Malayalam films portray the complexities of life, its pain and joy but lurking behind always is the sense of destiny beyond human control. We reap what we sow, but fate may give us a second chance. Illustrating this and so much more are the films selected below. The cinema of Kerala has achieved international recognition. This is due to the work of distinguished Malayalam film directors such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan and Shaji Karun. While popular films that bear the imprint of melodramatic musicals are produced in large numbers, the artistic cinema continues to grow. Kerala`s literacy rates are the highest in India and there is a strong literary and theatre tradition that has aided this film culture.
1950 - Nallathanka: Directed by P.V. Krishna Iyer, the film starred Augustine Joseph, Vaikkom Moni, Miss Kumari, Omana, S.P. Pillai, and Matheppan. A princess marries a king, but when drought occurs in their kingdom, she turns to her brother for assistance. A jealous sister-in-law aggravates the situation to the point that the sister comes close to killing herself and her seven children. The film, based on a legend, was a major success.
1951 - Navalokam: Directed by V. Krishnan, the film starred Kumari, Sethulakshmi, Lalitha, Thikkurissi Sekumaran Nair, and Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. The differences between the estate owner and workers come to a head over his cruelty towards a woman he had seduced. Eventually, however, she is able to reconcile the two parties. This film marked a deviation from the mythologicals that had dominated Malayalam films.
1953 - Thiramala: Directed by P.R.S. Pillai, the film starred Kumari Thangam, Miss Chandni, Kumari Kalyani, M.L. Rajam, and Sathyan. Lovers are separated, but meet up again in the city - the hero is witness to the heroine`s disintegrating marriage. They return to their homes in the village, and he dies while attempting to rescue her from a stormy river.
 1954 - Neelakuyil: Directed by P. Bhaskaran, the film starred Kumari, Prema, Kodangallur Ammini Amma, P. Bhaskaran, and Sathyan. The illegitimate child of a dead Harijan woman is brought up by the high caste postman. This causes ripples in the caste-conscious village, and finally, the child`s father, another high-caste villager, acknowledges the child. This film is regarded as a breakthrough film - the realism hitherto unseen on the Malayalam screen.
1965 - Chemmeen: Directed by Ramu Kariat, the film starred Sathyan, Sheela, Madhu, Kottarakkara Sridharan Nair, S.P. Pillai, and Adoor Bhawani. Based on a work by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, the film is about the fisherfolk and their belief - the safety of the fishermen depends upon the virtue of their wives. An important film, it brought meaningful cinema to the fore. It was awarded the Certificate of Merit at the Chicago film festival and the most prestigious national award, Golden Lotus.
1973 - Nirmalayam: Directed by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, the film starred P.J. Anthony, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Ravi Menon, Sukumaran, and Sumitra. The story of a village oracle, long redundant, who is once again the focus of the village because of an outbreak of small pox. The day of the ceremony is the very day he discovers, among other things, that his family has been financially dependent upon his wife`s lover. At the end, he dies by the ceremonial sword before his deity. P.J. Anthony`s performance as the oracle was described as `electrifying`.
1975 - Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol: Directed by P.A. Backer, the film starred T.V. Chandran, Raveendran, J. Siddiqui, Salam, Pailunni, Shalini, and Dawn. An idealistic revolutionary discovers love, but since the police have branded him a criminal, he is killed. His lady love finds out about his death through the newspaper. The film was censored, and barred from exhibition during the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. It remained an important film in the industry, influencing many.
1981 - Aparna: Directed by Padmakumar, the film starred Prathap Pothan, Sudeshna, and Master Tony. A young woman prefers to live her life in her hopes - real life is harsh and she clings to her love for a man who is no longer around. Her illusions are finally shattered when she visits the banyan tree where he was seen last - realizing that reality too is an illusion. - An unusual film.
Ilakkangal: Directed by Mohan, the film starred Nedumudi Venu, Shankaradi, Innocent, Adoor Bhasi, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, and Sudha. The return home from the city - a young man is blissfully unaware of a 15-year old`s feelings for him. Before leaving for the city, he pays her for washing his clothes. Human emotions and human ignorance form the theme here.
 1984 - April 18: Directed by Balachandra Menon, the film starred Balachandra Menon, Venu Nagavalli, Adoor Bhasi, Gopi, Shobhana, and Unnimary. A wife misunderstands her policeman husband`s interest in a convict`s wife. She leaves home but eventually they are reconciled - divorce proceedings are distasteful and past memories revive their love. - A melodrama that sought to depict the marital bond.
Kaanamarayathu: Directed by I.V. