fbpx
Wikipedia

Malayalam cinema

Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India.[3] The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, Elippathayam won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival, and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by the British Film Institute. Rajiv Anchal's Guru (1997), Salim Ahamed's Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) and Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikkattu (2019) were Malayalam films sent by India as its official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards.

Other films which achieved global acclaim include Chemmeen (1965), which received a Certificate of Merit at the Chicago International Film Festival, and a gold medal at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Cinematography.[4] Swaham (1994) won the Bronze Rosa Camuna at the Bergamo Film Meeting in Italy.[5][6][7][8] The first 3D film produced in India, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), was made in Malayalam.[9] The first CinemaScope film produced in Malayalam was Thacholi Ambu (1978).[10]

During the early 1920s the Malayalam film industry was based in Thiruvananthapuram, although the film industry started to develop and flourish only by the late 1940s. Later the industry shifted to Chennai (formerly Madras), which then was the capital of the South Indian film industry. By the late 1980s, the Malayalam film industry returned and established itself in Kerala[11] with the majority of locations, studios, production and post-production facilities being located in Kochi. Several media sources describe Kochi as the hub of the film industry.[12][13][14][15] As of 2018, Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor, 6 for the best actress, 12 for the best film, and 13 for the best film director at the National Film Awards, India.[16]

History

 
A scene from Vigathakumaran, the first Malayalam feature film

Active Malayalam film production did not take place until the second half of the 20th century: there were only two silent films, and three Malayalam-language films before 1947.[17][18] With support from the Kerala state government production climbed from around 6 a year in the 1950s, to 30 a year in the 1960s, 40 a year in the 1970s, to 127 films in 1980.[17]

Origins 1928

The first cinema hall in Kerala, with a manually operated film projector, was opened in Thrissur by Jose Kattookkaran in 1907. In 1913, the first permanent theatre in Kerala was established in Thrissur town by Kattookkaran and was called the Jose Electrical Bioscope, now Jos Theatre.[19][20][21]

 
PK Rosy, the first actress of Malayalam movie industry

The first film made in Malayalam was Vigathakumaran. Production started in 1928, and it was released at the Capitol Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 October 1930. It was produced and directed by J. C. Daniel, a businessman with no prior film experience, who is credited as the father of Malayalam cinema.[22] Daniel founded the first film studio, The Travancore National Pictures Limited, in Kerala.[22] A second film, Marthanda Varma, based on a novel by C. V. Raman Pillai, was produced by R. Sundar Raj in 1933. However, after only being shown for four days, the film prints were confiscated due to a legal battle over copyright.[22]

The first talkie in Malayalam was Balan, released in 1938.[23][citation needed] It was directed by S. Nottani with a screenplay and songs written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. It was produced by Modern Theatres at Salem in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. Balan was followed by Gnanambika in 1940, which was directed by S. Notani. Then came Prahlada in 1941, directed by K. Subramoniam of Madras and featuring Guru Gopinath and Thankamani Gopinath.

Until 1947 most Malayalam films were made by Tamil producers, P. J. Cherian[24] was the first Malayali producer to venture into this field after JC Daniel. PJ Cherian produced Nirmala in 1948 with Joseph Cherian and Baby Joseph his son and daughter-in-law as hero and heroine. He also cast many other family members in other roles, trying to break the taboo that noble family people do not take up acting. Thus Nirmala set many firsts for introducing play-back singing. P.J. Cherian introduced play-back singing in Malayalam cinema. The lyrics of the film written by G. Sankara Kurup became popular.

Udaya Studios' Vellinakshatram (1949) was the first movie with audio to be made completely in Kerala.

1950s

Malayalam cinema has always taken its themes from relevant social issues and has been interwoven with material from literature, drama, and politics since its inception. One such film, Jeevitha Nouka (1951), was a musical drama that spoke about the problems in a joint family.

In 1954, the film Neelakuyil captured national interest by winning the President's silver medal.[25] It was scripted by the well-known Malayalam novelist Uroob, and directed by P. Bhaskaran and Ramu Kariat.

Newspaper Boy (1955) contained elements of Italian neorealism. This film is notable as the product of a group of amateur college filmmakers. It told the story of a printing press employee and his family being stricken with extreme poverty.[26]

The music took a turn away from the trend of copying Tamil and Hindi songs. The poets Tirunainaarkurichy Madhavan Nair – Thirunaiyarkurichy, P. Bhaskaran, O. N. V. Kurup, and Vayalar Ramavarma rose up in this period as film lyricists. Brother Lakshmanan, Dakshinamurthy, K. Raghavan, G. Devarajan, M. S. Baburaj, and Pukhenthey Velappan Nair started a distinct style of Malayalam music. Kamukara Purushotaman, Mehboob, Kozhikode Abdul Kader, AM Raja, P. B. Sreenivas, K. P. Udayabhanu, Santha P. Nair, P. Leela, S. Janaki, P. Susheela, B. Vasantha, Renuka, and Jikki were the most prominent singers of the 1950s.[citation needed] The drama artist and school teacher Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai lent many of his skills to the cinema in this period.

1960s

Ramu Kariat, one of the directors of Neelakuyil (along with P. Bhaskaran), went on to become a successful director in the 1960s and 1970s. P. Bhaskaran directed many acclaimed and hit films in the 1960s and 70s. The cameraman of Neelakkuyil, A. Vincent, also became a noted director of the 1960s and 1970s. Notable films of this decade include Odayil Ninnu, Bhargavi Nilayam (1964), Chemmeen (1965), Murappennu (1965) and Iruttinte Athmavu (1966).

Malayalam cinema's first colour film was Kandam Bacha Coat (1961).

Chemmeen (1965), directed by Ramu Kariat and based on a novel of the same name by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, went on to become very popular and became the first South Indian film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.

Most of the films of the 1960s were animated by the nationalist and socialist projects and centered on issues relating to caste and class exploitation, the fight against obscurantist beliefs, the degeneration of the feudal class, and the break-up of the joint-family system.[27]

In the 1960s, M. Krishnan Nair, Kunchacko and P. Subramaniam were the leading Malayali producers. Thikkurusi Sukumaran Nair, Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Madhu, Adoor Bhasi, Bahadur, S.P. Pillai, K.P. Ummer, Kottarakara Sreedharan Nair, Raghavan, G.K. Pillai, Muthukulam, Joseprakash, Paravur Bharatan, Muthayya, Shankaradi, Govindankutty, K.R. Vijaya, Padmini, Ragini, Sharada, Sheela, Ambika, Jayabharathi, Arumula Ponnamma and Sadahna were among the more popular actors active in this period.[citation needed]

During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Kunchacko made significant contributions to Malayalam cinema, both as a producer and as director of some notable movies. He started Udaya Studios in Alleppey (Alappuzha) in 1947, reducing the travel to Madras (Chennai) for film crew and actors. This boosted Malayalam film production in Kerala.[citation needed]

Many directors sprang up in this period. P.N. Menon made Rosy and later Chemparanthi. G. Aravindan and Adoor Gopalakrishnan also started work in 1960s and became famous later.

1970s

 
Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the pioneers of Indian parallel cinema.

The 70s saw the emergence of a new wave of cinema in Malayalam. The growth of the film society movement in Kerala introduced the works of the French and Italian New Wave directors to the discerning Malayali film enthusiasts. Adoor Gopalakrishnan's first film, Swayamvaram (1972), brought Malayalam cinema to the international film arena. In 1973 M. T. Vasudevan Nair, who was by then recognised as an important author in Malayalam, directed his first film, Nirmalyam, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. G. Aravindan followed Adoor's lead with his Uttarayanam in 1974. K. P. Kumaran's Adhithi (1974) was another film that was acclaimed by the critics. Cinematographers who won the National Award for their work on Malayalam films in the 1970s were Mankada Ravi Varma for Swayamvaram (1972), P. S. Nivas for Mohiniyattam (1977), and Shaji N. Karun for Thampu (1979). John Abraham, K. R. Mohanan, K. G. George, and G. S. Panikkar were products of the Pune Film Institute who made significant contributions.[citation needed]

During the late 1970s, some young artists started seeing Malayalam cinema as a medium of expression and thought of it as a tool to revitalise society. A noted director, Aravindan, was famous in Kerala as a cartoonist before he started making films. His important movies include Kanchana Sita (1977), Thampu (1978), Kummatty (1979), Chidambaram (1985), Oridathu (1986), and Vasthuhara (1990).

The 1970s also saw the emergence of the notable director P. G. Viswambharan with his debut film Ozhukinethire and the mythical film Satyavan Savithri, which were well accepted.

Also, commercial cinema in this period saw several worker-class themed films which mostly had M. G. Soman, Sukumaran and Sudheer in the lead followed by the emergence of a new genre of pure action-themed films, in a movement led by Jayan. However, this was short-lived, and almost ended when Jayan died while performing a stunt in Kolilakkam (1980).

1980s

The Malayalam cinema of this period was characterised by detailed screenplays dealing with everyday life with a lucid narration of plot intermingling with humour and melancholy. This was aided by the cinematography and lighting. The films had warm background music.

In 1981 Fazil directed Manjil Virinja Pookal the film also introduced then Romantic star Shankar (actor) and later actor Mohanlal to the world. Adoor Gopalakrishnan made Elippathayam in 1981. This movie won the British Film Institute award.[citation needed] The year 1981 also saw the rise of actor Mammootty through the movie Sphodanam directed by P. G. Viswambharan .

In the 1980s Padmarajan made some of the landmark motion pictures in Malayalam cinema, including masterpieces like Oridathoru Phayalvaan (1981), Koodevide (1983), Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam(1985), Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil (1986), Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal (1986), Thoovanathumbikal (1987),Moonnam Pakkam (1988), Innale (1989) and Season (1989). He wrote several short stories that were unique in content and presentation. His novels handled the darkest emotions and considered as Classics. Most plots were nascent for that age literature. All works were so cinematic and Can be easily visualized to the celluloid version.

K. G. George released films including Yavanika and Adaminte Vaariyellu. This was the period during which script writer M. T. Vasudevan Nair started teaming up with director Hariharan to produce works like Panchagni, Nakhakshathangal, Aranyakam and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha.

John Abraham's films such as Amma Ariyaan addressed people's issues and raised the finance directly from people.

The period had movies with humour from directors like Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad, Kamal and Siddique-Lal. Piravi (1989) by Shaji N. Karun was the first Malayalam film to win the Caméra d'Or-Mention at the Cannes Film Festival.[5]

Ratheesh and Sukumaran also were leading stars in the industry in the early eighties. Later Mammootty has won 3 National Film Awards for best actor. Mohanlal has won 5 National Awards, including 2 for Best Actor, 1 special jury award, 1 special mention and 1 as a producer.

