Malayalam cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Malayalam language, which is 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.
Mohanlal Viswanathan is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Mohanlal has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. Mohanlal's contributions to the Malayalam cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. Mohanlal was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN-News18.
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail, known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English-language productions. In a career spanning five decades, he has appeared in more than 410 films, predominantly in lead roles. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, nine Kerala State Film Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and thirteen Filmfare Awards South. For his contribution to film, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1998. In 2022, he was honoured with Kerala Prabha Award, the second-highest honour given by the Government of Kerala.
Ottupulackal Velukkuty Vijayan, commonly known as O. V. Vijayan, was an Indian author and cartoonist, who was an important figure in modern Malayalam language literature. Best known for his first novel Khasakkinte Itihasam (1969), Vijayan was the author of six novels, nine short-story collections, and nine collections of essays, memoirs and reflections.
Mukesh Madhavan, known mononymously as Mukesh, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and politician who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil-language films. In a film career spanning four decades, he has acted in over 275 Malayalam films. His 1996 film Kaanaakkinaavu premiered at the IFFI and won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He co-produced Kadha Parayumbol (2007), which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He also produced the 2012 film Thattathin Marayathu, which is considered one of the defining films of the Malayalam New Wave.
Siddique (born 1 October 1962 ) is an Indian actor and producer, who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. Along with appearing in over 350 Malayalam films, he has also acted in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi language films. He is known for having played a wide range of starring and supporting roles, including comic characters, romantic leads, anti-heroes and villains.
M. P. Michael, better known by his stage name Lal, is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter, producer and distributor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil films and in a few Telugu films. Lal has won several awards, including a National Film Award – Special Mention for acting (2012), two Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor, and a Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam (2008). He is the owner of Lal Media Arts, a post-production studio.
New Delhi is a 1987 Malayalam language neo-noir action thriller film written by Dennis Joseph and directed by Joshiy and produced by Joy Thomas. It stars Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Thiagarajan, Sumalatha, Urvashi, Siddique, Vijayaraghavan, Mohan Jose, Devan, and Jagannatha Varma.
Unnikrishnan B is an Indian film director, screenwriter, distributor and exhibitor who works in the Malayalam film industry.
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham, was an Indian poet and essayist who wrote in Malayalam. He was known for a simple and lucid style of writing, exploring themes of profound love and compassion in his works. Some of his prominent works included Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam, Balidarshanam, and Nimisha Kshetram.
Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum is a 2003 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by Sibi Malayil and produced by Prem Prakash. It was the debut movie as scriptwriters of brothers Bobby and Sanjay. The film starred Kalidas Jayaram, Jayaram and Jyothirmayi in lead roles along Kalashala Babu, Nedumudi Venu, Siddique, Salim Kumar, Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Shammi Thilakan, Sanusha and K. P. A. C. Lalitha in supporting roles. It was remade in Tamil as Kannadi Pookal. Kalidas won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for his performance in the film.
Ladies and Gentleman is a 2013 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film written and directed by Siddique and jointly produced by Antony Perumbavoor and Roy C. J. under their production companies Aashirvad Cinemas and Confident Group. It stars Mohanlal, Meera Jasmine, Mamta Mohandas, Padmapriya, Mithra Kurian, Krish J. Sathaar and Kalabhavan Shajohn. The film features original songs composed by Ratheesh Vegha and background score by Deepak Dev. Ladies and Gentleman was released in India on 12 April 2013 as a festival release during the time of Vishu.
Bhaskar The Rascal is a 2015 Malayalam action comedy film written and directed by Siddique. It stars Mammootty and Nayanthara with a supporting cast of J. D. Chakravarthy, Sanoop Santhosh, Anikha Surendran, Janardhanan, Kalabhavan Shajon, Harisree Ashokan, and Saju Navodaya. The music was composed by Deepak Dev with cinematography by Vijay Ulaganath and editing by K. R. Gowri Shanker.
Soubin Shahir is an Indian actor and director who works in Malayalam cinema. He began his film career as an assistant director in 2003 and worked under several directors. Soubin made his acting debut in 2013 with a supporting role in Annayum Rasoolum. He made his directorial debut with the drama Parava (2017). In 2018, he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his leading role in Sudani from Nigeria, which was also a major commercial success.
Villain is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. It stars an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Vishal, Srikanth, Raashi Khanna, Hansika Motwani, Manju Warrier, Siddique, Chemban Vinod Jose, Renji Panicker, Saikumar and Aju Varghese. Manoj Paramahamsa and N. K. Ekambaram were the cinematographers. The songs were written by 4 Musics and the film score was composed by Sushin Shyam.
Madhura Raja is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Vysakh, written by Udaykrishna and starring Mammootty, Jagapathi Babu and Jai alongside Anusree, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Salim Kumar, Mahima Nambiar, Anna Rajan and Shamna Kasim in supporting roles. The music is composed by Gopi Sundar. This film marks the debut of Jai in Malayalam cinema. The film is a spin-off to 2010 film Pokkiri Raja and Mammootty reprises his role as Raja.
Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical action film directed by Priyadarshan. Set in the 16th century Calicut, the film is based on the fourth Kunjali Marakkar named Muhammad Ali, the admiral of the fleet of the Zamorin. Priyadarshan scripted the film with Ani Sasi. The film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor's Aashirvad Cinemas. Marakkar features Mohanlal in the titlular role, with ensemble cast including Arjun Sarja, Suniel Shetty, Ashok Selvan, Prabhu, Nedumudi Venu, Mukesh, Siddique, Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Suhasini Maniratnam, Innocent, Mamukkoya, Hareesh Peradi, Santhosh Keezhattoor and K. B. Ganesh Kumar. In the film, upon being terrorised by an oppressive Portuguese regime, legendary naval chieftain Kunjali Marakkar IV wages an epic war against the Europeans and their allies. This film was Keerthy Suresh's comeback to Malayalam cinema after a gap of seven years and the Malayalam debut of Ashok Selvan.
Socrates Krishnan Valath, is an Indian novelist and short story writer, working in Malayalam literature. His short story anthology, Nyayavithi, was selected for the Padmarajan Award in 2014. He is also a recipient of the Kerala State Television Award in 2003, C. Ayyappan Award in 2015 and a Certificate of Merit at the Annual Akashvani Awards in 2017.
K. C. Ajayakumar is a writer and translator from Kerala, India. He has published two novels, two research books and two translations in Hindi and has translated 22 books from Hindi to Malayalam. He has received many notable awards including Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize (2015).
Krishand RK, who also goes by the mononym Krishand, is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter and cinematographer who works in the Malayalam film industry. He is a recipient of 69th National Film Award and two Kerala State Film Award and a Padmarajan Award for his film Aavasavyuham.
