1 billion mark at the box office.

In recent years, Malayalam films have gained popularity in Sri Lanka,[42]with fans citing cultural similarities betweenSinhalese peopleand Malayalis as a reason.[42]In 2019,Luciferbecame the highest grossing Malayalam film of all time. Lucifer became the highest grossing Indian film in Dubai. The film collected a final gross of 2000 million at the box office.

2020s

[edit]

In November 2020,Lijo Jose Pellissery's filmJallikattuwas selected as India's submission for Oscar for best foreign language film making as third Malayalam film as entry.[43]In 2020 a mid theCOVID-19lockdown,Sufiyum Sujatayum,starringJayasuryaandAditi Rao Hydari,has become the first Malayalam film to be released on theAmazon Prime Video(OTT) platform as theatres remain shut in Kerala due to the pandemic. In 2021,Drishyam 2,Nayattu,Kala,Joji,The Great Indian KitchenandMalikmade their list in the highest rated 2021 movies inImdb.

Malayalam Cinema's first ever original superheroMinnal Muraliwas released throughNetflixon 24thDecember 2021.Tovino Thomasas Minnal Murali which was directed byBasil JosephunderWeekend Blockbustersgained great reviews by critics and became top watched Non-English movie on Netflix. It broke all records of Malayalam Cinema trailers onYouTubecrossing 6 Million Views and 500K+ likes in 24 hours.[44]in 2023, disaster film2018was selected as India's submission for Oscar for best international film[45]

Malayalam Cinema enjoyed unprecedented box office success in early months of 2024, with worldwide box office collection of Malayalam films touching ₹900 crores in the first quarter. Malayalam Cinema achieved its first calendar year ₹1000 crore worldwide gross by May. As of 24 May, total worldwide box office gross stood at ₹1030 crores, including ₹660 crores from India and ₹370 from overseas.[46][47]The films that led the success story wereManjummel Boys,Aadujeevitham,Premalu,andAavesham,all of which earned over ₹100 crores at worldwide box office.[48][49][50]The success is attributed to wide critical acclaim, themes that resonated with the audience and tapping into other state markets.[51][52]

Pioneering film-making techniques

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Newspaper Boy(1955), aneorealisticfilm, drew inspiration fromItalian neorealism.[10][53]Padayottam(1982) is India's first indigenously produced70 mm film,[54]whileMy Dear Kuttichathan(1984) is India's first 3D film.[9]O' Faby(1993) is India's firstLive action/animationhybrid film.[55]

Amma Ariyan(1986) is the first film made in India with money collected from the public. It was produced by Odessa Collective, founded by the directorJohn Abrahamand friends. The money was raised by collecting donations and screeningCharlie Chaplin's filmThe Kid.[56]

Moonnamathoral(2006) is the first Indian film to be shot and distributed indigital format.[57]

Jalachhayam(2010) is the first Indian feature film shot entirely on aCamera phone[58]and it was also anexperimental filmdirected bySathish Kalathilwho is the director ofVeena Vaadanam,the first documentary film in India shot with the same movie capture medium.

Villain(2017) is the first Indian film to be shot entirely in8K resolution.[59]

Vazhiye(2022) is the firstfound footagefilm of Malayalam Cinema.[60]

Notable personalities

[edit]

Directors

[edit]

Malayalam cinema's directors have includedJ. C. Daniel,the director andproducerof the first Malayalam film,Vigathakumaran(1928). Unlike other Indian films at that time, most of them were based on thePuranas,he chose to base his film on a social theme.[61]Though it failed commercially, he paved the way for the Malayalam film industry and is widely considered the "fatherofMalayalam cinema".Until the 1950s, Malayalam film didn't see many talented film directors. The milestone filmNeelakuyil(1954), directed byRamu KariatandP. Bhaskaran,shed a lot of limelight over its directors.[53]Ramu Kariat went on to become a celebrated director in the 1960s and 1970s. P. Bhaskaran directed a few acclaimed films in the 1960s. The cameraman ofNeelakuyil,A. Vincent,also became a noted director of the 1960s and 1970s.[62]Another noted director of the 1950s was P. Ramadas, the director of the neorealistic filmNewspaper Boy(1955).