1990s

Some examples are Mathilukal (1990) directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Kattukuthira (1990) directed by P. G. Viswambharan, Amaram (1991) directed by Bharathan, Ulladakkam (1992) directed by Kamal, Kilukkam (1991) directed by Priyadarshan, Kamaladalam (1992) by Sibi Malayil, Vidheyan (1993) by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Devaasuram (1993) by I. V. Sasi, Manichitrathazhu (1993) by Fazil, Ponthan Mada (1993) by T. V. Chandran, Spadikam (1995) by Bhadran, Commissioner(1994) The King (1995) by Shaji Kailas, Hitler (1996) by Siddique and Desadanam (1997) by Jayaraj. Due to a series of comedy films produced between the late 1980s and late 1990s made actors like Jagadish, Siddique, Mukesh, Sreenivasan and Jayaram became very popular for their comedy roles. This series of comedy films begun in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with comedy films by Sathyan Anthikad and Siddique-Lal, like Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu, Mazhavilkavadi, Ramji Rao Speaking, Thalayana Manthram, In Harihar Nagar, and Godfather, and some of them went on to be remade by other directors in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and other languages. The success of In Harihar Nagar led to the production of a series of comedy films in the early and mid-1990s.

Swaham (1994), directed by Shaji N. Karun, was the first Malayalam film entry for the competition in the Cannes International Film Festival, where it was a nominee for the Palme d'Or. Murali Nair's Marana Simhasanam later won the Caméra d'Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.[28] Guru (1997), directed by Rajiv Anchal, was chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category for that year, making it the first film in Malayalam to be chosen for Oscar nomination. Noted script writer A.K. Lohithadas made his directorial debut with Bhoothakkannadi, for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.[citation needed]

2000s

The millennium started with a blockbuster hit Narasimham starring Mohanlal . In 2001 came the world's first film with only one actor in the cast, The Guard. Slapstick comedy was the predominant theme of the films of this era. C.I.D. Moosa (2003) by Johny Antony, Meesa Madhavan (2002) by Lal Jose and Kunjikoonan (2002) directed by Sasi Shanker are examples. Sequels to a number of successful films were made. Some movies were examples of exemplary film making, such as Meghamalhar, Madhuranombarakattu, Nandanam, Perumazhakkalam, and Kaazhcha. In 2008, Malayalam movie artists came together in the multistar film Twenty:20 to raise funds for the AMMA.[29]

2010s

After several years of quality deterioration, Malayalam films saw the signs of massive resurgence after 2010[30] with the release of several experimental films (known as New Wave or New Generation films),[31] mostly from new directors. New Wave is characterised by fresh and unusual themes and new narrative techniques.[30][32] These films differ from conventional themes of the 1990s and 2000s and have introduced several new trends to the Malayalam industry.[33] While the new generation's formats and styles are deeply influenced by global and Indian trends, their themes are firmly rooted in Malayali life and mindscapes.[34] The new generation also helped the Malayalam film industry regain its past glory.[35]

Salim Ahamed's Adaminte Makan Abu was chosen as India's official entry to the Academy Awards to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category in 2011.

Christian Brothers (2011) was released worldwide with a total of 310 prints on 18 March; it went to 154 centres in Kerala, 90 centres outside Kerala and 80 centres overseas, making it the widest release for a Malayalam film at that time. This record was later broken by Peruchazhi (2014), which released in 500 screens worldwide on 29 August.[36] Drishyam (2013) became the first Malayalam film to cross the 500 million mark at the box office. The film was critically acclaimed and was remade in four languages.[37] Later, in 2016, Pulimurugan directed by Vyshak became the first Malayalam film to cross the 1 billion mark at the box office.

In recent years, Malayalam films have gained popularity in Sri Lanka,[38] with fans citing cultural similarities between Sinhalese people and Malayalis as a reason.[38] In 2019, Lucifer became the highest grossing Malayalam film of all time. Lucifer became the highest grossing Indian film in Dubai. The film collected a final gross of 2000 million at the box office.

2020s

In November 2020, Lijo Jose Pellissery's film Jallikattu was selected as India's submission for Oscar for best foreign language film making as third Malayalam film as entry.[39].In 2020 a mid the COVID-19lockdown, Sufiyum Sujatayum, starring Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari, has become the first Malayalam film to be released on the Amazon Prime Video (OTT) platform as theatres remain shut in Kerala due to the pandemic. In 2021, Drishyam 2 , Nayattu , Kala , Joji , The Great Indian Kitchen and Malik made their list in the highest rated 2021 movies in Imdb .Drishyam 2 , The Great Indian Kitchen and Malik became Worldwide famous and most debated movies in 2021.

Malayalam Cinema's first ever original superhero Minnal Murali was released through Netflix on 24th December 2021. Tovino Thomas as Minnal Murali which was directed by Basil Joseph under Weekend Blockbusters gained great reviews by critics and became top watched Non-English movie on Netflix. It broke all records of Malayalam Cinema trailers on YouTube crossing 6 Million Views and 500K+ likes in 24 hours. In March 2022, Amal Neeerad's Bheeshma Parvam took the record for the biggest opening weekend ever in Kerala for a Malayalam movie. The Mammooty starring action thriller grossed Rs. 21-21.25 crores in the state during its 4-days weekend, besting the previous record held by Lucifer which earned Rs. 20 crores.[40]

Pioneering film-making techniques

Newspaper Boy (1955), a neorealistic film, drew inspiration from Italian neorealism.[10][41] Padayottam (1982) was India's first indigenously produced 70 mm film,[42] while My Dear Kuttichathan (1984) was India's first 3D film.[9] O' Faby (1993) was India's first live-action/animation hybrid film.[43]

Amma Ariyan (1986) was the first film made in India with money collected from the public. It was produced by Odessa Collective, founded by the director John Abraham and friends. The money was raised by collecting donations and screening Charlie Chaplin's film The Kid.[44]

Moonnamathoral (2006) was the first Indian film to be shot and distributed in digital format.[45]

Jalachhayam (2010) was the world first feature film shot entirely on a cell phone camera[46] and it was also an experimental film directed by Sathish Kalathil who is the director of Veena Vaadanam, the first documentary film in India shot with the same movie capture medium.

Villain (2017) is the first Indian film to be shot entirely in 8K resolution.[47]

Notable personalities

Directors

Malayalam cinema's directors have included J. C. Daniel, the director and producer of the first Malayalam film, Vigathakumaran (1928). Unlike other Indian films at that time, most of them were based on the Puranas, he chose to base his film on a social theme.[48] Though it failed commercially, he paved the way for the Malayalam film industry and is widely considered the "father of Malayalam cinema". Until the 1950s, Malayalam film didn't see many talented film directors. The milestone film Neelakuyil (1954), directed by Ramu Kariat and P. Bhaskaran, shed a lot of limelight over its directors.[41] Ramu Kariat went on to become a celebrated director in the 1960s and 1970s. P. Bhaskaran directed a few acclaimed films in the 1960s. The cameraman of Neelakuyil, A. Vincent, also became a noted director of the 1960s and 1970s.[49] Another noted director of the 1950s was P. Ramadas, the director of the neorealistic film Newspaper Boy (1955).

In the 1970s, the Malayalam film industry saw the rise of film societies. It triggered a new genre of films known as "parallel cinema". The main driving forces of the movement, who gave priority to serious cinema, were Adoor Gopalakrishnan and G. Aravindan. People like John Abraham and P. A. Backer gave a new dimension to Malayalam cinema through their political themes. The late 1970s witnessed the emergence of another stream of Malayalam films, known as "middle-stream cinema", which seamlessly integrated the seriousness of the parallel cinema and the popularity of the mainstream cinema. Most of the films belonging to this stream were directed by PN Menon, I. V. Sasi, P. G. Viswambharan, K. G. George, Bharathan and Padmarajan.[50]

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a new array of directors joined the stalwarts who had already made a mark in the industry. This period saw the narrowing of the gap between the different streams of the industry.[41] Directors like P. G. Viswambharan, K. G. George, Priyadarshan, I. V. Sasi, John Abraham, Fazil, Joshiy, Bhadran, Kamal, Sibi Malayil, Hariharan, Sathyan Anthikad, K. Madhu and Siddique-Lal contributed significantly . There were also extraordinary screenwriters like M. T. Vasudevan Nair, T. Damodaran, A. K. Lohithadas and Sreenivasan, whose contributions were also commendable.[citation needed]

The 2000s saw a decline in the quality of Malayalam films. Many directors who had excelled in the Golden Age struggled as many of their films continuously failed critically and commercially. As a result, the gap between parallel cinema (now known as art cinema) and mainstream cinema (now known as commercial cinema) widened. The 2000s also saw a commercial film formula being created in line with Tamil and Bollywood films. Directors like Shaji Kailas, Rafi Mecartin and Anwar Rasheed directed blockbusters which had few artistic merits to boast of.[citation needed] Despite the overall decline, some directors stood apart and made quality cinema. Shaji N. Karun, Lenin Rajendran, Shyamaprasad and Jayaraj made films that won laurels. Notable directors who debuted in this time include Blessy, Lal Jose, R.Sharath, Ranjith, Rosshan Andrrews, Amal Neerad, Aashiq Abu, Dr. Biju, Vineeth Sreenivasan and Lijo Jose Pellissery.[citation needed]

Out of the 40 National Film Awards for Best Director given away till 2007, Malayalam directors have received 12. The directors who have won include Adoor Gopalakrishnan (1973, 1985, 1988, 1990, 2007), G. Aravindan (1978, 1979, 1987), Shaji N. Karun (1989), T. V. Chandran (1994), Jayaraj (1998, 2017) and Rajivnath (1999). There are several recipients of the Special Jury Award as well: Mankada Ravi Varma (1984), John Abraham (1987), Shaji N. Karun (1995) and Pradeep Nair (2005).[51][52]

Film music

Film music, which refers to playback singing in the context of Indian music, forms the most important canon of popular music in India. The film music of Kerala in particular is the most popular form of music in the state.[53] Before Malayalam cinema and Malayalam film music developed, the Keralites eagerly followed Tamil and Hindi film songs, and that habit has stayed with them until now. The history of Malayalam film songs begins with the 1948 film Nirmala which was produced by artist P. J. Cherian who introduced play-back singing for the first time in the film. The film's music composer was P. S. Divakar, and the songs were sung by P. Leela, T. K. Govindarao, Vasudeva Kurup, C. K. Raghavan, Sarojini Menon and Vimala B. Varma, who is credited as the first playback singer of Malayalam cinema.[54]

The main trend in the early years was to use the tune of hit Hindi or Tamil songs in Malayalam songs. This trend changed in the early 1950s with the arrival of a number of poets and musicians to the Malayalam music scene. By the middle of the 1950s, the Malayalam film music industry started finding its own identity. This reformation was led by the music directors Brother Laxmanan, G. Devarajan, V. Dakshinamoorthy, M. S. Baburaj and K. Raghavan along with the lyricists Vayalar Ramavarma, P. Bhaskaran, O. N. V. Kurup and Sreekumaran Thampi.[55] Major playback singers of that time were Kamukara Purushothaman, K. P. Udayabhanu, A. M. Rajah, P. Leela, Santha P. Nair, Ayiroor Sadasivan, Lalitha Thampi, C. S. Radhadevi, A. K. Sukumaran, B. Vasantha, P. Susheela, P. Madhuri and S. Janaki. Despite that, these singers got high popularity throughout Kerala and were part of the Golden age of Malayalam music (1960 to 1970).

