If Mollywood touched new heights with huge hits and imaginative themes in 2016, it also plunged into an abyss of despair towards the end of the year with a dispute that took the wind out of the sails of new releases that were all set to storm theatres for Christmas. The liberty of several lives in Mollywood was shackled by the whims of a few. But Malayalam cinema has overcome worse and so this should (touch wood) be no different.
Here is a quick look at the highlights of Malayalam cinema 2016...
Action heroes
A still from ‘Action Hero Biju’
Action films hit the ground running and ruled the roost. Not surprisingly, Action Hero Biju was among the early hits of the year that has been. Nivin Pauly’s action hero, Dulquer Salmaan’s tough act in Kammatipaadam , Mammootty’s cop in Kasaba and Mohanlal’s Pulimurugan were among the action heroes of Mollywood. Prithviraj’s Soorya in Oozham and Jayasurya’s lead in Inspector Dawood Ibrahim also pulled no punches.
Among the women, Manju Warrier, Anusree Nair and Rima Kallingal were among the heroines who wore the pants and acted tough.
Brand ambassadors
Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Dulquer, Sreenivasan, Innocent and Manju Warrier were among the many stars who became brand ambassadors of social causes espoused by the Government of Kerala. Stars were running marathons, doing organic cultivation, speaking up for cancer survivors and more.
Censor Board
Ka Bodyscapes was not the only film that courted controversy and ran into problems with the censor board. Kammatipaadam was also frowned upon by a scissor-happy Censor Board that wanted dialogues to be beeped out and certain scenes chopped. Strangely, many films with gender insensitive dialogues, crass scenes and violence got away with it.
Debutants to the fore
A still from Maheshinte Prathikaram.
It was the year of the debutant. Maheshinte Prathikaram, Kammatipaadam, Jacobinte Swargarajyam, Aanandam, Oru Muthashi Gadha and Kattappanyile Rithwik Roshan were just a few of the films that glittered with the work of debutants. Suresh Gopi’s son Gokul Suresh ( Mudhugauv) made his debut while Mohanlal announced his son Pranav’s debut in Jeethu’s Joseph’s new film. Jayaram’s son Kalidas has been winning hearts with his song that went viral.
Exotic locales
The United States and Dubai were passé. Directors were telling stories set in Portugal and Mexico and the hinterlands of India, where no Malayalam cinema has ever been before.
Fans and fanfare
Adulation was carried to ridiculous lengths during the year. Fans welcomed their stars’ films by pouring milk over posters and cut-outs of the actors. There was hype and then some more.
Grand old stories
Senior citizens and tales about them got a sensitive treatment in some works. Pa.Va and Oru Muthashi Gadha were two films that did not sideline the elderly.
Hit of the year
Vyshakh’s Mohanlal-starrer Pulimurugan , the costliest Malayalam film ever made, leaped into the pages of cinematic history by becoming the first Malayalam film to make the 100-crore league and is still running in cinemas.
A still from ‘Pulimurugan’
Indie films
These became the toast of filmdom with their strong thematic content and powerful casting. Directors demonstrated that if you had a good story to tell, there were producers and viewers. Ozhivudivasathe Kali, Kaadu Pookkunna Neram and Manhole were examples.
Jail stories
Jails have been a popular location for many flicks in Malayalam. This time around, it was the main location for two very different films. One was Manju Warrier-starrer Karinkunnam Sixes , which revolved around sports and the other was Welcome to Central Jail , a comedy starring Dileep in the lead.
Kerala State Chalachitra Academy
Kerala State Chalachitra Academy came up trumps with its superbly curated package of films for the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala.
Leading ladies
Led by Rima Kallingal with her role in Bijukumar’s Kaadu Pookkunna Neram , and Manju Warrier, the heroines are introducing viewers to contemporary women in Kerala. Right from Rajini Chandy and Bhagyalakshmi of OruMuthashiGadha to Anusree Nair and Aparna Balamurali of MaheshintePrathikaram , Rajisha Vijayan of AnuragaKarikkinVellam and Siddhi Mahajankatti of Aanandam , they are giving the heroes a run for their money with their splendid performances. Shaun Romy of Kammatipaadam , Abhija of Ozhivudivasathe Kali and Sai Pallavi in Kali stood out for their brilliant work.
‘Ann Maria Kalippilaanu’
Mainstream cinema
Mollywood seems to have discovered its elixir of youth and has been attracting audiences who were drifting away from theatres. Suddenly, even piracy was controlled as film buffs decided to watch movies in cinema halls, thanks to some superbly made entertainers.
