Malayalam cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Malayalam language widely spoken in the state of Kerala, India. In 1982, Elippathayam won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival, and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by the British Film Institute. The film Marana Simhasanam has won the prestigious Caméra d'Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
The Malayali people are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predominantly native speakers of the Malayalam language, one of the six classical languages of India. The state of Kerala was created in 1956 through the States Reorganisation Act. Prior to that, since the 1800s existed the Kingdom of Cochin, the Kingdom of Travancore, Malabar District, and South Canara of the British India. The Malabar District was annexed by the British through the Third Mysore War (1790–92) from Tipu Sultan. Before that, the Malabar District was under various kingdoms including the Zamorins of Calicut, Kingdom of Tanur, Arakkal kingdom, Kolathunadu, Valluvanad, and Palakkad Rajas.
M. Krishnan Nair was an Indian academic, orator, literary journalist and literary critic of Malayalam literature. He was known for his Sahitya Varaphalam, a weekly column he wrote first in Malayalanadu weekly, later in Kalakaumudi and finally in Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika, which introduced world literature to Malayalam readers. He also published several books, including Saundaryathinte Sannidhanathil, Adhunika Malayala Kavitha and Vayanakkara, Ningal Jeevichirikkunno?. He was a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions and the B. D. Goenka Award for excellence in literary journalism.
Ravi K. Chandran is an Indian cinematographer and film director who predominantly works in Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil-language cinema. He is the founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) and has won two Filmfare Awards and one Southern Filmfare Award.
Sukumari Amma was an Indian actress best known for her works in Malayalam and Tamil films. In a career spanning more than five decades, She has appeared in more than 2500 films predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, along with few Hindi and one each in Sinhala, French, Bengali, Tulu, English and Kannada films. Sukumari began acting at the age of 10. In 2003, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions toward the arts. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Tamil film Namma Gramam (2010). Sukumari died on 26 March 2013 in Chennai, following a heart attack.
Passenger is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language conspiracy thriller film written and directed by debutant Ranjith Sankar and starring Sreenivasan, Dileep, Mamta Mohandas, Jagathy Sreekumar and Nedumudi Venu in major roles. It was a path breaker in Malayalam cinema in terms of its story telling and started the Malayalam new cinema wave. Owing to its critical and commercial success, Passenger was to be remade into Tamil as Muriyadi by Selva.
Lena Mohan Kumar, who has performed mononymously as Lenaa and Lena, is an Indian actress and scriptwriter who appears predominantly in Malayalam cinema.
Traffic is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language road action thriller film written by brothers Bobby and Sanjay and directed by Rajesh Pillai. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Sreenivasan, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Rahman, Anoop Menon, Sandhya, Roma, Remya Nambeesan, Namitha Pramod, Lena, Jose Prakash and Krishna. The film has its narrative in a hyperlink format. The film opened on 7 January 2011, to a positive reception. It is widely regarded as one of the defining movies of the Malayalam New Wave. A multi-narrative thriller that intertwines multiple stories around one particular incident, Traffic is inspired from an actual event that happened in Chennai. Owing to its critical and commercial success, Traffic was remade into Tamil as Chennaiyil Oru Naal, in Kannada as Crazy Star and is also remade in Hindi, with the same name. This was also the last film of the veteran actor Jose Prakash. The film has a cult status.
Bina Paul, also known by her married name Bina Paul Venugopal, is an Indian film editor who works mainly in Malayalam-language films. A graduate of the University of Delhi, she completed a course on film editing from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, in 1983.
Shine Tom Chacko is an Indian actor and former assistant director who works in Malayalam cinema. After working as an assistant to director Kamal for about 9 years, he forayed into acting through the film, Gaddama. He played supporting roles in several films including Ee Adutha Kaalathu, Chapters, Annayum Rasoolum and Masala Republic and played his first lead role in Binu S Kalady's fantasy-comedy film Ithihasa (2014) which dealt with body-swapping.
Kammatipaadam, alternatively spelled as Kammatti Paadam, is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Rajeev Ravi and written by P. Balachandran. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Vinayakan, Shaun Romy, Manikandan R. Achari, Vinay Forrt, Shine Tom Chacko, and Suraj Venjaramoodu. The songs were composed by K, John P. Varkey and Vinayakan while the background score was composed by K.
Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language domestic drama film directed by Jibu Jacob and written by M. Sindhuraj. It is loosely based on the Malayalam short story "Pranayopanishath" by V. J. James. Produced and distributed by Sophia Paul through Weekend Blockbusters, the film stars Mohanlal and Meena as panchayat secretary Ulahannan and his wife Annyamma. The soundtrack features songs composed by Bijibal and M. Jayachandran, and a film score by Bijibal. The film is about Ulahannan, a man having a midlife crisis, who rediscovers himself and overcomes boredom in his routine life.
Aami is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language biographical film based on the life of poet-author Kamala Das. It is written and directed by Kamal and stars Manju Warrier as Kamala Surayya, along with Murali Gopy, Tovino Thomas, Anoop Menon and Anand Bal. The film was released on 9 February 2018. The film won two Kerala State Film Awards.
Varane Avashyamund is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Anoop Sathyan, son of Sathyan Anthikad, in his debut. It was produced by Dulquer Salmaan. The film stars Suresh Gopi, Dulquer Salmaan, Shobana and Kalyani Priyadarshan. It has music by Alphons Joseph. It also marked the comeback film of Suresh Gopi after a five-year hiatus from acting; actress Shobana's Malayalam comeback after a 7-year absence as well as also Kalyani's Malayalam debut film. Principal photography began on 1 October 2019 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The film was released on 7 February 2020 to mostly positive reviews.
Durga Krishna is an Indian actress who works in Malayalam films.
Anoop Krishnan is an Indian television actor, director and anchor, who works predominantly in Malayalam film industry. He is mainly noted for the role Kalyan in the television series Seetha Kalyanam telecasted in Asianet.
Love is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Khalid Rahman and produced by Ashiq Usman under the banner of Ashiq Usman Productions. The film stars Shine Tom Chacko and Rajisha Vijayan in the lead roles.
The third season of the Indian Malayalam-language reality television game show Bigg Boss premiered on 14 February 2021. It is produced by Endemol Shine India under the control of Banijay and broadcast on Asianet with Mohanlal as the host. The show follows selected contestants who are isolated from the outside world for 112 days in a custom-built house.
Paappan is a 2022 Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Joshiy and produced jointly by Gokulam Gopalan, David Kachappilly and Raaffi Mathirra.The film was written by RJ Shaan.The film stars Suresh Gopi in the title role along with Gokul Suresh, Neeta Pillai, Asha Sharath, Nyla Usha, Kaniha and Ajmal Ameer appear in supporting roles.
