Malayalam cinema is the Indian film industry based in the southern state of Kerala, dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Malayalam language. It is also known by the sobriquet Mollywood in various print and online media. The films produced here are known for their cinematography and story-driven realistic plots. Works such as Marana Simhasanam and Vanaprastham were screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
Marana Simhasanam garnered the coveted Caméra d'Or for that year.
Paliyath Jayachandrakuttan, popularly known as P. Jayachandran, is an Indian playback singer and classical musician from Kerala. Jayachandran is best known for his captivating voice which gave him the title Bhava Gayakan by the music fraternity of South India.
A mangala sutra is a necklace that the groom ties around the bride's neck in Indian and sub-Indian countries, in a ceremony called Mangalya Dharanam, which identifies her as a married woman.
Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran, better known as I. V. Sasi, was an Indian film director who made over 150 films in various Indian languages. He is well known for his work in Malayalam cinema of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, although he directed a few Tamil and Hindi films as well. In 2015, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, the highest award in Malayalam cinema.
Aloysius Vincent was an Indian cinematographer and director of Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. From the mid-1960s on he directed some 30 movies including the landmark Malayalam films Bhargavi Nilayam, and Murappennu. He also won the Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award for Prem Nagar (1974) starring Rajesh Khanna. His penultimate Malayalam movie were the 1985 3D film Pournami Ravil and Kochu Themmadi (1986). He is also known for directing Tamil films like Engalkku Kalam Varum, Thulabharam, Iru Veedugal and Jayalalitha's 100th film Thirumangalyam. In 2003, the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) awarded him an Honorary Membership, along with K. K. Mahajan and V. K. Murthy. He received the J. C. Daniel Award in 1996.
Kavitha Ranjini, known by the stage name Urvashi, is an Indian film actress, Television host and producer.
S. Ravi Varman, ISC is an Indian cinematographer, filmmaker, producer and writer. He has predominantly worked in films of Indian languages such as Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. Known for his realistic and poetic framing sense, Ravi Varman began his career in Malayalam films. He has directed a romantic film in Tamil titled Moscowin Kavery and also filmed the music video for the song "Bird Flu" by British Tamil songwriter M.I.A..
Rahman is an Indian film actor who has starred in over 150 films, primarily Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. In Tamil and Telugu cinema, he is also known by the screen names Raghuman and Raghu.
Mohan Rao, known mononymously as Mohan or Mike Mohan is an Indian film actor, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema, and a few Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam films. He is also known as "Kokila Mohan" after his debut film Kokila, and "Mike" from numerous roles playing singers using microphones. In 1982, he received the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor for his work in Payanangal Mudivathillai.
Rekitha Rajendra Kurup better known by her stagename Bhama, is an Indian film actress who has mainly appeared in Malayalam and Kannada language films. She made her debut in 2007 with the film Nivedyam directed by A. K. Lohithadas. In a career spanning over a decade, she has starred in over 35 films.
K. Ramachandra Babu, ISC is a Kerala State award-winning cinematographer of over 125 films, out of which most are Malayalam films. He has also worked for films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Arabic and English languages. He has served as the cinematographer for several documentaries and advertisement films as well. He is the founder of the Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC).
Priya Raman is a Malayalam actress and film producer. She has appeared in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and one Kannada cinema and in television serials of both languages. Her first film was the Rajnikanth-produced film Valli, in 1993. Her second film. Arthana, directed by I. V. Sasi and released in 1993 was her debut in Malayalam.
B. Lenin is an Indian film editor, writer and director who works in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films. The son of Tamil film maker A. Bhimsingh, Lenin entered the film industry as an assistant editor and went on to work in numerous projects before making his debut as an independent editor with J. Mahendran's Uthiripookkal (1979). In the mid 1980s, Lenin started jointly working with his long-time assistant V. T. Vijayan and the duo has so far edited over a hundred films in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films, apart from an English film, Eli My Friend.
Priyanka Nair is an Indian model-turned-actress who works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She made her debut in the Tamil film Veyyil in 2006. She gained critical acclaim for her roles in Bhoomi Malayalam, Vilapangalkappuramand Jalam.
Vidyasagar also known as "Gaanaa" Vidyasagar is an Indian composer, musician and singer best known for his super hit/blockbuster songs who works predominantly in the Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi film industries. After working with several composers as assistant and conductor, Vidyasagar made his debut as a film composer in the 1989 Tamil film Poomanam. Working for over 225 feature films, he is the recipient of the prestigious National Award and five Filmfare Awards.
Thaali Pudhusu is a 1997 Indian Tamil film, directed by K. R., starring Ramki, Suresh and Kushboo Sundar in lead roles. The film, had musical score by Vidyasagar and Raj, and was released on 10 April 1997. The film is a remake of Telugu film Aame (1994).
Marudur Gopala Chakrapani, commonly known as Ettan, was an Indian actor based in the Tamil film industry. He was the elder brother of actor-politician M. G. Ramachandran.
Shivada is an Indian film actress who appears in Malayalam and Tamil films.
K. R. Savithri is an Indian actress in Malayalam movies. She is one of the prominent supporting actress in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She is born at Thiruthani. Her father is from Andhra Pradesh and mother is from Kerala. Actresses K. R. Vijaya and K. R. Vatsala are her sisters. Her daughters Anusha and Ragasudha are also actresses. She currently resides at Chennai with family.
