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 an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, Elippathayam won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival, and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by the British Film Institute. Rajiv Anchal's Guru (1997), Salim Ahamed's Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) and Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikkattu (2019) were Malayalam films sent by India as its official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards.
Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair, popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature. At the age of 20, as a chemistry undergraduate, he won the prize for the best short story in Malayalam at World Short Story Competition conducted by The New York Herald Tribune. His first major novel Naalukettu, written at the age of 23, won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958. His other novels include Manju (Mist), Kaalam (Time), Asuravithu and Randamoozham. The deep emotional experiences of his early days have gone into the making of MT's novels. Most of his works are oriented towards the basic Malayalam family structure and culture and many of them were path-breaking in the history of Malayalam literature. His three seminal novels on life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are Naalukettu, Asuravithu, and Kaalam. Randamoozham, which retells the story of the Mahabharatha from the point of view of Bhimasena, is widely credited as his masterpiece.
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.
Malappuram is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 58.20 km2 (22.47 sq mi) including it's outgrowths. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district.. Divided into 40 electoral wards, the city has a population density of 1,742 per square kilometre. According to the 2011 census, Malappuram metropolitan area is the fourth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi, Calicut, and Thrissur urban areas and the 26th largest in India with a total population of 1.7 million. It is the fastest growing city in the world with a 44.1% urban growth between 2015 and 2020 as per the survey conducted by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) based on the urban area growth during January 2020. Malappuram is situated 54 km southeast of Calicut and 90 km northwest of Palakkad. It is the first Indian municipal body to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity to its entire residents. Malappuram is also the first Indian municipal body to achieve the International Organization for Standardization certificate. It is also the first complaint-free municipality in the state.
Alappuzha or Alleppey is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in state of Kerala, India. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India which attracts millions of domestic and international tourists.
Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri, better known simply as Namboothiri, is an Indian painter and sculptor, known for his line art and copper relief works. He has done illustrations 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 is reported to be one of the most prolific literary illustrators in the world. He is a former chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. The Akademi awarded him the Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2003. He is 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 film received an overwhelming response and it has emerged as one of the top grossers in Kerala's box office history.
The J. C. Daniel Award is Kerala's highest award in Malayalam cinema. It is presented annually by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, a non-profit institution under the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala, India. Instituted in 1992, the award is given to honour the recipients for their "outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema". Recipients are selected by an independent jury established by the Academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs. As of 2019, the honourees receive a statuette, a citation, and a cash prize of ₹500,000 (US$6,300). They are honoured at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony.
Pattathuvila Karunakaran (1925–1988) was an Indian film producer and short story writer of Malayalam literature. He was best known for his book, Vimarsham and for his association with the film, Uttarayanam, the directorial debut of noted filmmaker, G. Aravindan, as the film's producer and story writer. Kerala Sahitya Akademi awarded him their annual award for story in 1972.
Balan is a lost 1938 Indian Malayalam-language drama film produced by T. R. Sundaram under the banner of Modern Theatres, directed by S. Nottani and written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. It is notable for being the first sound film in the Malayalam language, and the third feature film in Malayalam cinema after Vigathakumaran and Marthanda Varma. Based on the short story Vidhiyum Mrs. Nayarum by A. Sundaram. The film is a melodrama about the struggle of two orphaned children. The film stars K. K. Aroor in the title role and M. K. Kamalam as the female lead, with Master Madanagopal, M. V. Shanku, K. Gopinath, Alleppey Vincent and C. O. N. Nambiar in supporting roles.
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 (Nair), Best Actress (Seema), Best Child Artist (Vimal), and Best Editor.
Bhagyalakshmi is an Indian dubbing artist, actress and activist. She works primarily in Malayalam Film Industry and has dubbed for more than 4000 films in Malayalam cinema, most notably for actresses Shobana & Urvashi. Bhagyalakshmi published her autobiography titled Swarabhedangal, which received 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.
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.
K. Ravindranathan Nair , a.k.a. Achani Ravi or General Pictures Ravi, is an Indian film producer of Malayalam films, industrialist and philanthropist, known for a number of critically acclaimed movies he has produced such as Kanchana Sita, Thampu, Kummatty, Esthappan, Pokkuveyil, Elippathayam, Manju, Mukhamukham, Anantaram and Vidheyan. Nair is credited with fostering the art film movement in Malayalam cinema during the period from the seventies till the nineties. A multiple recipient of National and State film awards, Nair was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award by the Government of Kerala, in 2008, for his contributions to Malayalam cinema.