In the later years many non-Malayalis like Manna Dey, Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Hemlata, Kishore Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam sang for Malayalam films. This trend was also found among composers to an extent, with film composers from other languages including Naushad Ali, Usha Khanna, M. B. Sreenivasan, Bombay Ravi, Shyam, Bappi Lahiri, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, Salil Chowdhury, Ilaiyaraaja, Vishal Bhardwaj and A. R. Rahman scoring music for Malayalam films.[55] This can be attributed to the fact that film music in South India had a parallel growth pattern with many instances of cross-industry contributions.[citation needed] The late 1950s through the mid-1970s can be considered as the golden period of Malayalam film music in its own identity. Along with the leading music directors, the likes of M. B. Sreenivasan, M. K. Arjunan, Pukezhenty Vellappan Nair, M. S. Viswanathan, A. T. Ummer, R. K. Shekhar, Salil Chowdhury and lyricists like Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair, Mankombu Gopalakrishnan and Bharanikkavu Sivakumar, numerous everlasting and hit songs were delivered to the music lovers. The soft melodious music and high quality lyrics were the highlights of these songs.

K. J. Yesudas, who debuted in 1961, virtually revolutionised the Malayalam film music industry and became the most popular Malayalam singer ever along with K. S. Chithra. The trio of Vayalar, G. Devarajan and Yesudas also made unforgettable songs like the earlier trio of Kamukara, Tirunainaarkurichy and Brother Laxmanan. Yesudas became equally popular with classical music audience and people who patronised film music.[56] He along with P. Jayachandran gave a major face-lift to Malayalam playback singing in the 1960s and 1970s. K. S. Chithra debuted in 1979, and by the mid-eighties, she became the most sought after female singer in South India.

By the late 1970s, the trends in music started changing and more rhythm oriented songs with a western touch came with the dominance of music directors like Shyam, K. J. Joy, and Jerry Amaldev. The lyricists were forced to write lyrics according to the tune in these days and were often criticised for quality issues. However, from 1979 to 1980, the revolutionary music director Raveendran along with Johnson and M. G. Radhakrishnan led the second reformation of Malayalam film music by creating melodious and classical oriented music with the soul of the culture of Kerala. Lyricists like Poovachal Khader, Kavalam Narayana Panicker and Bichu Thirumala in 1980s and Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, V. Madhusoodanan Nair and Girish Puthenchery in the 1990s were part of this musical success. Contributions from Kannur Rajan, Bombay Ravi, S. P. Venkatesh, Mohan Sithara, Ouseppachan, Sharath, Vidyadharan, Raghukumar and Vidyasagar were also notable in this period. K. J. Yesudas and K. S. Chithra and singers like M. G. Sreekumar, G. Venugopal, Radhika Thilak, Unni Menon and Sujatha Mohan were also active then. A notable aspect in the later years was the extensive of classical carnatic music in many film songs of the 1980s and 1990s. Classical Carnatic music was heavily used in films like Chithram (1988), His Highness Abdullah (1990), Bharatham (1991), Sargam (1992), Kudumbasametham (1992), Sopanam (1993) etc.

At present, the major players in the scene are composers like A. R. Rahman, M. Jayachandran, Bijibal, Deepak Dev, Rex Vijayan, Jakes Bejoy, Rahul Raj, Prashant Pillai, Shaan Rahman, Sushin Shyam, Gopi Sundar, Alphons Joseph, Rajesh Murugesan, Jassie Gift, Shahabaz Aman, Vishnu Vijay, lyricists Rafeeq Ahamed, Anwar Ali, B. K. Harinarayanan, Vinayak Sasikumar, Vayalar Sarath and Anil Panachooran, and singers Vineeth Sreenivasan, Shreya Ghoshal, Shankar Mahadevan, Vijay Yesudas, Shweta Mohan, Karthik, Naresh Iyer, Manjari, Haricharan, Shahabaz Aman, Sithara Krishnakumar, Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, K. S. Harisankar, Sayanora Philip, Benny Dayal and Jyotsna Radhakrishnan, along with stalwarts in the field.

Young composers like Deepak Dev, Rex Vijayan, Rahul Raj, Jakes Bejoy, Sushin Shyam, and Prashant Pillai are not only known for their catchy tunes, but also for bringing in a lot of electronics, digital sound and a variety of genres in Malayalam film scores and songs.[57]

The National Award-winning music composers of Malayalam cinema are Johnson (1994, 1995), Bombay Ravi (1995), Ouseppachan (2008), Ilaiyaraaja (2010), Isaac Thomas Kottukapally (2011), Bijibal (2012) and M. Jayachandran (2016). Until 2009, the 1995 National Award that Johnson received for the film score of Sukrutham (1994) was the only instance in the history of the award in which the awardee composed the film soundtrack rather than its songs. He shared that award with Bombay Ravi, who received the award for composing songs for the same film. In 2010 and 2011, the awards given to film scores were won by Malayalam films: Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (Ilaiyaraaja) and Adaminte Makan Abu (Isaac Thomas Kottukapally). Raveendran also received a Special Mention in 1991 for composing songs for the film Bharatham.

The lyricists who have won the National Award are Vayalar Ramavarma (1973), O. N. V. Kurup (1989) and Yusufali Kechery (2001). The male singers who have received the National Award are K. J. Yesudas (1973, 1974, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2017), P. Jayachandran (1986) and M. G. Sreekumar (1991, 2000). Yesudas has won two more National Awards for singing in Hindi (1977) and Telugu (1983) films, which makes him the person who has won the most National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer, with eight. The female singers who have won the award are S. Janaki (1981) and K. S. Chithra (1987, 1989). Chitra had also won the award for Tamil (1986, 1997, 2005) and Hindi (1998) film songs, which makes her the person with the most National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer awards, six times.

Landmark films

Year Title Director Notes Ref.
1928 Vigathakumaran J. C. Daniel First Malayalam feature film [58]
1933 Marthanda Varma P.V. Rao First copyright case in Indian film industry as well as literature publishing of Kerala [59]
1938 Balan S. Nottani First talkie in Malayalam [60]
1948 Nirmala P. V. Krishna Iyer Introduced playback singing in Malayalam cinema [61]
1951 Jeevitha Nouka K. Vembu First Blockbuster at the Kerala box office [62]
1954 Neelakuyil P. Bhaskaran
Ramu Kariat
First Malayalam film to win a National Film Award [63][41]
1955 C.I.D. M. Krishnan Nair First crime thriller film in Malayalam [64]
1955 Newspaper Boy P. Ramdas First neo realistic film in Malayalam [65]
1961 Kandam Bacha Coat Shiyas Chennattu First colour film in Malayalam cinema. [66]
1964 Bhargavi Nilayam A. Vincent First horror film in Malayalam cinema. [67]
1965 Chemmeen Ramu Kariat First Malayalam as well as South Indian film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, and the first film to participate in an international film festival [68]
1965 Murappennu A. Vincent First film to be shoot outdoors [69]
1967 Chithramela T. S. Muthiah First anthology film [70]
1972 Swayamvaram Adoor Gopalakrishnan Pioneered "new-wave cinema movement" in Malayalam; first Malayalam film to win the National Film Award for Best Direction [71]
1974 Kanchana Sita G. Aravindan Pioneered independent filmmaking in South India[clarification needed] [72]
1978 Thacholi Ambu Navodaya Appachan First CinemaScope film in Malayalam and also the first Malayalam film to gross more than 1 crore at the box office. [73]
1981 Oridathoru Phayalvaan P. Padmarajan First Malayalam Film won International awards, by winning Best Film and Best Screenplay at 27th Asian Film Festival (1982) [citation needed]
1982 Padayottam Jijo Punnoose First 70mm film in South India [74]
1984 My Dear Kuttichathan Jijo Punnoose First 3D film in India [9]
1986 Amma Ariyan John Abraham First Malayalam film produced by collecting funds from the public and the only South Indian film to feature in British Film Institute's Top 10 Indian Films list [75][76]
1993 O' Faby K. Sreekuttan India's first live-action/animation hybrid film .[77]
1994 Swaham Shaji N. Karun First Malayalam film to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival [citation needed]
1997 Guru Rajiv Anchal First Malayalam film to be submitted as India's official entry to the Oscars to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category [78]
2005 Athbhutha Dweepu Vinayan The film was given an entry into the Guinness Book of Records for casting the most dwarves in a single film, and its lead actor Ajaykumar was given an entry for being the shortest actor to play the lead in the history of cinema. [79]
2006 Moonnamathoral V. K. Prakash First Malayalam digital movie, and first high-definition (HD) cinema to be digitally distributed to theatres via satellite [80]
2009 Pazhassi Raja Hariharan First Malayalam film to get a home video release in Blu-ray format [81]
2010 Jalachhayam Sathish Kalathil First feature film shot entirely on a Mobile phone camera .[82]
2012 Grandmaster B. Unnikrishnan First Malayalam film to release with subtitles (English) in outside Kerala, in other than film festival screenings.
First Malayalam film to release on Netflix.
[83]
2013 Drishyam Jeethu Joseph First Malayalam film to cross 500 million (US$6.3 million) gross collection from theatres [37]
2016 Pulimurugan Vysakh First Malayalam film to cross 1 billion (US$13 million) gross collection from theatres [84]
2020 Fourth River RK DreamWest First Malayalam film to be released directly on the over-the-top (OTT) platform [85]
2020 C U Soon Mahesh Narayanan India's first computer screen film [86]
2021 Minnal Murali Basil Joseph First Superhero film of Malayalam Cinema

Kerala State Film Awards

The Kerala State Film Awards[87] are given to motion pictures made in the Malayalam language. The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy[88] since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the government of Kerala. The awards were started in 1969. The awardees are decided by an independent jury formed by the academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs. The jury usually consists of personalities from the film field. For the awards for literature on cinema, a separate jury is formed. The academy annually invites films for the award and the jury analyses the films before deciding the winners. The awards intend to promote films with artistic values and encourage artists and technicians.

International Film Festival of Kerala

The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is held annually in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. It was started in 1996 and is organised by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the State Government. It is held in November/December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading film festivals in India.[89]

Film studios

The Travancore National Pictures[90] was the first film studio in Kerala. It was established by J. C. Daniel in 1926 in Thiruvananthapuram,[91] which was then a part of Travancore. Producer-director Kunchacko and film distributor K. V. Koshy established Udaya Studios in Alappuzha in 1947.[92] The studio influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madras, Tamil Nadu to Kerala. In 1951, P. Subramaniam[93] established Merryland Studio in Nemom, Trivandrum. The other major studios are Sreekrishna (1952, Trivandrum), Ajantha[94] (1958, Keezhmadu – now extinct), Chithralekha[95] (1965, Aakkulam, Trivandrum), Uma Studio[96] (1975, Trivandrum), Navodaya[97] (1978, Thrikkakkara) and Chithranjali[97] (1980, Trivandrum).

