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.
Mohanlal Viswanathan ), known mononymously as Mohanlal, 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.
Prem Nazir was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. A popular cultural icon of Kerala, Nazir is often referred to as Nithyaharitha Nayakan. Nazir began his career as a stage actor and made his film debut with the 1952 film Marumakal. He took on the stage name Prem Nazir on the sets of his second film, Visappinte Vili (1952).
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, credited internationally as A Northern Story of Valor, is a subplot of Vadakkan Pattukal, a medieval ballad from North Malabar and is often regarded as a classic in Malayalam cinema. The film won four National Film Awards including Best Actor (Mammootty), Best Screenplay (Nair), Best Production Design and Best Costume Design and eight Kerala State Film Awards.
Chathikkatha Chanthu is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Rafi Mecartin and produced by Lal under the banner of Lal Creations. It stars Jayasurya in the title role, along with Vineeth, Lal, Navya Nair, and Bhavana in other major roles. The film features original songs composed by Alex Paul, while Berny-Ignatius did the scoring. In the film to spurn his landlord's daughter Indira, Chanthu writes love letters to an imaginary Vasumathi. However, things go awry when the letters reach a real Vasumathi and she falls for him.
Anandabhadram is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language romantic dark fantasy horror film based on the novel of the same name by Sunil Parameshwaran, and directed by Santosh Sivan. The story concerns ghosts, spirits, and black magic. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kavya Madhavan in the titular roles along with Manoj K. Jayan, Kalabhavan Mani, Biju Menon, Riya Sen, Revathy, Kalasala Babu, Cochin Haneefa and Nedumudi Venu plays other pivotal roles.
Unniyarcha is a legendary warrior and heroine from the 16th century, mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a set of historical ballads from northern Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyyar community family called Puthooram Veed in Kadathanad. Her father's name was Kannappa Chekavar. She is believed to have lived in the northern part of Kerala during the 16th century. She is a popular character in Kerala's folklore and is remembered for her valour and skills in Kerala's native martial art, Kalaripayattu. According to legend, Unniyarcha was mostly known for her deadly skill with the whip-like urumi, a unique type of sword that originates from Kerala. Like most traditional Kalaripayattu practitioners, she began training at the kalari at the age of seven.
Maliampurackal Chacko Kunchacko was an Indian film producer and director who worked in the Malayalam film industry. His venture Udaya Studios influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madras, Tamil Nadu to Kerala. He is the producer of Jeevithanauka (1951), starring Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair.
T. K. Sarangapani was a Malayalam screenwriter and playwright. He has written the screenplay and dialogues for thirty six films, most of them for Kunchacko's Udaya Studios. Most of his films are Vadakkanpattu-related period dramas.
Unniyarcha ഉണ്ണിയാർച്ച is a 1961 Indian Malayalam-language action film, produced and directed by Kunchacko. The film stars Ragini, Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair and Hari. Based on the life of warrior of the same name mentioned in Vadakkan Pattukal, it was released on 24 August 1961 and became a success. and this movie has a sequel named "Aromalunni". 1972 released.
Aromalunni ആരോമലുണ്ണി is a 1972 Indian Malayalam-language film directed and produced by Kunchacko, based on Vadakkan Pattukal, a collection of Northern Ballads of medieval origin. The film stars Prem Nazir, Vijayasree, Ravichandran and Sheela in the lead roles. The film has musical score by G. Devarajan and it is a sequel to the 1961 film Unniyarcha. The film was a commercial success.
Chandu Chekavar, was a sixteenth-century chekavar of the Chekavar family from Kerala folklore, mentioned in the folk songs of Northern Kerala called Vadakkan Pattukal.
Aromal Chekavar was a warrior believed to have lived during the 16th century in the North Malabar region of present-day Kerala, India. He was from the Thiyyar community and a chief of the Puthooram family and was thus also known as Puthooram Veettil Aromal Chekavar. He was the elder brother of Unniyarcha and uncle of Aromalunni, who were also skilled warriors.
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.