In the 1970s, the Malayalam film industry saw the rise of film societies. It triggered a newgenre of filmsknown as "parallel cinema". The main driving forces of the movement, who gave priority to serious cinema, wereAdoor GopalakrishnanandG. Aravindan.People likeJohn AbrahamandP. A. Backergave a new dimension to Malayalam cinema through their political themes. The late 1970s witnessed the emergence of another stream of Malayalam films, known as "middle-stream cinema", which seamlessly integrated the seriousness of the parallel cinema and the popularity of the mainstream cinema. Most of the films belonging to this stream were directed by PN Menon,I. V. Sasi,P. G. Viswambharan,K. G. George,Bharathan andPadmarajan.[63]

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a new array of directors joined the stalwarts who had already made a mark in the industry. This period saw the narrowing of the gap between the different streams of the industry.[53]Directors likeP. G. Viswambharan,K. G. George,Priyadarshan,I. V. Sasi,John Abraham,Fazil,Joshiy,Bhadran,Kamal,Sibi Malayil,Hariharan,Sathyan Anthikad,K. MadhuandSiddique–Lalcontributed significantly. There were also extraordinary screenwriters likeM. T. Vasudevan Nair,T. Damodaran,A. K. LohithadasandSreenivasan,whose contributions were also commendable.[citation needed]

The 2000s saw a decline in the quality of Malayalam films. Many directors who had excelled in the Golden Age struggled as many of their films continuously failed critically and commercially. As a result, the gap between parallel cinema (now known as art cinema) and mainstream cinema (now known as commercial cinema) widened. The 2000s also saw a commercial film formula being created in line withTamil cinemaandHindi cinemafilms. Directors likeShaji Kailas,Rafi–MecartinandAnwar Rasheeddirected blockbusters which had few artistic merits to boast of.[citation needed]Despite the overall decline, some directors stood apart and made quality cinema.Shaji N. Karun,Lenin Rajendran,ShyamaprasadandJayarajmade films that won laurels. Notable directors who debuted in this time includeBlessy,Lal Jose,R.Sharath,Ranjith,Rosshan Andrrews,Amal Neerad,Aashiq Abu,Dr. Biju,Vineeth SreenivasanandLijo Jose Pellissery.[citation needed]

Out of the 40National Film Award for Best Directiongiven away till 2007, Malayalam directors have received 12. The directors who have won includeAdoor Gopalakrishnan(1973, 1985, 1988, 1990, 2007),G. Aravindan(1978, 1979, 1987),Shaji N. Karun(1989),T. V. Chandran(1994),Jayaraj(1998, 2017) and Rajivnath (1999). There are several recipients of theSpecial Jury Awardas well:Mankada Ravi Varma(1984),John Abraham(1987),Shaji N. Karun(1995) and Pradeep Nair (2005).[64][65]

Film music

[edit]

Film score,which refers toPlayback singerin the context ofIndian music,forms the most important canon ofpopular musicin India. The film music of Kerala in particular is the most popular form of music in the state.[66]Before Malayalam cinema and Malayalam film music developed, theMalayalieagerly followedTamilandHindifilm songs, and that habit has stayed with them until now. The history of Malayalam film songs begins with the 1948 filmNirmalawhich was produced by artist P. J. Cherian who introduced play-back singing for the first time in the film. The film's music composer was P. S. Divakar, and the songs were sung byP. Leela,T. K. Govindarao,Vasudeva Kurup, C. K. Raghavan, Sarojini Menon and Vimala B. Varma, who is credited as the first playback singer of Malayalam cinema.[67]

The main trend in the early years was to use the tune of hit Hindi or Tamil songs in Malayalam songs. This trend changed in the early 1950s with the arrival of a number of poets and musicians to the Malayalam music scene. By the middle of the 1950s, the Malayalam film music industry started finding its own identity. This reformation was led by the music directors Brother Laxmanan,G. Devarajan,V. Dakshinamoorthy,M. S. BaburajandK. Raghavanalong with the lyricistsVayalar Ramavarma,P. Bhaskaran,O. N. V. KurupandSreekumaran Thampi.[68]Major playback singers of that time wereKamukara Purushothaman,K. P. Udayabhanu,A. M. Rajah,P. Leela,Santha P. Nair,Ayiroor Sadasivan,Lalitha Thampi,C. S. Radhadevi,A. K. Sukumaran,B. Vasantha,P. Susheela,P. MadhuriandS. Janaki.Despite that, these singers got high popularity throughout Kerala and were part of the Golden age of Malayalam music (1960 to 1970).

