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 420 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 civilian honour given by the Government of Kerala.
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Malayalam and Hindi cinema. The massive success his movies enjoyed mirrors the collective conscience of the people, particularly the elite, of that era - a period with which the filmmaker is intimately connected.
Shaji Neelakantan Karun is an Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi (1988) won the Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. He was the premiere chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the first academy for film and TV in India and was also the executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) from 1998 to 2001. He is best known for his award-winning films Piravi (1988), Swaham (1994), Vanaprastham (1999) and Kutty Srank (2009). He won the National Award for Best Director for his debut film Piravi. He also won two Kerala State Film Awards for Best Director for his films Swaham and Vanaprastham. Currently, he is the Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation.
Suresh Gopi is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acting debut as a child in the 1965 film Odayil Ninnu and as an adult in 1986 and has since acted in more than 250 films. In 1998, he won the National Film Award for Best Actor and Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Kaliyattam.
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.
Ranjith Balakrishnan is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor who works in Malayalam cinema. Ranjith made his directorial debut in 2001 with Ravanaprabhu, the sequel to Devaasuram. His films Thirakkatha and Indian Rupee won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam in 2008 and 2011 respectively. He is also the current chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
Mammootty, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He has acted in more than 400 films in Malayalam and other languages including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Kannada films. He has starred in both art house and blockbuster films.
Joseph Chellayya Daniel Nadar was an Indian filmmaker who is considered the father of Malayalam cinema. He was the first filmmaker from Kerala. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and acted in the first film made in Kerala, Vigathakumaran. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, The Travancore National Pictures. The Government of Kerala instituted the Kerala State Film Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1992 in his name, as a part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honour his lifetime achievements in Malayalam Cinema.
Renji Panicker is an Indian actor, scriptwriter, director, film producer, and journalist best known for his Malayalam films. He made his debut as a director with Bharatchandran IPS in 2005.
Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language mystery film written and directed by Ranjith, starring Mammootty, Shwetha Menon and Mythili. It is based on the novel of the same name by T. P. Rajeevan, which said the true story of the first recorded murder case in Kerala. Mammooty plays three characters in the film. The film was Mythili's debut in cinema. Ranjith also introduced about thirty Malayalam stage artists through this film. The film tells the story of a private detective, who returns to his birthplace, a village called Paleri, to solve a murder mystery that occurred on the same night he was born. Upon the release of the movie, it got an 'A' certificate due to its violent and adult content.
Sidharth Bharathan is an Indian actor, screenwriter and film director who prominently works in Malayalam films. He hade his acting debut in Nammal (2002) and directional debut in Nidra (2012).
Ebbey Abraham, better known by his stage name Vysakh, is an Indian film director who works in Malayalam films and is known for several commercially successful films like Pokkiri Raja, Seniors, Mallu Singh, Pulimurugan and Madhuraja. He began his career as a television anchor and later as an associate director to Joshiy and Johny Antony. He debuted as an independent director in 2010 with Pokkiri Raja starring Mammootty and Prithviraj Sukumaran. In 2016, his directorial Pulimurugan starring Mohanlal and Jagapathi Babu became the first Malayalam film to gross around ₹100 crore at the box office.
New generation films is a Malayalam film movement developed in the early 2010s, characterized by fresh and unusual themes and new narrative techniques. Films of the new wave differ from conventional themes of the past two decades and introduced several new trends and techniques to the Malayalam film industry. While the new generation formats and styles are deeply influenced by global trends, their thematics are firmly rooted in Malayalee life and mindscapes.
Balyakalasakhi is a 2014 Malayalam language film adaptation of the famous novel of the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The romantic musical drama film was written and directed by debutante Pramod Payyannur and stars Mammootty, Isha Talwar, Meena, Seema Biswas, KPAC Lalitha and Mamukkoya in lead roles.
Manglish is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Salam Bappu, and the features Mammootty and Dutch actress Caroline Bech in the lead. The film is produced by Haneef Muhammed under the banner of Red Rose Creations. Manglish is the first Malayalam film to be released in Dolby Atmos. The film is released on 25 July 2014 during the occasion of Eid-ul Fitr. Later the film was dubbed into Telugu as Malik Bhai.
Shine Tom Chacko is an Indian actor and former assistant director who works in Malayalam cinema. After working as an assistant to director Kamal for about 9 years, he forayed into acting through the film, Gaddama. He played supporting roles in several films including Ee Adutha Kaalathu, Chapters, Annayum Rasoolum ,Masala Republic, Jigirthada doubleX and played his first lead role in Binu S Kalady's fantasy-comedy film Ithihasa (2014) which dealt with body-swapping.
Deepu Pradeep is an Indian script writer active in the Malayalam film industry.
Kismath is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by debutante Shanavas K Bavakutty. The film stars Shane Nigam as Irfan and Shruthy Menon as Anita, two star-crossed lovers from different religious backgrounds. It is produced by Rajeev Ravi under the banner of Pattam Cinema Company, and in association with LJ Films and Akbar Travels.
Shane Nigam is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. Having made his debut in a credited role with the 2013 road film Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013), he went to receive wider attention for his performances in various successful drama films Kismath (2016), Parava (2017), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Ishq (2019), Bhoothakaalam (2022), and RDX: Robert Dony Xavier (2023).
Sushin Shyam is an Indian music composer, instrumentalist, and singer primarily associated with Malayalam cinema. He is also a founding member of the folk metal band The Down Troddence. He is known for his contributions to the films Varathan (2018), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Minnal Murali (2021), Bheeshma Parvam (2022), Romancham (2023), Kannur Squad (2023) and Manjummel Boys (2024) Aavesham (2024). His work on Kumbalangi Nights earned him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director in 2019.
