Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a South-Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language.
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 and Lakshadweep islands of India. Malayalam cinema includes the commercial film industry, sometimes known as Mollywood, as well as independent cinema made in Malayalam. According to recent trends and critical acclaim, the Malayalam film industry (Mollywood) is often considered the "best" film industry in India, known for its high quality storytelling, strong performances, and focus on social issues, even though the largest film industry in terms of viewership remains Bollywood
Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair was an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature. Randamoozham, which retells the story of the Mahabharata from the point of view of Bhimasena, is widely credited as his masterpiece.
Malayalam journalism encompasses journalism published and broadcast in the Malayalam language. Modern Malayalam journalism can be traced to the publication of the Raajyasamaachaaram and the Pashchimodhayam under the direction of Hermann Gundert in June 1847. Kerala has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English and Malayalam.
Hariharan is an Indian film director who has directed over 50 Malayalam films. His movies mainly revolve around the cultural and relational aspects of a typical Keralite society. His most notable works include Sharapancharam (1979), Panchagni (1986), Idavazhiyile Poocha Mindappoocha (1979), Amrutham Gamaya (1987), Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Sargam (1992), Parinayam (1994) and Pazhassi Raja (2009) which has won him wide critical acclaim. In 2019, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.
The Government Victoria College in Palakkad is an institution of higher learning in the Malabar region of Kerala. It is affiliated to the Calicut University and provides undergraduate and postgraduate education in science, arts and commerce subjects. The college is ranked 84th among colleges in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2024.
Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri, better known as Artist Namboothiri or simply Namboothiri, was an Indian painter and sculptor, known for his line art and copper relief works. He illustrated for many Malayalam writers such as Thakazhy Shivasankara Pillai, Kesavadev, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Uroob, S. K. Pottekkatt, Edasseri Govindan Nair, and V.K.N., and was one of the most prolific literary illustrators of India. He was also a chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. The Akademi awarded him the Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2003. He was also a recipient of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Director.
Parinayam is a Malayalam language period drama film, directed by Hariharan and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The key characters are played by Mohini, Manoj K. Jayan and Vineeth. The film also has a cast of character artists including Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Sukumari, Jagannatha Varma, Valsala Menon, Bindu Panicker, Bahadoor, and Shanthi Krishna.
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language epic period drama film based on the life of Pazhassi Raja, a king who fought against the East India Company in the 18th century. The film was directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by Gokulam Gopalan. It stars Mammootty in lead role with an ensemble supporting cast. The music score and soundtrack were created by Ilaiyaraaja, while its sound design is by Resul Pookutty.
The J. C. Daniel Award is the highest award in Malayalam cinema, established by the Government of Kerala, India. It is presented annually by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, a non-profit institution operating under the Department of Cultural Affairs, Kerala. Instituted in 1992, the award recognizes individuals for their "outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema". Recipients are selected by a jury appointed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs. As of 2021, the honourees receive a statuette, a citation, and a cash prize of ₹500,000 (US$5,900). They are honoured at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony.
Olavum Theeravum is a 1970 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by P. N. Menon, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and produced by P. A. Backer. It stars Madhu and Usha Nandini, with Jose Prakash, Philomina, and Nilambur Balan in supporting roles. The film has a musical score by M. S. Baburaj. Cinematography was done by Mankada Ravi Varma.
Anubandham (transl. Relation) is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by I. V. Sasi. It stars Mammootty, Mohanlal, Seema, and Shobana. The film won four Kerala State Film Awards—Best Story, Best Actress (Seema), Best Child Artist (Vimal), and Best Editor.
Bhagyalakshmi is an Indian actress, activist, and dubbing artist. She works predominantly in the Malayalam film industry, working with over 800 actresses and in 4,700 films. She has collaborated with several actresses from Malayalam industries as well as other south Indian languages including Shobana, Revathi, Urvashi, Soundarya, Tabu and Jyothika. Bhagyalakshmi's autobiography, Swarabhedangal, was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Biography and Autobiography.
K. Kunju Nair was an Indian actor, singer and music composer in Malayalam cinema. He was the main character in Balan, the first sound film in Malayalam film in history.
Rakthabandham is a 1951 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by M. R. Vittal and produced by N. K. Karunakaran Pillai. The film stars Kalaikkal Kumaran and T. R. Omana. The film has a musical score by S. M. Subbaiah Naidu and S. N. Chaami. It is the only Malayalam film directed by Velswami Kavi. It is the debut Malayalam film of S. D. Subbiah and the debut film of Paravoor Bharathan, Kuttappa Bhagavathar, and lyricist Swami Brahmavrathan. The movie also introduced R. S. Prabhu to Malayalam cinema.
Ambalavilakku is a 1980 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by Sreekumaran Thampi and produced by S. Kumar. The film stars Madhu, Srividya, Sukumari and Jagathy Sreekumar. The film has original songs composed by V. Dakshinamoorthy.
Sreekumar Krishnan Nair, often credited on screen as K. Sreekuttan) is an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing the 1993 film O' Faby, which was India's first full-length live action/animation hybrid feature film. He is the youngest son of prolific south Indian filmmaker M. Krishnan Nair and younger brother of Retired Indian Administrative Service officer, poet and lyricist K. Jayakumar.