In the later years many non-Malayalis likeManna Dey,Talat Mahmood,Lata Mangeshkar,Asha Bhosle,Hemlata,Kishore Kumar,Mahendra KapoorandS. P. Balasubrahmanyamsang for Malayalam films. This trend was also found amongcomposersto an extent, with film composers from other languages includingNaushad,Usha Khanna,M. B. Sreenivasan,Ravi,Shyam,Bappi Lahiri,Laxmikant–Pyarelal,Salil Chowdhury,Ilaiyaraaja,Vishal BhardwajandA. R. Rahmanscoring music for Malayalam films.[68]This can be attributed to the fact that film music inSouth Indiahad a parallel growth pattern with many instances of cross-industry contributions.[citation needed]The late 1950s through the mid-1970s can be considered as the golden period of Malayalam film music in its own identity. Along with the leading music directors, the likes ofM. B. Sreenivasan,M. K. Arjunan,Pukezhenty Vellappan Nair,M. S. Viswanathan,A. T. Ummer,R. K. Shekhar,Salil Chowdhuryand lyricists likeThirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair,Mankombu Gopalakrishnanand Bharanikkavu Sivakumar, numerous everlasting and hit songs were delivered to the music lovers. The soft melodious music and high quality lyrics were the highlights of these songs.

K. J. Yesudas,who debuted in 1961, virtually revolutionised the Malayalam film music industry and became the most popular Malayalam singer ever along withK. S. Chithra.The trio ofVayalar,G. Devarajanand Yesudas also made unforgettable songs like the earlier trio of Kamukara, Tirunainaarkurichy and Brother Laxmanan. Yesudas became equally popular with classical music audience and people who patronised film music.[69]He along withP. Jayachandrangave a major face-lift to Malayalam playback singing in the 1960s and 1970s.K. S. Chithradebuted in 1979, and by the mid-eighties, she became the most sought after female singer inSouth India.

By the late 1970s, the trends in music started changing and more rhythm oriented songs with a western touch came with the dominance of music directors likeShyam,K. J. Joy, andJerry Amaldev.The lyricists were forced to write lyrics according to the tune in these days and were often criticised for quality issues. However, from 1979 to 1980, the revolutionary music directorRaveendranalong withJohnsonandM. G. Radhakrishnanled the second reformation of Malayalam film music by creating melodious and classical oriented music with the soul of the culture of Kerala. Lyricists likePoovachal Khader,Kavalam Narayana PanickerandBichu Thirumalain the 1980s andKaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri,V. Madhusoodanan NairandGirish Puthencheryin the 1990s were part of this musical success. Contributions fromKannur Rajan,Ravi,S. P. Venkatesh,Mohan Sithara,Ouseppachan,Sharath,Vidyadharan, Raghukumar andVidyasagarwere also notable in this period.K. J. YesudasandK. S. Chithraand singers likeM. G. Sreekumar,G. Venugopal,Radhika Thilak,Unni MenonandSujatha Mohanwere also active then. A notable aspect in the later years was the extensive of classicalcarnatic musicin many film songs of the 1980s and 1990s. Classical Carnatic music was heavily used in films likeChithram(1988),His Highness Abdullah(1990),Bharatham(1991),Sargam(1992),Kudumbasametham(1992),Sopanam(1993) etc.

At present, the major players in the scene are composers likeA. R. Rahman,M. Jayachandran,Bijibal,Deepak Dev,Rex Vijayan,Jakes Bejoy,Rahul Raj,Prashant Pillai,Shaan Rahman,Sushin Shyam,Gopi Sundar,Alphons Joseph,Rajesh Murugesan,Jassie Gift,Shahabaz Aman,Vishnu Vijay,lyricistsRafeeq Ahamed,Anwar Ali,B. K. Harinarayanan,Vinayak Sasikumar,SarathandAnil Panachooran,and singersVineeth Sreenivasan,Shreya Ghoshal,Shankar Mahadevan,Vijay Yesudas,Shweta Mohan,Karthik,Naresh Iyer,Manjari,Haricharan,Shahabaz Aman,Sithara Krishnakumar,Vaikom Vijayalakshmi,K. S. Harisankar,Sayanora Philip,Benny DayalandJyotsna Radhakrishnan,along with stalwarts in the field.