Narratives
Narrative was king as directors boldly experimented to tell familiar themes in myriad new ways. Guppy, Pa.Va, Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho, Ann Maria Kalippilaanu and Kali were few of the movies that dared to take the road less taken.
Omnipotent heroes
They became a rare species. Mohanlal in Oppam and Pulimurugan were exceptions. Many of the lead male characters were ordinary guys battling flaws and circumstances. If Prithviraj’s Pambu Joy of Pavada had to reconcile with his past to make peace with his present, Fahadh Faasil’s Mahesh Bhavana in MaheshintePrathikaram had to overcome his diffidence to prove himself, Dulquer’s Siddharth had to learn the hard way to control his temper in Kali , while Nivin’s Jacob had to step out of his father’s shadow to find his feet in the corporate world in Jacobinte Swargarajyam . In film after film that clicked at the BO, the hero was the common man.
Producers with spine
Producers came forward to invest in innovative projects and in projects helmed by newcomers. Kunchacko Boban revived the Udaya Studio banner with that gem of a film Kochavva... . After proving himself as singer, writer, director and actor Vineeth Sreenivasan turned producer with Aanandam . Nivin and Abrid Shine produced Action Hero Biju . Many women also turned producers. Crowdfunding is changing the face and outlook of Malayalam cinema. One of the most creative groups is Collective Phase, a group of top-notch technicians that includes the likes of Rajeev Ravi, Madhu Neelakandan and B. Ajithkumar. That three of their films, Kammatipaadam, Kismath and ID , found a place in the International Film Festival of Kerala speak for the quality of their works.
Quotable quotes
Right from the time of the inimitable Sreenivasan-Sathyan Anthikkad films and Priyadarsan’s laughthons, movies have contributed many one-liners and words that are now part of our vocabulary and collective consciousness. That trend continues and added to that list were saho (for bro) and Ratheesh!
Rom-coms forever
Almost everyone likes a well-made rom-com. Maheshinte Prathikaram, Happy Wedding, Anuraga Karikkin Vellam and Thoppil Joppan were among the films that filled theatres.
Social media
Social media was the choice of denizens in tinsel town who wanted to get in touch with their fans and followers. Mohanlal’s blogs won bouquets and brickbats in equal measure while Dileep’s post about his marriage to Kavya Madhavan was one of the most watched on Facebook. Actors, directors and scriptwriters used social media to announce projects, thank viewers, greet their fans and search for actors.
Trouble in tinsel town
Demonetisation created a cash crunch in movieland and some films had to be postponed or stopped. Nivin’s Sakhavu and Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela were two that were postponed to 2017. Far more damaging was an ugly spat involving exhibitors, distributors and producers that put the brakes on a buoyant Malayalam cinema. There were no Christmas releases and viewers missed out on watching some of the most waited releases – Sathyan Anthikkad’s Jomonte Suvisheshangal , Jibu Jacob’s Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol , Jay K’s Ezra and Siddhique’s Fukri .
Unforgettable characters
Starting from Pavada , one of the first films in 2016 to click at the BO, to Aanandam , one of the last, the movies gifted viewers with some unforgettable characters, thanks to a treasure trove of actors who can shine in any role. Renji Panicker, Biju Menon, Alencier, Vinayakan, Manikandan Achari, Tovino Thomas, Vinay Forrt, Soubin Shahir, Siju Wilson, Lijimol Jose, Chemban Vinod, Sreenath Bhasi, Neeraj Madhav, Dinesh Prabhakar, Sharafudheen, Lena, Shruthy Menon are some who gave us many indelible characters.
Suraj Venjarmoodu, Aju Varghese, Kochupreman and Dharmajan play comedians but, above all, they are actors par excellence.
Victory for a debutant
Vidhu Vincent became the first woman director to have a film in the competition section of the IFFK and she also walked away with FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film for Manhole .
Whodunits
Another favourite of cinegoers is a whodunit. Rajesh Pillai’s swan song Vettah set the mood for the hunt for suspense-filled moments. Mammootty’s Puthiya Niyamam , Jayasurya’s Pretham , Oppam and, to a certain extent, Kammatipaadam kept us on tenterhooks with some nail-biting suspense.
X factor
X factor is not in physical looks or physique, as was proved by Manikandan Achari and Vishnu Unnikrishnan. Their memorable acts wowed audiences.
Youth factor
It is the reign of the youth in Mollywood. Actors, directors and technicians are getting younger and younger by the day.
Z rated films, made by certain one-man units acting as producer, director, actor and songster, enlivened the scene and showed wannabe filmmakers how not to make a film.
