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.
Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India during the 11th–12th century CE.
The Malayali people are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala & Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They form the majority of the population in Kerala and Lakshadweep. They are predominantly native speakers of the Malayalam language, one of the eleven 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 Travancore, the Kingdom of Cochin, 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.
Theyyam is a Hindu religious ritual practiced in northern Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is also known as Kaḷiyāṭṭaṁ or Tiṟa. Theyyam consists of traditions, rituals and customs associated with temples and sacred groves of Malabar. The people of the region consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam.
Vatakara,, is a Municipality, Taluk and a major town in the Kozhikode district of Kerala state, India. The municipality of Vatakara covers an area of 23.33 km2 (9.01 sq mi) and is bordered by Mahé to the north and Payyoli to the south. It is the headquarters of Vatakara taluk, which consists of 22 panchayats. During the reign of the Kolathiris and Zamorins, Vatakara was known as Kadathanadu. During the British Raj, it was part of the North Malabar region of Malabar District in the state of Madras. The historic Lokanarkavu temple, made famous by the Vadakkan Pattukal, is situated in Vatakara. A new tardigrade species collected from Vadakara coast has been named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.
Māyāvi is a Malayalam comic strip appearing in the Indian comic magazine Balarama owned by MM Publications. The series, was first published in the August 1984 issue of Balarama. Artist M. Mohandas gradually took over the drawing of the series after Balarama became a fortnightly.
The culture of Kerala has developed over the past millennia, influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. Modern Kerala society took shape owing to migrations from different parts of India and abroad throughout Classical Antiquity.
Amma Ariyan is a 1986 Malayalam-language experimental film directed by avant-garde filmmaker John Abraham. The story revolves around the incidents following the death of a young Naxalite, upon whose death his friends travel to the village where his mother lives to inform her of the death of her only son.
P. V. Jagadish Kumar, better known mononymously as Jagadish, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, and television presenter. He has starred in over 400 Malayalam films and two Hindi films. He is best known for his comic and character roles. Jagadish starred in over 50 films as the lead actor during the 1990s. He was one of the bankable lead stars in Malayalam cinema during the 1990s.
The Ezhavas, also known as Thiyya or Tiyyar in the Malabar region, are a community with origins in the region of India presently known as Kerala, where in the 2010s they constituted about 23% of the population and were reported to be the largest Hindu community. The Malabar Ezhava group has claimed a higher rank in the Hindu caste system than the other Ezhava groups but was considered to be of a similar rank by colonial and subsequent administrations.
N. Sreedharan Nair, popularly known as Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair or just Kottarakkara, was an Indian actor, born as the son of Narayana Pillai and Ummini Amma in Kollam district, Kerala. He appeared in Malayalam movies.
Malabar Gopalan Nair Radhakrishnan was an Indian music director and Carnatic vocalist from Kerala.
My Dear Kuttichathan is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language children's fantasy film directed by Jijo Punnoose and produced by his father Navodaya Appachan under Navodaya Studio. It was the first Indian film to be filmed in 3D format. With screenplay by Raghunath Paleri, the story revolves around a mystical indigenous goblin called "Kuttichathan" who is under the spell of an evil sorcerer, however it gets released by three children and then befriends them. The film's soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with cinematography and editing by Ashok Kumar and T. R. Shekhar, respectively. It was the debut film of actors Jagadish and Zainuddin.
Mayavi is a 2007 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Shafi and written by the Rafi Mecartin duo, starring Mammootty in the title role with Gopika, Sai Kumar, Manoj K. Jayan, Salim Kumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vijayaraghavan and Santhosh Jogi in supporting roles. It was a commercial success and was remade in Tamil as Vallakottai in 2010. The film was a major commercial success and was the highest grossing malayalam movie of the year.
Kothanda Ramaiah is an Indian film director, producer, distributor and exhibitor. He has held various leading positions in different film industry organizations.
Veeram (transl. Valour) is a 2016 Indian historical drama film written and directed by Jayaraj. It is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, and is the fifth installment in Jayaraj's Navarasa series. The film, which also takes inspirations from the Vadakkan Pattukal of North Malabar region in Kerala tells the story of Chandu Chekavar, an infamous warrior in the 13th century North Malabar.
Avanangattilkalari Sree Vishnumaya Temple is a Hindu temple at Peringottukara, Thrissur District, Kerala state, India. It is dedicated to the god Vishnumaya in Kerala. The god is known also by the names Chathan.
The Kanadikavu Shree Vishnumaya Kuttichathan Swami temple is an ancient Vishnumaya temple located 20 km southwest of Thrissur in Peringottukara, the cultural capital of Kerala, India.
Kuttichathan Theyyam also known as Sasthappan Theyyam is a theyyam that is performed in northern parts of Kerala state in India. As the deity in Kuttichathan theyyam is associated with the Brahmin family from Kalakattu illam in Payyanur in Kannur district, this theyyam is also known as Kalakattu Kuttichathan.
Kumari is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language mythological fantasy film written and directed by Nirmal Sahadev, featuring Aishwarya Lekshmi in title role. It also features Shine Tom Chacko and Surabhi Lakshmi in supporting roles. The film is produced by Giju John, Nirmal Sahadev, Sreejith Sarang and Jakes Bejoy under the banner The Fresh Lime Sodas. Abraham Joseph is the cinematographer of the film, while Jakes Bejoy composed the songs. Kumari is co-produced by Aishwarya Lekshmi, Priyanka Joseph and Mridhula Pinapala
