The following is the second of a list of films — released over the last decade, available across various streaming platforms — for someone new to Malayalam cinema. (Here’s Part 1.)
Paradise (Mubi/Prime Video/Manorama Max)
Two years before Eko (the latest Malayalam box office sensation), a smaller, relatively more independent film brilliantly explored master-slave/man-animal parallels. Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage’s intense, politically charged relationship drama — starring Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran — also evoked instances from the Ramayana.
Ariyippu (Netflix)
A perfect companion piece to Paradise, but not advisable for consecutive viewings, given the resultant discomfort both leave us with. Filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan — currently directing Patriot with Mammootty and Mohanlal — explores turbulent emotions through the central characters, essayed by Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha.
Manjummel Boys (JioHotstar)
Whatever the offscreen 'scandals' this film is associated with, there's no denying that this plucked-from-the-headlines survival drama is one of the most immersive moviegoing experiences of all time, with people involved in front of and behind the camera delivering some of their best work.
Churuli (SonyLIV)
Speaking of immersive experiences, here's another one — from maverick filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery. A truly liberating experience, to say the least. Some may have reduced it to just a series of expletive-laden tsunamis — including one of its lead actors who, for some odd reason, strangely denied agreeing to uttering those k-words — but the endlessly rewatchable film is much beyond all that fuss.
Ronth (JioHotstar)
Coloured by the experiences of Shahi Kabir, its writer-director, a real-life policeman, this remarkably gritty and chilling crime drama, starring Roshan Mathew and Dileesh Pothan, can be looked at as a spiritual successor to Nayattu (refer to Part 1 of this list). There is a strong existential and cynical bent to Shahi's scripts, and nowhere is it more prominent than in Ronth.
Kishkindha Kaandam (JioHotstar)
A mystery thriller that is as mindbending as it is emotionally rewarding, Kishkindha Kaandam announced the arrival of filmmaker Dinjith Ayyathan and writer-cinematographer Bahul Ramesh, for whose exceptional talents the film proved to be a perfect showcase. Headlined by a stellar cast comprising Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, and Vijayaraghavan, among others.
1956, Central Travancore (YouTube)
For those serious-minded cineastes who prefer films with an unhurried pace, where stillness is the strongest attribute — films with stationary camera angles and long takes — filmmaker Don Palathara's monochrome portrait of an adventure in a different era works like a charm. Skillfully narrated, the film boasts an otherworldly ambiance.
Minnal Murali (Netflix)
Directed by Basil Joseph, who is also currently one of Malayalam cinema's most celebrated actors, this Tovino Thomas-starrer is regarded as the industry’s first genuine stab at the superhero genre, with a neat balance of emotion, spectacle, and humour. It's a pity that we couldn't get to see this on the big screen. Fingers crossed for a sequel.
Rorschach (JioHotstar)
Led by Mammootty, this mystery navigates multiple genres in a way we have not seen before in Malayalam cinema — a wild, idiosyncratic concept that would've earlier seemed impossible to execute well on the screen. Fortunately, filmmaker Nisam Basheer and writer Sameer Abdul were capable enough to make it work, encouraging aspiring storytellers to venture out of their comfort zone.
Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Prime Video)
Propelled by two powerful and layered characters, courtesy of actors Biju Menon and Prithviraj Sukumaran, this riveting tale of male egos run amok benefited greatly from a nuanced, controlled directing approach from the late Sachy, whose writing was loaded with enough insight and moral quandaries to make this one worthy of multiple revisits.