Organisations

The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A)[98] is an organisation formed by artists of Malayalam cinema. It aims to act against piracy, to safeguard the interests of member actors and actresses, and to serve as a common forum to raise concerns and address issues. The activities of AMMA include endowments, insurance schemes, and committees on wages and benefits on revision, funds for research, pensions, and education loans for the children of the members. The organisation ventured into film production in 2008 with Twenty:20 to raise funds for its activities.[99]

Organizations such as Kerala Film Producers Association, Kerala Film Distributors Association, Kerala Cine Exhibitors Federation, Hyperlink Film Club and Kerala Film Exhibitors Association have coordinated work stoppages.[100]

See also

References

  1. ^ "STATEWISE NUMBER OF SINGLE SCREENS". Film Federation of India. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  2. ^ "The Digital March Media & Entertainment in South India" (PDF). Deloitte. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  3. ^ Kumar, K.G. (18 May 2009). "What Mollywood can learn from Nollywood". Business Line. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  4. ^ [Usurped!]. The Hindu. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  5. ^ a b "PIRAVI". Festival de Cannes.
  6. ^ "SWAHAM". Festival de Cannes.
  7. ^ "MARANA SIMHASANAM". Festival de Cannes.
  8. ^ . IBNLive. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013.
  9. ^ a b c thssk. . Hinduonnet.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ a b . Archives.chennaionline.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  11. ^ official website of INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATION DEPARTMENT 4 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Prd.kerala.gov.in. Retrieved on 29 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Kochi sizzling onscreen". The New Indian Express. 29 January 2013.
  13. ^ "Mollywood comes home to Kochi". The Hindu. 4 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Veedu". Malayala Manorama. 23 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Mini-film city at Ramanthuruth". The Times of India. 7 November 2017.
  16. ^ Chandran 2018, p. 358-361.
  17. ^ a b Roy Armes (1987). Third World film making and the West. University of California Press. p. 121. ISBN 9780520908017. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  18. ^ AMMA. . malayalamcinema.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  19. ^ "A true adventurer". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  20. ^ "Cinema". Keralawindow. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  21. ^ "History of Malayalam cinema". Cinema Malayalam. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  22. ^ a b c The History of Cinema, by Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan
  23. ^ "History of Malayalam Cinema | Golden Age | Kerala | Kerala". Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  24. ^ "Artist P.J. Cherian". artistpjcherian.com.
  25. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  26. ^ . Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  27. ^ C. S.Venkiteswaran. A historical overview. p. 1.
  28. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Throne of Death". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  29. ^ . Sify. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
  30. ^ a b "Malayalam new generation films failing to click?". indianexpress.com. 2 July 2013.
  31. ^ "Glorious 100". Khaleej Times.
  32. ^ "Malayalam cinema pushes the envelope : NATION – India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  33. ^ Vijay George (27 December 2012). "Arts / Cinema : The show goes on..." The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  34. ^ Venkiteswaran, C. S. (2 October 2013). "New trails of discovery". Frontline.
  35. ^ Gauri, Deepa. "Hit parade". Khaleej Times.
  36. ^ Nicy V.P (26 August 2014). "Malayalam Wrap up: Mohanlal's 'Peruchazhi' to Release in 500 Screens". International Business Times. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  37. ^ a b Rajaneesh Vilakudy (14 December 2014). "Is Drishyam, Malayalam cinema's biggest hit? Jeethu Joseph answers". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  38. ^ a b "Sri Lankan south's lost ties with south India". The Hindu. 17 June 2018.
  39. ^ Kumar, P. k Ajith (25 November 2020). "Malayalam Film Jallikattu is India's official Entry to the oscars". The Hindu.
  40. ^ "Box Office: Mammootty's Bheeshma Parvam scores Opening weekend record in Kerala". PINKVILLA. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  41. ^ a b c d . Malayalamcinema.com. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  42. ^ "Rediff Movies: Team of 48". Rediff.com. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  43. ^ "The Rhythm of Arts". Kalakeralam.com. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  44. ^ Rajmohan. . Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Archived from the original on 19 January 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  45. ^ History of Malayalam Cinema. Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Retrieved on 29 July 2013.
  46. ^ "Film shot with cell phone camera premiered". The Hindu. 7 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  47. ^ "Mohanlals Villain shot an released in 8K resolution – Malayalam Movie News – IndiaGlitz". IndiaGlitz.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  48. ^ Rajmohan. . Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  49. ^ Rajmohan. "History of Malayalam Cinema". Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  50. ^ Rajmohan. "History of Malayalam Cinema". Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  51. ^ (PDF). iffi.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  52. ^ "www.oridam.com". Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  53. ^ . Keral.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  54. ^ Pradeep, K (25 April 2008). . The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  55. ^ a b Jason Kaitholil. . AMMA (Malayalamcinema.com). Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  56. ^ . Chennai Online. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  57. ^ CONTRIBUTE ARTICLES/REVIEWS – The healing power of Music &n Archived 28 January 2013 at archive.today. Malayalammusic.com. Retrieved on 29 July 2013.
  58. ^ Special Correspondent (3 March 2013). "'Vigathakumaran' did not face caste hostility: Adoor". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  59. ^ Vijayakumar, B. (27 January 2013). "Old is Gold: Marthanda Varma, 1931". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  60. ^ Staff Reporter (28 May 2013). "Celebrating 75th anniversary of Balan, the first Malayalam talkie". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  61. ^ . The Hindu. Chennai, India. 25 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  62. ^ Thoraval, Yves (1998). The cinemas of India (Les Cinemas de L lnde) (in French). France: Macmillan India. ISBN 0-333-93410-5.
  63. ^ B. Vijayakumar (25 October 2008). "Neelakuyil 1954". The Hindu.
  64. ^ Vijayakumar, B. (28 September 2014). "Panchathantram: 1974". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  65. ^ . The Hindu. 20 May 2005. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015.
  66. ^ . The Hindu. Chennai, India. 8 November 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  67. ^ kikvn (4 September 2006). . The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  68. ^ . The Hindu. Chennai, India. 16 November 2005. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  69. ^ "Notes". Mtvasudevannair.com. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  70. ^ B. Vijayakumar. (19 June 2011). "CHITRAMELA 1967". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  71. ^ Rajmohan. "Interview: Adoor". Cinemaofmalayalam.net. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  72. ^ Jayaram, S. B. (1992). Aravindan and His Films. Trivandrum: Chalachitra. pp. 1–36. OCLC 33983644.
  73. ^ Shivpprasadh, S. (10 May 2012). "He cast a 3-D spell". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  74. ^ R. Ayyappan (1 January 2000). "Sleaze time, folks". Rediff.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  75. ^ Kumar, P. K. Ajith (24 October 2011). "After Amma Ariyan, a new role". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  76. ^ . British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011.
  77. ^ "Of Faby and his father Interview with Director K. Sreekkuttan". Aiswarya Tanish.
  78. ^ Rediff On The Net, Movies: An interview with Rajeev Anchal, director of the Oscar-nominated Guru. Rediff.com (16 March 1998). Retrieved on 29 July 2013.
  79. ^ . Archived from the original on 5 July 2008.
  80. ^ Kumar, P. K. Ajith (1 September 2006). "Change of scene". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  81. ^ . Southscope.in. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  82. ^ "Film shot with cell phone camera premiered". The Hindu. 7 June 2010.
  83. ^ Moviebuzz (14 May 2014). . Sify. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  84. ^ "Mohanlal's Pulimurugan becomes first Malayalam film to gross over 100 crore rupees". Deccan Chronicle. 7 November 2016.
  85. ^ "ആദ്യമായി ഡിജിറ്റൽ റിലീസിനെത്തുന്ന മലയാള സിനിമയാവാൻ 'നാലാം നദി'; പ്രദർശനം ആമസോൺ പ്രൈമിൽ". News18 Malayalam. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  86. ^ Desk, Online (25 August 2020). "WATCH 'C U Soon' trailer is here! Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew mystery thriller looks promising". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  87. ^ . Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  88. ^ "HOME – Kerala Chalachitra Academy". keralafilm.com.
  89. ^ Saraswathy Nagarajan (6 December 2012). "Best of world cinema". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  90. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  91. ^ "The Kerala Movie Studio Legacy – JC Daniel's The Travancore National Pictures – OLD MALAYALAM CINEMA". OLD MALAYALAM CINEMA. 11 January 2013.
  92. ^ . kerala.gov.in. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014.
  93. ^ "Visionary and entrepreneur". The Hindu. 2 January 2009.
  94. ^ K. PRADEEP (28 February 2013). "The story of a studio". The Hindu.
  95. ^ . keralahistory.ac.in. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  96. ^ Baiju Chandran (28 November 2013). "The Capital of cinema". The Hindu.
  97. ^ a b "Untitled Page". Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  98. ^ "Malayalamcinema.com, Official website of AMMA, Malayalam Film news, Malayalam Movie Actors & Actress, Upcoming Malayalam movies". malayalamcinema.com.
  99. ^ The Hindu (June 2006), , The Hindu, Chennai, India, archived from the original on 22 December 2007, retrieved 25 December 2008
  100. ^ "The Hindu Business Line : No show: Cinema bandh total in Kerala". thehindubusinessline.com.

Sources

  • Chandran, VP (2018). Mathrubhumi Yearbook Plus - 2019 (Malayalam ed.). Kozhikode: P. V. Chandran, Managing Editor, Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Company Limited, Kozhikode.

