Sasi Nair
March 27, Mumbai
Films are the best form of entertainment and more often than not masses watch movies if the story appeals to them. When it comes to Malayalam movies, there is a special charm to it, as it gives a message to the viewer as well as to the society.
All of us are today well acquainted with coronavirus and the world is grappling to recover from it. For those whose memories are still sharp may still remember the outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala in 2018. My memories were freshened when I happened to watch the Virus movie in Amazon Prime.
It was a prelude to the Covid-19 virus that the world is facing today, a fictional movie produced and directed by Aashiq Abu which had some mainstream Malayalam actors such as Kunchako Boban, Parvathy, Tovino Thomas, Indrajith Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Revathi, etc. acting in it.
It was a gripping film about survival with top notch performances from the artists who were simply living the moment, something which has been the primary USP of many Mollywood movies including the recently released Drishyam 2 which has Mohan Lal in the lead.
So why are Malayalam films so popular that today professionals in other movie industries keenly watch and remake it for their audiences?
Malayalam movies connect to the masses: Often when a movie is made to celebrate life as it is and have the actors portraying things that a common man would do in their lives, it strikes a chord immediately. Film producers in Mollywood have identified and studied the public extremely well and make movies that touch people’s heart.
It is not about superstars Mohan Lal or Mammootty alone, there are arrays of actors who have excelled in portraying characters in a realistic manner. Some of these such as Fahaad Fasil, Dulquer Salman, Asif Ali, Jayasuriya, Parvathy, Mamta Mohandas, and numerous others have done so effortlessly.
Most films showcase the beauty of Kerala which is rightfully called God’s own land and moreover many films still portray rural settings. Also there are several genres of films – thrillers, romantic love stories, comedy, each one having a message for the viewers, and many of these aren’t dramatized over the board, something which is rare to find in movies from other industries.
Stories are often out of the box, especially in films such as Virus (doctors putting valiant efforts to track the cause of Nipah virus), Uyyare (an over possessive lover attacks his girlfriend with acid), Trance (Christian pastor performing hoax miracles), Jalikattu (where a buffalo escapes slaughter by a butcher), and numerous others.
Interestingly, Malayalam movies, other than the ones that feature big superstars such as Mohan Lal and Mammootty, don’t go over the top and portray larger than life characters. It revolves on simple stuff that is commonplace in a normal man’s life, example Bangalore Days or Charlie and also there is something new to offer, take for example, Ustad Hotel or Take Off.
Perhaps Mollywood in India is at par with Hollywood when it comes to quality of films and are really ahead of the curve when compared to big banner Bollywood movies. Masses in Kerala watch content driven films, which have a creative flair to it, and this is what separates the Malayalam film industry from others making them break down geographical barriers.
This is very true…Malayalam movies have good story and script which is the base for a successful movie. This is so as most of the Malayalam film fraternity have experience in working in other field before they enter cinema, so they draw from their experiences in the society and bring them into the films. End of the day, viewers get good cinema to watch.