Young composers likeDeepak Dev,Rex Vijayan,Rahul Raj,Jakes Bejoy,Sushin Shyam,andPrashant Pillaiare not only known for their catchy tunes, but also for bringing in a lot of electronics, digital sound and a variety of genres in Malayalam film scores and songs.[70]

TheNational Award-winning music composersof Malayalam cinema areJohnson(1994, 1995),Ravi(1995),Ouseppachan(2008),Ilaiyaraaja(2010),Isaac Thomas Kottukapally(2011),Bijibal(2012) andM. Jayachandran(2016). Until 2009, the 1995 National Award that Johnson received for thefilm scoreofSukrutham(1994) was the only instance in the history of the award in which the awardee composed theSoundtrackrather than itsPlayback singer.He shared that award with Bombay Ravi, who received the award for composing songs for the same film. In 2010 and 2011, the awards given to film scores were won by Malayalam films:Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja(Ilaiyaraaja) andAdaminte Makan Abu(Isaac Thomas Kottukapally).Raveendranalso received aSpecial Mentionin 1991 for composing songs for the filmBharatham.

Thelyricists who have won the National AwardareVayalar Ramavarma(1973),O. N. V. Kurup(1989) andYusufali Kechery(2001). Themale singers who have received the National AwardareK. J. Yesudas(1973, 1974, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2017),P. Jayachandran(1986) andM. G. Sreekumar(1991, 2000). Yesudas has won two more National Awards for singing inHindi(1977) andTelugu(1983) films, which makes him the person who has won the mostNational Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer,with eight. The female singers who have won theawardareS. Janaki(1981) andK. S. Chithra(1987, 1989). Chitra had also won the award for Tamil (1986, 1997, 2005) and Hindi (1998) film songs, which makes her the person with the mostNational Film Award for Best Female Playback Singerawards, six times.

Landmark films

[edit]
Year Title Director Notes Ref.
1928 Vigathakumaran J. C. Daniel First Malayalam feature film. Production started in 1928, and it was released at the Capitol Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 October 1930. It was produced and directed by J. C. Daniel, a businessman with no prior film experience, who is credited as the father of Malayalam cinema [71]
1933 Marthanda Varma P.V. Rao First copyright case in Indian film industry as well as literature publishing of Kerala [72]
1938 Balan S. Nottani First talkie in Malayalam.Directed byS. Nottani,the movie was the first commercially successful film [73]
1948 Nirmala P. V. Krishna Iyer Introduced playback singing in Malayalam cinema [74]
1951 Jeevitha Nouka K. Vembu FirstBlockbusterat the Kerala box office [75]
1954 Neelakuyil P. Bhaskaran
Ramu Kariat 		First Malayalam film to win aNational Film Award [76][53]
1955 C.I.D. M. Krishnan Nair Firstcrime thrillerfilm in Malayalam [77]
Newspaper Boy P. Ramdas Firstneo realisticfilm inMalayalam [78]
1961 Kandam Bacha Coat Shiyas Chennattu Firstcolour filmin Malayalam cinema. [79]
1964 Bhargavi Nilayam A. Vincent Firsthorror filmin Malayalam cinema. [80]
1965 Chemmeen Ramu Kariat First Malayalam as well as South Indian film to win theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film,and the first film to participate in an international film festival [81]
Murappennu A. Vincent First film to be shotoutdoors [82]
1967 Chithramela T. S. Muthiah Firstanthology film [83]
1972 Swayamvaram Adoor Gopalakrishnan Pioneered "new-wave cinema movement" in Malayalam; first Malayalam film to win theNational Film Award for Best Direction [84]
1974 Kanchana Sita G. Aravindan Pioneeredindependent filmmakingin South India[clarification needed] [85]
1978 Thacholi Ambu Navodaya Appachan FirstCinemaScopefilm in Malayalam and also the first Malayalam film to gross more than 1 crore at the box office. [86]
1981 Oridathoru Phayalvaan P. Padmarajan First Malayalam Film won International awards, by winning Best Film and Best Screenplay at 27th Asian Film Festival (1982) [citation needed]
1982 Padayottam Jijo Punnoose First70mm filmin South India [87]
1984 My Dear Kuttichathan Jijo Punnoose First3D filmin India.This is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy film directed byJijo Punnooseand produced by his fatherNavodaya AppachanunderNavodaya Studio.It was the first Indian film to be filmed in 3D format. [9]
1986 Amma Ariyan John Abraham First Malayalam film produced by collecting funds from the public and the onlySouth Indianfilm to feature in British Film Institute's Top 10 Indian Films list [88][89]
1993 O' Faby K. Sreekuttan India's first live-action/animation hybrid film .[90]
1994 Swaham Shaji N. Karun First Malayalam film to compete for thePalme d'Orat theCannes Film Festival [citation needed]
1997 Guru Rajiv Anchal First Malayalam film to be submitted asIndia's official entry to the Oscarsto be considered for nomination in theBest Foreign Language Filmcategory [91]
2005 Athbhutha Dweepu Vinayan The film was given an entry into theGuinness Book of Recordsfor casting the most dwarves in a single film, and its lead actorAjaykumarwas given an entry for being the shortest actor to play the lead in the history of cinema. [92]
2006 Moonnamathoral V. K. Prakash First Malayalam digital movie, and first high-definition (HD) cinema to be digitally distributed to theatres via satellite [93]
2009 Pazhassi Raja Hariharan First Malayalam film to get ahome videorelease inBlu-rayformat [94]
2010 Jalachhayam Sathish Kalathil First feature film shot entirely on aMobile phone camera .[95]
2012 Grandmaster B. Unnikrishnan First Malayalam film to release withsubtitles(English) in outside Kerala, in other than film festival screenings.
First Malayalam film to release onNetflix. 		[96]
2013 Drishyam Jeethu Joseph First Malayalam film to cross ₹50 crores gross collection from theatres [41]
2016 Pulimurugan Vysakh First Malayalam film to cross ₹100 crores gross collection from theatres [97]
2020 Fourth River RK DreamWest First Malayalam film to be released directly on theover-the-top(OTT) platform [98]
2020 C U Soon Mahesh Narayanan India's firstcomputer screen film [99]
2021 Minnal Murali Basil Joseph FirstSuperhero filmof Malayalam Cinema
2022 Vazhiye Nirmal Baby Varghese FirstFound footagefilm of Malayalam Cinema [60]
2022 Ela Veezha Poonchira Shahi Kabir First movie to release in 4k Dolby HDR[citation needed]
2024 Bramayugam Rahul Sadasivan Firstmonochromefilm in India to cross ₹50 crores gross collection from theatres
2024 Manjummel Boys Chidambaram First Malayalam film to cross ₹200 crores gross collection from theatres