External links

malayalam, cinema, confused, with, malay, cinema, indian, film, industry, malayalam, language, motion, pictures, based, kochi, kerala, india, films, produced, known, their, cinematography, story, driven, plots, 1982, elippathayam, sutherland, trophy, london, f. Not to be confused with Malay cinema Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam language motion pictures It is based in Kochi Kerala India 3 The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story driven plots In 1982 Elippathayam won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by the British Film Institute Rajiv Anchal s Guru 1997 Salim Ahamed s Adaminte Makan Abu 2011 and Lijo Jose Pellissery s Jallikkattu 2019 were Malayalam films sent by India as its official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards Malayalam cinemaNo of screens1015 screens in Kerala state of India 1 Main distributorsAashirvad CinemasAmal Neerad ProductionsAnwar Rasheed EntertainmentsAshiq Usman ProductionsAugust CinemaBhavana StudiosCollective Phase OneFahadh Faasil and FriendsFriday Film HouseGalaxy FilmsGraand ProductionKalasangham FilmsLal CreationsLJ FilmsMagic FramesMammootty KampanyMaxlab Cinemas and EntertainmentsMerryland StudioMulakuppadam FilmsNavodaya StudioOPM CinemasPrithviraj ProductionsRevathy KalamandhirSwargachitraUdaya PicturesWayfarer FilmsWeekend BlockbustersWorking Class HeroProduced feature films 2019 2 Total219Other films which achieved global acclaim include Chemmeen 1965 which received a Certificate of Merit at the Chicago International Film Festival and a gold medal at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Cinematography 4 Swaham 1994 won the Bronze Rosa Camuna at the Bergamo Film Meeting in Italy 5 6 7 8 The first 3D film produced in India My Dear Kuttichathan 1984 was made in Malayalam 9 The first CinemaScope film produced in Malayalam was Thacholi Ambu 1978 10 During the early 1920s the Malayalam film industry was based in Thiruvananthapuram although the film industry started to develop and flourish only by the late 1940s Later the industry shifted to Chennai formerly Madras which then was the capital of the South Indian film industry By the late 1980s the Malayalam film industry returned and established itself in Kerala 11 with the majority of locations studios production and post production facilities being located in Kochi Several media sources describe Kochi as the hub of the film industry 12 13 14 15 As of 2018 Malayalam cinema has got 14 awards for the best actor 6 for the best actress 12 for the best film and 13 for the best film director at the National Film Awards India 16 Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1928 1 2 1950s 1 3 1960s 1 4 1970s 1 5 1980s 1 6 1990s 1 7 2000s 1 8 2010s 1 9 2020s 2 Pioneering film making techniques 3 Notable personalities 3 1 Directors 4 Film music 5 Landmark films 6 Kerala State Film Awards 7 International Film Festival of Kerala 8 Film studios 9 Organisations 10 See also 11 References 12 Sources 13 External linksHistory Edit A scene from Vigathakumaran the first Malayalam feature film Active Malayalam film production did not take place until the second half of the 20th century there were only two silent films and three Malayalam language films before 1947 17 18 With support from the Kerala state government production climbed from around 6 a year in the 1950s to 30 a year in the 1960s 40 a year in the 1970s to 127 films in 1980 17 Origins 1928 Edit The first cinema hall in Kerala with a manually operated film projector was opened in Thrissur by Jose Kattookkaran in 1907 In 1913 the first permanent theatre in Kerala was established in Thrissur town by Kattookkaran and was called the Jose Electrical Bioscope now Jos Theatre 19 20 21 PK Rosy the first actress of Malayalam movie industry The first film made in Malayalam was Vigathakumaran Production started in 1928 and it was released at the Capitol Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 October 1930 It was produced and directed by J C Daniel a businessman with no prior film experience who is credited as the father of Malayalam cinema 22 Daniel founded the first film studio The Travancore National Pictures Limited in Kerala 22 A second film Marthanda Varma based on a novel by C V Raman Pillai was produced by R Sundar Raj in 1933 However after only being shown for four days the film prints were confiscated due to a legal battle over copyright 22 The first talkie in Malayalam was Balan released in 1938 23 citation needed It was directed by S Nottani with a screenplay and songs written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai It was produced by Modern Theatres at Salem in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu Balan was followed by Gnanambika in 1940 which was directed by S Notani Then came Prahlada in 1941 directed by K Subramoniam of Madras and featuring Guru Gopinath and Thankamani Gopinath Until 1947 most Malayalam films were made by Tamil producers P J Cherian 24 was the first Malayali producer to venture into this field after JC Daniel PJ Cherian produced Nirmala in 1948 with Joseph Cherian and Baby Joseph his son and daughter in law as hero and heroine He also cast many other family members in other roles trying to break the taboo that noble family people do not take up acting Thus Nirmala set many firsts for introducing play back singing P J Cherian introduced play back singing in Malayalam cinema The lyrics of the film written by G Sankara Kurup became popular Udaya Studios Vellinakshatram 1949 was the first movie with audio to be made completely in Kerala 1950s Edit Malayalam cinema has always taken its themes from relevant social issues and has been interwoven with material from literature drama and politics since its inception One such film Jeevitha Nouka 1951 was a musical drama that spoke about the problems in a joint family In 1954 the film Neelakuyil captured national interest by winning the President s silver medal 25 It was scripted by the well known Malayalam novelist Uroob and directed by P Bhaskaran and Ramu Kariat Newspaper Boy 1955 contained elements of Italian neorealism This film is notable as the product of a group of amateur college filmmakers It told the story of a printing press employee and his family being stricken with extreme poverty 26 The music took a turn away from the trend of copying Tamil and Hindi songs The poets Tirunainaarkurichy Madhavan Nair Thirunaiyarkurichy P Bhaskaran O N V Kurup and Vayalar Ramavarma rose up in this period as film lyricists Brother Lakshmanan Dakshinamurthy K Raghavan G Devarajan M S Baburaj and Pukhenthey Velappan Nair started a distinct style of Malayalam music Kamukara Purushotaman Mehboob Kozhikode Abdul Kader AM Raja P B Sreenivas K P Udayabhanu Santha P Nair P Leela S Janaki P Susheela B Vasantha Renuka and Jikki were the most prominent singers of the 1950s citation needed The drama artist and school teacher Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai lent many of his skills to the cinema in this period 1960s Edit Ramu Kariat one of the directors of Neelakuyil along with P Bhaskaran went on to become a successful director in the 1960s and 1970s P Bhaskaran directed many acclaimed and hit films in the 1960s and 70s The cameraman of Neelakkuyil A Vincent also became a noted director of the 1960s and 1970s Notable films of this decade include Odayil Ninnu Bhargavi Nilayam 1964 Chemmeen 1965 Murappennu 1965 and Iruttinte Athmavu 1966 Malayalam cinema s first colour film was Kandam Bacha Coat 1961 Chemmeen 1965 directed by Ramu Kariat and based on a novel of the same name by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai went on to become very popular and became the first South Indian film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film Most of the films of the 1960s were animated by the nationalist and socialist projects and centered on issues relating to caste and class exploitation the fight against obscurantist beliefs the degeneration of the feudal class and the break up of the joint family system 27 In the 1960s M Krishnan Nair Kunchacko and P Subramaniam were the leading Malayali producers Thikkurusi Sukumaran Nair Prem Nazir Sathyan Madhu Adoor Bhasi Bahadur S P Pillai K P Ummer Kottarakara Sreedharan Nair Raghavan G K Pillai Muthukulam Joseprakash Paravur Bharatan Muthayya Shankaradi Govindankutty K R Vijaya Padmini Ragini Sharada Sheela Ambika Jayabharathi Arumula Ponnamma and Sadahna were among the more popular actors active in this period citation needed During the 1950s 1960s and 1970s Kunchacko made significant contributions to Malayalam cinema both as a producer and as director of some notable movies He started Udaya Studios in Alleppey Alappuzha in 1947 reducing the travel to Madras Chennai for film crew and actors This boosted Malayalam film production in Kerala citation needed Many directors sprang up in this period P N Menon made Rosy and later Chemparanthi G Aravindan and Adoor Gopalakrishnan also started work in 1960s and became famous later 1970s Edit Further information List of Malayalam films of the 1970s Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the pioneers of Indian parallel cinema The 70s saw the emergence of a new wave of cinema in Malayalam The growth of the film society movement in Kerala introduced the works of the French and Italian New Wave directors to the discerning Malayali film enthusiasts Adoor Gopalakrishnan s first film Swayamvaram 1972 brought Malayalam cinema to the international film arena In 1973 M T Vasudevan Nair who was by then recognised as an important author in Malayalam directed his first film Nirmalyam which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film G Aravindan followed Adoor s lead with his Uttarayanam in 1974 K P Kumaran s Adhithi 1974 was another film that was acclaimed by the critics Cinematographers who won the National Award for their work on Malayalam films in the 1970s were Mankada Ravi Varma for Swayamvaram 1972 P S Nivas for Mohiniyattam 1977 and Shaji N Karun for Thampu 1979 John Abraham K R Mohanan K G George and G S Panikkar were products of the Pune Film Institute who made significant contributions citation needed During the late 1970s some young artists started seeing Malayalam cinema as a medium of expression and thought of it as a tool to revitalise society A noted director Aravindan was famous in Kerala as a cartoonist before he started making films His important movies include Kanchana Sita 1977 Thampu 1978 Kummatty 1979 Chidambaram 1985 Oridathu 1986 and Vasthuhara 1990 The 1970s also saw the emergence of the notable director P G Viswambharan with his debut film Ozhukinethire and the mythical film Satyavan Savithri which were well accepted Also commercial cinema in this period saw several worker class themed films which mostly had M G Soman Sukumaran and Sudheer in the lead followed by the emergence of a new genre of pure action themed films in a movement led by Jayan However this was short lived and almost ended when Jayan died while performing a stunt in Kolilakkam 1980 1980s Edit Further information List of Malayalam films of the 1980s The Malayalam cinema of this period was characterised by detailed screenplays dealing with everyday life with a lucid narration of plot intermingling with humour and melancholy This was aided by the cinematography and lighting The films had warm background music In 1981 Fazil directed Manjil Virinja Pookal the film also introduced then Romantic star Shankar actor and later actor Mohanlal to the world Adoor Gopalakrishnan made Elippathayam in 1981 This movie won the British Film Institute award citation needed The year 1981 also saw the rise of actor Mammootty through the movie Sphodanam directed by P G Viswambharan In the 1980s Padmarajan made some of the landmark motion pictures in Malayalam cinema including masterpieces like Oridathoru Phayalvaan 1981 Koodevide 1983 Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam 1985 Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil 1986 Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal 1986 Thoovanathumbikal 1987 Moonnam Pakkam 1988 Innale 1989 and Season 1989 He wrote several short stories that were unique in content and presentation His novels handled the darkest emotions and considered as Classics Most plots were nascent for that age literature All works were so cinematic and Can be easily visualized to the celluloid version K G George released films including Yavanika and Adaminte Vaariyellu This was the period during which script writer M T Vasudevan Nair started teaming up with director Hariharan to produce works like Panchagni Nakhakshathangal Aranyakam and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha John Abraham s films such as Amma Ariyaan addressed people s issues and raised the finance directly from people The period had movies with humour from directors like Priyadarshan Sathyan Anthikad Kamal and Siddique Lal Piravi 1989 by Shaji N Karun was the first Malayalam film to win the Camera d Or Mention at the Cannes Film Festival 5 Ratheesh and Sukumaran also were leading stars in the industry in the early eighties Later Mammootty has won 3 National Film Awards for best actor Mohanlal has won 5 National Awards including 2 for Best Actor 1 special jury award 1 special mention and 1 as a producer 1990s Edit Further information List of Malayalam films of the 1990s Some examples are Mathilukal 1990 directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan Kattukuthira 1990 directed by P G Viswambharan Amaram 1991 directed by Bharathan Ulladakkam 1992 directed by Kamal Kilukkam 1991 directed by Priyadarshan Kamaladalam 1992 by Sibi Malayil Vidheyan 1993 by Adoor Gopalakrishnan Devaasuram 1993 by I V Sasi Manichitrathazhu 1993 by Fazil Ponthan Mada 1993 by T V Chandran Spadikam 1995 by Bhadran Commissioner 1994 The King 1995 by Shaji Kailas Hitler 1996 by Siddique and Desadanam 1997 by Jayaraj Due to a series of comedy films produced between the late 1980s and late 1990s made actors like Jagadish Siddique Mukesh Sreenivasan and Jayaram became very popular for their comedy roles This series of comedy films begun in the late 1980s and early 1990s with comedy films by Sathyan Anthikad and Siddique Lal like Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu Mazhavilkavadi Ramji Rao Speaking Thalayana Manthram In Harihar Nagar and Godfather and some of them went on to be remade by other directors in Tamil Hindi Telugu and other languages The success of In Harihar Nagar led to the production of a series of comedy films in the early and mid 1990s Swaham 1994 directed by Shaji N Karun was the first Malayalam film entry for the competition in the Cannes International Film Festival where it was a nominee for the Palme d Or Murali Nair s Marana Simhasanam later won the Camera d Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival 28 Guru 1997 directed by Rajiv Anchal was chosen as India s official entry to the Oscars to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category for that year making it the first film in Malayalam to be chosen for Oscar nomination Noted script writer A K Lohithadas made his directorial debut with Bhoothakkannadi for which he won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director citation needed 2000s Edit Further information List of Malayalam films of the 2000s The millennium started with a blockbuster hit Narasimham starring Mohanlal In 2001 came the world s first film with only one actor in the cast The Guard Slapstick comedy was the predominant theme of the films of this era C I D Moosa 2003 by Johny Antony Meesa Madhavan 2002 by Lal Jose and Kunjikoonan 2002 directed by Sasi Shanker are examples Sequels to a number of successful films were made Some movies were examples of exemplary film making such as Meghamalhar Madhuranombarakattu Nandanam Perumazhakkalam and Kaazhcha In 2008 Malayalam movie artists came together in the multistar film Twenty 20 to raise funds for the AMMA 29 2010s Edit Main article New generation Malayalam film movement After several years of quality deterioration Malayalam films saw the signs of massive resurgence after 2010 30 with the release of several experimental films known as New Wave or New Generation films 31 mostly from new directors New Wave is characterised by fresh and unusual themes and new narrative techniques 30 32 These films differ from conventional themes of the 1990s and 2000s and have introduced several new trends to the Malayalam industry 33 While the new generation s formats and styles are deeply influenced by global and Indian trends their themes are firmly rooted in Malayali life and mindscapes 34 The new generation also helped the Malayalam film industry regain its past glory 35 Salim Ahamed s Adaminte Makan Abu was chosen as India s official entry to the Academy Awards to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category in 2011 Christian Brothers 2011 was released worldwide with a total of 310 prints on 18 March it went to 154 centres in Kerala 90 centres outside Kerala and 80 centres overseas making it the widest release for a Malayalam film at that time This record was later broken by Peruchazhi 2014 which released in 500 screens worldwide on 29 August 36 Drishyam 2013 became the first Malayalam film to cross the 500 million mark at the box office The film was critically acclaimed and was remade in four languages 37 Later in 2016 Pulimurugan directed by Vyshak became the first Malayalam film to cross the 1 billion mark at the box office In recent years Malayalam films have gained popularity in Sri Lanka 38 with fans citing cultural similarities between Sinhalese people and Malayalis as a reason 38 In 2019 Lucifer became the highest grossing Malayalam film of all time Lucifer became the highest grossing Indian film in Dubai The film collected a final gross of 2000 million at the box office 2020s Edit In November 2020 Lijo Jose Pellissery s film Jallikattu was selected as India s submission for Oscar for best foreign language film making as third Malayalam film as entry 39 In 2020 a mid the COVID 19lockdown Sufiyum Sujatayum starring Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari has become the first Malayalam film to be released on the Amazon Prime Video OTT platform as theatres remain shut in Kerala due to the pandemic In 2021 Drishyam 2 Nayattu Kala Joji The Great Indian Kitchen and Malik made their list in the highest rated 2021 movies in Imdb Drishyam 2 The Great Indian Kitchen and Malik became Worldwide famous and most debated movies in 2021 Malayalam Cinema s first ever original superhero Minnal Murali was released through Netflix on 24th December 2021 Tovino Thomas as Minnal Murali which was directed by Basil Joseph under Weekend Blockbusters gained great reviews by critics and became top watched Non English movie on Netflix It broke all records of Malayalam Cinema trailers on YouTube crossing 6 Million Views and 500K likes in 24 hours In March 2022 Amal Neeerad s Bheeshma Parvam took the record for the biggest opening weekend ever in Kerala for a Malayalam movie The Mammooty starring action thriller grossed Rs 21 21 25 crores in the state during its 4 days weekend besting the previous record held by Lucifer which earned Rs 20 crores 40 Pioneering film making techniques EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it April 2022 Newspaper Boy 1955 a neorealistic film drew inspiration from Italian neorealism 10 41 Padayottam 1982 was India s first indigenously produced 70 mm film 42 while My Dear Kuttichathan 1984 was India s first 3D film 9 O Faby 1993 was India s first live action animation hybrid film 43 Amma Ariyan 1986 was the first film made in India with money collected from the public It was produced by Odessa Collective founded by the director John Abraham and friends The money was raised by collecting donations and screening Charlie Chaplin s film The Kid 44 Moonnamathoral 2006 was the first Indian film to be shot and distributed in digital format 45 Jalachhayam 2010 was the world first feature film shot entirely on a cell phone camera 46 and it was also an experimental film directed by Sathish Kalathil who is the director of Veena Vaadanam the first documentary film in India shot with the same movie capture medium Villain 2017 is the first Indian film to be shot entirely in 8K resolution 47 Notable personalities EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it April 2022 Directors Edit Malayalam cinema s directors have included J C Daniel the director and producer of the first Malayalam film Vigathakumaran 1928 Unlike other Indian films at that time most of them were based on the Puranas he chose to base his film on a social theme 48 Though it failed commercially he paved the way for the Malayalam film industry and is widely considered the father of Malayalam cinema Until the 1950s Malayalam film didn t see many talented film directors The milestone film Neelakuyil 1954 directed by Ramu Kariat and P Bhaskaran shed a lot of limelight over its directors 41 Ramu Kariat went on to become a celebrated director in the 1960s and 1970s P Bhaskaran directed a few acclaimed films in the 1960s The cameraman of Neelakuyil A Vincent also became a noted director of the 1960s and 1970s 49 Another noted director of the 1950s was P Ramadas the director of the neorealistic film Newspaper Boy 1955 In the 1970s the Malayalam film industry saw the rise of film societies It triggered a new genre of films known as parallel cinema The main driving forces of the movement who gave priority to serious cinema were Adoor Gopalakrishnan and G Aravindan People like John Abraham and P A Backer gave a new dimension to Malayalam cinema through their political themes The late 1970s witnessed the emergence of another stream of Malayalam films known as middle stream cinema which seamlessly integrated the seriousness of the parallel cinema and the popularity of the mainstream cinema Most of the films belonging to this stream were directed by PN Menon I V Sasi P G Viswambharan K G George Bharathan and Padmarajan 50 In the 1980s and early 1990s a new array of directors joined the stalwarts who had already made a mark in the industry This period saw the narrowing of the gap between the different streams of the industry 41 Directors like P G Viswambharan K G George Priyadarshan I V Sasi John Abraham Fazil Joshiy Bhadran Kamal Sibi Malayil Hariharan Sathyan Anthikad K Madhu and Siddique Lal contributed significantly There were also extraordinary screenwriters like M T Vasudevan Nair T Damodaran A K Lohithadas and Sreenivasan whose contributions were also commendable citation needed The 2000s saw a decline in the quality of Malayalam films Many directors who had excelled in the Golden Age struggled as many of their films continuously failed critically and commercially As a result the gap between parallel cinema now known as art cinema and mainstream cinema now known as commercial cinema widened The 2000s also saw a commercial film formula being created in line with Tamil and Bollywood films Directors like Shaji Kailas Rafi Mecartin and Anwar Rasheed directed blockbusters which had few artistic merits to boast of citation needed Despite the overall decline some directors stood apart and made quality cinema Shaji N Karun Lenin Rajendran Shyamaprasad and Jayaraj made films that won laurels Notable directors who debuted in this time include Blessy Lal Jose R Sharath Ranjith Rosshan Andrrews Amal Neerad Aashiq Abu Dr Biju Vineeth Sreenivasan and Lijo Jose Pellissery citation needed Out of the 40 National Film Awards for Best Director given away till 2007 Malayalam directors have received 12 The directors who have won include Adoor Gopalakrishnan 1973 1985 1988 1990 2007 G Aravindan 1978 1979 1987 Shaji N Karun 1989 T V Chandran 1994 Jayaraj 1998 2017 and Rajivnath 1999 There are several recipients of the Special Jury Award as well Mankada Ravi Varma 1984 John Abraham 1987 Shaji N Karun 1995 and Pradeep Nair 2005 51 52 Film music EditFilm music which refers to playback singing in the context