Kerala State Film Awards

[edit]
Main article:Kerala State Film Awards

The Kerala State Film Awards[100]are given to motion pictures made in theMalayalamlanguage. The awards have been bestowed byKerala State Chalachitra Academy[101]since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of thegovernment of Kerala.The awards were started in 1969. The awardees are decided by an independent jury formed by the academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs. The jury usually consists of personalities from the film field. For the awards for literature on cinema, a separate jury is formed. The academy annually invites films for the award and the jury analyses the films before deciding the winners. The awards intend to promote films with artistic values and encourage artists and technicians.

International Film Festival of Kerala

[edit]
Main article:International Film Festival of Kerala

The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held annually inThiruvananthapuram,the capital city of Kerala. It was started in 1996 and is organised byKerala State Chalachitra Academyon behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the State Government. It is held in November/December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading film festivals in India.[102]

Film studios

[edit]

The Travancore National Pictures[103]was the first film studio in Kerala. It was established byJ. C. Danielin 1926 inThiruvananthapuram,[104]which was then a part ofTravancore.Producer-directorKunchackoand film distributor K. V. Koshy establishedUdaya StudiosinAlappuzhain 1947.[105]The studio influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base ofChennai,Tamil Naduto Kerala. In 1951,P. Subramaniam[106]establishedMerryland StudioinNemom,Thiruvananthapuram.The other major studios are Sreekrishna (1952,Thiruvananthapuram), Ajantha[107](1958, Keezhmadu – now extinct), Chithralekha[108](1965,Aakkulam,Thiruvananthapuram), Uma Studio[109](1975,Thiruvananthapuram),Navodaya[110](1978,Thrikkakkara) andChitranjali Studio[110](1980,Thiruvananthapuram).

Organisations

[edit]

TheAssociation of Malayalam Movie Artists(A.M.M.A)[111]is an organisation formed by artists of Malayalam cinema. It aims to act against piracy, to safeguard the interests of member actors and actresses, and to serve as a common forum to raise concerns and address issues. The activities of AMMA include endowments, insurance schemes, and committees on wages and benefits on revision, funds for research, pensions, and education loans for the children of the members. The organisation ventured into film production in 2008 withTwenty:20to raise funds for its activities.[112]

Organisations such as Kerala Film Producers Association, Kerala Film Distributors Association, Kerala Cine Exhibitors Federation, Hyperlink Film Club and Kerala Film Exhibitors Association have coordinated work stoppages.[113]

See also

[edit]

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Sources

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  • Chandran, VP (2018).Mathrubhumi Yearbook Plus – 2019(Malayalam ed.). Kozhikode: P. V. Chandran, Managing Editor, Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Company Limited, Kozhikode.
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