of Indian music forms the most important canon of popular music in India The film music of Kerala in particular is the most popular form of music in the state 53 Before Malayalam cinema and Malayalam film music developed the Keralites eagerly followed Tamil and Hindi film songs and that habit has stayed with them until now The history of Malayalam film songs begins with the 1948 film Nirmala which was produced by artist P J Cherian who introduced play back singing for the first time in the film The film s music composer was P S Divakar and the songs were sung by P Leela T K Govindarao Vasudeva Kurup C K Raghavan Sarojini Menon and Vimala B Varma who is credited as the first playback singer of Malayalam cinema 54 The main trend in the early years was to use the tune of hit Hindi or Tamil songs in Malayalam songs This trend changed in the early 1950s with the arrival of a number of poets and musicians to the Malayalam music scene By the middle of the 1950s the Malayalam film music industry started finding its own identity This reformation was led by the music directors Brother Laxmanan G Devarajan V Dakshinamoorthy M S Baburaj and K Raghavan along with the lyricists Vayalar Ramavarma P Bhaskaran O N V Kurup and Sreekumaran Thampi 55 Major playback singers of that time were Kamukara Purushothaman K P Udayabhanu A M Rajah P Leela Santha P Nair Ayiroor Sadasivan Lalitha Thampi C S Radhadevi A K Sukumaran B Vasantha P Susheela P Madhuri and S Janaki Despite that these singers got high popularity throughout Kerala and were part of the Golden age of Malayalam music 1960 to 1970 In the later years many non Malayalis like Manna Dey Talat Mahmood Lata Mangeshkar Asha Bhosle Hemlata Kishore Kumar Mahendra Kapoor and S P Balasubrahmanyam sang for Malayalam films This trend was also found among composers to an extent with film composers from other languages including Naushad Ali Usha Khanna M B Sreenivasan Bombay Ravi Shyam Bappi Lahiri Laxmikant Pyarelal Salil Chowdhury Ilaiyaraaja Vishal Bhardwaj and A R Rahman scoring music for Malayalam films 55 This can be attributed to the fact that film music in South India had a parallel growth pattern with many instances of cross industry contributions citation needed The late 1950s through the mid 1970s can be considered as the golden period of Malayalam film music in its own identity Along with the leading music directors the likes of M B Sreenivasan M K Arjunan Pukezhenty Vellappan Nair M S Viswanathan A T Ummer R K Shekhar Salil Chowdhury and lyricists like Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair Mankombu Gopalakrishnan and Bharanikkavu Sivakumar numerous everlasting and hit songs were delivered to the music lovers The soft melodious music and high quality lyrics were the highlights of these songs K J Yesudas who debuted in 1961 virtually revolutionised the Malayalam film music industry and became the most popular Malayalam singer ever along with K S Chithra The trio of Vayalar G Devarajan and Yesudas also made unforgettable songs like the earlier trio of Kamukara Tirunainaarkurichy and Brother Laxmanan Yesudas became equally popular with classical music audience and people who patronised film music 56 He along with P Jayachandran gave a major face lift to Malayalam playback singing in the 1960s and 1970s K S Chithra debuted in 1979 and by the mid eighties she became the most sought after female singer in South India By the late 1970s the trends in music started changing and more rhythm oriented songs with a western touch came with the dominance of music directors like Shyam K J Joy and Jerry Amaldev The lyricists were forced to write lyrics according to the tune in these days and were often criticised for quality issues However from 1979 to 1980 the revolutionary music director Raveendran along with Johnson and M G Radhakrishnan led the second reformation of Malayalam film music by creating melodious and classical oriented music with the soul of the culture of Kerala Lyricists like Poovachal Khader Kavalam Narayana Panicker and Bichu Thirumala in 1980s and Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri V Madhusoodanan Nair and Girish Puthenchery in the 1990s were part of this musical success Contributions from Kannur Rajan Bombay Ravi S P Venkatesh Mohan Sithara Ouseppachan Sharath Vidyadharan Raghukumar and Vidyasagar were also notable in this period K J Yesudas and K S Chithra and singers like M G Sreekumar G Venugopal Radhika Thilak Unni Menon and Sujatha Mohan were also active then A notable aspect in the later years was the extensive of classical carnatic music in many film songs of the 1980s and 1990s Classical Carnatic music was heavily used in films like Chithram 1988 His Highness Abdullah 1990 Bharatham 1991 Sargam 1992 Kudumbasametham 1992 Sopanam 1993 etc At present the major players in the scene are composers like A R Rahman M Jayachandran Bijibal Deepak Dev Rex Vijayan Jakes Bejoy Rahul Raj Prashant Pillai Shaan Rahman Sushin Shyam Gopi Sundar Alphons Joseph Rajesh Murugesan Jassie Gift Shahabaz Aman Vishnu Vijay lyricists Rafeeq Ahamed Anwar Ali B K Harinarayanan Vinayak Sasikumar Vayalar Sarath and Anil Panachooran and singers Vineeth Sreenivasan Shreya Ghoshal Shankar Mahadevan Vijay Yesudas Shweta Mohan Karthik Naresh Iyer Manjari Haricharan Shahabaz Aman Sithara Krishnakumar Vaikom Vijayalakshmi K S Harisankar Sayanora Philip Benny Dayal and Jyotsna Radhakrishnan along with stalwarts in the field Young composers like Deepak Dev Rex Vijayan Rahul Raj Jakes Bejoy Sushin Shyam and Prashant Pillai are not only known for their catchy tunes but also for bringing in a lot of electronics digital sound and a variety of genres in Malayalam film scores and songs 57 The National Award winning music composers of Malayalam cinema are Johnson 1994 1995 Bombay Ravi 1995 Ouseppachan 2008 Ilaiyaraaja 2010 Isaac Thomas Kottukapally 2011 Bijibal 2012 and M Jayachandran 2016 Until 2009 the 1995 National Award that Johnson received for the film score of Sukrutham 1994 was the only instance in the history of the award in which the awardee composed the film soundtrack rather than its songs He shared that award with Bombay Ravi who received the award for composing songs for the same film In 2010 and 2011 the awards given to film scores were won by Malayalam films Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja Ilaiyaraaja and Adaminte Makan Abu Isaac Thomas Kottukapally Raveendran also received a Special Mention in 1991 for composing songs for the film Bharatham The lyricists who have won the National Award are Vayalar Ramavarma 1973 O N V Kurup 1989 and Yusufali Kechery 2001 The male singers who have received the National Award are K J Yesudas 1973 1974 1988 1992 1994 2017 P Jayachandran 1986 and M G Sreekumar 1991 2000 Yesudas has won two more National Awards for singing in Hindi 1977 and Telugu 1983 films which makes him the person who has won the most National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer with eight The female singers who have won the award are S Janaki 1981 and K S Chithra 1987 1989 Chitra had also won the award for Tamil 1986 1997 2005 and Hindi 1998 film songs which makes her the person with the most National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer awards six times Landmark films EditYear Title Director Notes Ref 1928 Vigathakumaran J C Daniel First Malayalam feature film 58 1933 Marthanda Varma P V Rao First copyright case in Indian film industry as well as literature publishing of Kerala 59 1938 Balan S Nottani First talkie in Malayalam 60 1948 Nirmala P V Krishna Iyer Introduced playback singing in Malayalam cinema 61 1951 Jeevitha Nouka K Vembu First Blockbuster at the Kerala box office 62 1954 Neelakuyil P BhaskaranRamu Kariat First Malayalam film to win a National Film Award 63 41 1955 C I D M Krishnan Nair First crime thriller film in Malayalam 64 1955 Newspaper Boy P Ramdas First neo realistic film in Malayalam 65 1961 Kandam Bacha Coat Shiyas Chennattu First colour film in Malayalam cinema 66 1964 Bhargavi Nilayam A Vincent First horror film in Malayalam cinema 67 1965 Chemmeen Ramu Kariat First Malayalam as well as South Indian film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and the first film to participate in an international film festival 68 1965 Murappennu A Vincent First film to be shoot outdoors 69 1967 Chithramela T S Muthiah First anthology film 70 1972 Swayamvaram Adoor Gopalakrishnan Pioneered new wave cinema movement in Malayalam first Malayalam film to win the National Film Award for Best Direction 71 1974 Kanchana Sita G Aravindan Pioneered independent filmmaking in South India clarification needed 72 1978 Thacholi Ambu Navodaya Appachan First CinemaScope film in Malayalam and also the first Malayalam film to gross more than 1 crore at the box office 73 1981 Oridathoru Phayalvaan P Padmarajan First Malayalam Film won International awards by winning Best Film and Best Screenplay at 27th Asian Film Festival 1982 citation needed 1982 Padayottam Jijo Punnoose First 70mm film in South India 74 1984 My Dear Kuttichathan Jijo Punnoose First 3D film in India 9 1986 Amma Ariyan John Abraham First Malayalam film produced by collecting funds from the public and the only South Indian film to feature in British Film Institute s Top 10 Indian Films list 75 76 1993 O Faby K Sreekuttan India s first live action animation hybrid film 77 1994 Swaham Shaji N Karun First Malayalam film to compete for the Palme d Or at the Cannes Film Festival citation needed 1997 Guru Rajiv Anchal First Malayalam film to be submitted as India s official entry to the Oscars to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category 78 2005 Athbhutha Dweepu Vinayan The film was given an entry into the Guinness Book of Records for casting the most dwarves in a single film and its lead actor Ajaykumar was given an entry for being the shortest actor to play the lead in the history of cinema 79 2006 Moonnamathoral V K Prakash First Malayalam digital movie and first high definition HD cinema to be digitally distributed to theatres via satellite 80 2009 Pazhassi Raja Hariharan First Malayalam film to get a home video release in Blu ray format 81 2010 Jalachhayam Sathish Kalathil First feature film shot entirely on a Mobile phone camera 82 2012 Grandmaster B Unnikrishnan First Malayalam film to release with subtitles English in outside Kerala in other than film festival screenings First Malayalam film to release on Netflix 83 2013 Drishyam Jeethu Joseph First Malayalam film to cross 500 million US 6 3 million gross collection from theatres 37 2016 Pulimurugan Vysakh First Malayalam film to cross 1 billion US 13 million gross collection from theatres 84 2020 Fourth River RK DreamWest First Malayalam film to be released directly on the over the top OTT platform 85 2020 C U Soon Mahesh Narayanan India s first computer screen film 86 2021 Minnal Murali Basil Joseph First Superhero film of Malayalam CinemaKerala State Film Awards EditMain article Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards 87 are given to motion pictures made in the Malayalam language The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy 88 since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the government of Kerala The awards were started in 1969 The awardees are decided by an independent jury formed by the academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs The jury usually consists of personalities from the film field For the awards for literature on cinema a separate jury is formed The academy annually invites films for the award and the jury analyses the films before deciding the winners The awards intend to promote films with artistic values and encourage artists and technicians International Film Festival of Kerala EditMain article International Film Festival of Kerala The International Film Festival of Kerala IFFK is held annually in Thiruvananthapuram the capital city of Kerala It was started in 1996 and is organised by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the State Government It is held in November December every year and is acknowledged as one of the leading film festivals in India 89 Film studios EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it April 2022 The Travancore National Pictures 90 was the first film studio in Kerala It was established by J C Daniel in 1926 in Thiruvananthapuram 91 which was then a part of Travancore Producer director Kunchacko and film distributor K V Koshy established Udaya Studios in Alappuzha in 1947 92 The studio influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madras Tamil Nadu to Kerala In 1951 P Subramaniam 93 established Merryland Studio in Nemom Trivandrum The other major studios are Sreekrishna 1952 Trivandrum Ajantha 94 1958 Keezhmadu now extinct Chithralekha 95 1965 Aakkulam Trivandrum Uma Studio 96 1975 Trivandrum Navodaya 97 1978 Thrikkakkara and Chithranjali 97 1980 Trivandrum Organisations EditThe Association of Malayalam Movie Artists A M M A 98 is an organisation formed by artists of Malayalam cinema It aims to act against piracy to safeguard the interests of member actors and actresses and to serve as a common forum to raise concerns and address issues The activities of AMMA include endowments insurance schemes and committees on wages and benefits on revision funds for research pensions and education loans for the children of the members The organisation ventured into film production in 2008 with Twenty 20 to raise funds for its activities 99 Organizations such as Kerala Film Producers Association Kerala Film Distributors Association Kerala Cine Exhibitors Federation Hyperlink Film Club and Kerala Film Exhibitors Association have coordinated work stoppages 100 See also Edit India portal Bollywood portalList of highest grossing Malayalam films New generation Malayalam film movement Cinema of South India List of cinema of the world Lists of Malayalam films K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and ArtsReferences Edit STATEWISE NUMBER OF SINGLE SCREENS Film Federation of India Retrieved 21 April 2014 The Digital March Media amp Entertainment in South India PDF Deloitte Retrieved 21 April 2014 Kumar K G 18 May 2009 What Mollywood can learn from Nollywood Business Line Retrieved 6 March 2018 Fifty and still refreshing Usurped The Hindu 11 August 2006 Retrieved 24 May 2011 a b PIRAVI Festival de Cannes SWAHAM Festival de Cannes MARANA SIMHASANAM Festival de Cannes 100 Years of Indian Cinema The 100 greatest Indian films of all time IBNLive Archived from the original on 25 April 2013 a b c thssk Casting a magic spell Hinduonnet com Archived from the original on 10 January 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2008 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link a b An interview with Navodaya Appachan Archives chennaionline com Archived from the original on 26 March 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2008 official website of INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATION DEPARTMENT Archived 4 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Prd kerala gov in Retrieved on 29 July 2013 Kochi sizzling onscreen The New Indian Express 29 January 2013 Mollywood comes home to Kochi The Hindu 4 March 2013 Veedu Malayala Manorama 23 May 2013 Mini film city at Ramanthuruth The Times of India 7 November 2017 Chandran 2018 p 358 361 a b Roy Armes 1987 Third World film making and the West University of California Press p 121 ISBN 9780520908017 Retrieved 3 April 2013 AMMA malayalamcinema malayalamcinema com Archived from the original on 26 May 2018 Retrieved 3 April 2013 A true adventurer The Hindu Retrieved 29 September 2013 Cinema Keralawindow Retrieved 29 September 2013 History of Malayalam cinema Cinema Malayalam Retrieved 29 September 2013 a b c The History of Cinema by Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan History of Malayalam Cinema Golden Age Kerala Kerala Retrieved 4 June 2019 Artist P J Cherian artistpjcherian com Free music website jaimusiconline com Archived from the original on 27 December 2018 Retrieved 31 January 2019 Malayalam Movie Malayalam Movies Malayalam Cinema Malayalam Movie News Latest Malayalam Movie News New Malayalam Movie Latest Malayalam Cinema Archived from the original on 11 March 2014 Retrieved 11 March 2014 C S Venkiteswaran A historical overview p 1 Festival de Cannes Throne of Death festival cannes com Retrieved 10 October 2009 Mother of all multistarrers Sify Archived from the original on 9 October 2012 a b Malayalam new generation films failing to click indianexpress com 2 July 2013 Glorious 100 Khaleej Times Malayalam cinema pushes the envelope NATION India Today Indiatoday intoday in 7 July 2012 Retrieved 25 January 2013 Vijay George 27 December 2012 Arts Cinema The show goes on The Hindu Chennai India Retrieved 25 January 2013 Venkiteswaran C S 2 October 2013 New trails of discovery Frontline Gauri Deepa Hit parade Khaleej Times Nicy V P 26 August 2014 Malayalam Wrap up Mohanlal s Peruchazhi to Release in 500 Screens International Business Times Retrieved 28 August 2014 a b Rajaneesh Vilakudy 14 December 2014 Is Drishyam Malayalam cinema s biggest hit Jeethu Joseph answers Bangalore Mirror Retrieved 30 December 2014 a b Sri Lankan south s lost ties with south India The Hindu 17 June 2018 Kumar P k Ajith 25 November 2020 Malayalam Film Jallikattu is India s official Entry to the oscars The Hindu Box Office Mammootty s Bheeshma Parvam scores Opening weekend record in Kerala PINKVILLA 7 March 2022 Retrieved 7 March 2022 a b c d Cinema History Malayalam Cinema Malayalamcinema com Archived from the original on 23 December 2008 Retrieved 30 December 2008 Rediff Movies Team of 48 Rediff com Retrieved 30 December 2008 The Rhythm of Arts Kalakeralam com Retrieved 30 December 2008 Rajmohan John Abraham Cinemaofmalayalam net Archived from the original on 19 January 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2008 History of Malayalam Cinema Cinemaofmalayalam net Retrieved on 29 July 2013 Film shot with cell phone camera premiered The Hindu 7 June 2010 Retrieved 7 June 2010 Mohanlals Villain shot an released in 8K resolution Malayalam Movie News IndiaGlitz IndiaGlitz com Retrieved 26 October 2017 Rajmohan History of Malayalam Cinema Cinemaofmalayalam net Archived from the original on 30 July 2014 Retrieved 30 December 2008 Rajmohan History of Malayalam Cinema Cinemaofmalayalam net Retrieved 30 December 2008 Rajmohan History of Malayalam Cinema Cinemaofmalayalam net Retrieved 30 December 2008 Directorate of Film Festival PDF iffi nic in Archived from the original PDF on 28 September 2011 Retrieved 18 March 2014 www oridam com Retrieved 22 October 2016 Music Keral com Archived from the original on 2 August 2008 Retrieved 2 January 2009 Pradeep K 25 April 2008 Family affair The Hindu Chennai India Archived from the original on 21 October 2010 Retrieved 2 January 2009 a b Jason Kaitholil Cinema History AMMA Malayalamcinema com Archived from the original on 23 December 2008 Retrieved 2 January 2009 K J Yesudas Chennai Online Archived from the original on 30 December 2011 Retrieved 2 January 2009 CONTRIBUTE ARTICLES REVIEWS The healing power of Music amp n Archived 28 January 2013 at archive today Malayalammusic com Retrieved on 29 July 2013 Special Correspondent 3 March 2013 Vigathakumaran did not face caste hostility Adoor The Hindu Retrieved 8 November 2016 Vijayakumar B 27 January 2013 Old is Gold Marthanda Varma 1931 The Hindu Retrieved 8 November 2016 Staff Reporter 28 May 2013 Celebrating 75th anniversary of Balan the first Malayalam talkie The Hindu Retrieved 8 November 2016 Tribute Family affair The Hindu Chennai India 25 April 2008 Archived from the original on 1 May 2008 Retrieved 30 December 2008 Thoraval Yves 1998 The cinemas of India Les Cinemas de L lnde in French France Macmillan India ISBN 0 333 93410 5 B Vijayakumar 25 October 2008 Neelakuyil 1954 The Hindu Vijayakumar B 28 September 2014 Panchathantram 1974 The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 11 July 2021 Newspaper Boy a flashback to the Fifties The Hindu 20 May 2005 Archived from the original on 18 October 2015 Columns KANDAM BACHA COATU 1961 The Hindu Chennai India 8 November 2008 Archived from the original on 21 October 2010 Retrieved 30 December 2008 kikvn 4 September 2006 MACTA to remake Bhargavi Nilayam The Hindu Chennai India Archived from the original on 21 March 2007 Retrieved 30 December 2008 Chemmeen is 40 The Hindu Chennai India 16 November 2005 Archived from the original on 18 April 2007 Retrieved 30 December 2008 Notes Mtvasudevannair com Retrieved 30 December 2008 B Vijayakumar 19 June 2011 CHITRAMELA 1967 The Hindu Retrieved 11 July 2011 Rajmohan Interview Adoor Cinemaofmalayalam net Retrieved 30 December 2008 Jayaram S B 1992 Aravindan and His Films Trivandrum Chalachitra pp 1 36 OCLC 33983644 Shivpprasadh S 10 May 2012 He cast a 3 D spell The Hindu Retrieved 8 November 2016 R Ayyappan 1 January 2000 Sleaze time folks Rediff com Retrieved 14 April 2011 Kumar P K Ajith 24 October 2011 After Amma Ariyan a new role The Hindu Retrieved 8 November 2016 Top 10 Indian Films British Film Institute Archived from the original on 15 May 2011 Of Faby and his father Interview with Director K Sreekkuttan Aiswarya Tanish Rediff On The Net Movies An interview with Rajeev Anchal director of the Oscar nominated Guru Rediff com 16 March 1998 Retrieved on 29 July 2013 Undapakru shortest actor Archived from the original on 5 July 2008 Kumar P K Ajith 1 September 2006 Change of scene The Hindu Retrieved 8 November 2016 Mammotty s Pazhassi Raja the first Malayalam film on Blu Ray Southscope in Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 19 October 2014 Film shot with cell phone camera premiered The Hindu 7 June 2010 Moviebuzz 14 May 2014 Malayalam films to come with English subtitles Sify Archived from the original on 13 June 2014 Retrieved 8 May 2016 Mohanlal s Pulimurugan becomes first Malayalam film to gross over 100 crore rupees Deccan Chronicle 7 November 2016 ആദ യമ യ ഡ ജ റ റൽ റ ല സ ന ത ത ന ന മലയ ള സ ന മയ വ ൻ ന ല നദ പ രദർശന ആമസ ൺ പ ര മ ൽ News18 Malayalam 19 May 2020 Retrieved 5 July 2021 Desk Online 25 August 2020 WATCH C U Soon trailer is here Fahadh Faasil Roshan Mathew mystery thriller looks promising The New Indian Express Archived from the original on 30 August 2020 Retrieved 25 August 2020 AWARDS Kerala Chalachitra Academy Archived from the original on 11 March 2014 Retrieved 11 March 2014 HOME Kerala Chalachitra Academy keralafilm com Saraswathy Nagarajan 6 December 2012 Best of world cinema The Hindu Retrieved 10 March 2014 J C Daniel Archived from the original on 6 June 2009 Retrieved 23 April 2015 The Kerala Movie Studio Legacy JC Daniel s The Travancore National Pictures OLD MALAYALAM CINEMA OLD MALAYALAM CINEMA 11 January 2013 Official website of INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATION DEPARTMENT kerala gov in Archived from the original on 12 April 2014 Visionary and entrepreneur The Hindu 2 January 2009 K PRADEEP 28 February 2013 The story of a studio The Hindu www keralahistory ac in keralahistory ac in Archived from the original on 11 July 2010 Retrieved 11 March 2014 Baiju Chandran 28 November 2013 The Capital of cinema The Hindu a b Untitled Page Retrieved 22 October 2016 Malayalamcinema com Official website of AMMA Malayalam Film news Malayalam Movie Actors amp Actress Upcoming Malayalam movies malayalamcinema com The Hindu June 2006 AMMA office bearers assume charge The Hindu Chennai India archived from the original on 22 December 2007 retrieved 25 December 2008 The Hindu Business Line No show Cinema bandh total in Kerala thehindubusinessline com Sources EditChandran VP 2018 Mathrubhumi Yearbook Plus 2019 Malayalam ed Kozhikode P V Chandran Managing Editor Mathrubhumi Printing amp Publishing Company Limited Kozhikode External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malayalam cinema Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Malayalam cinema amp oldid 1128973216, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.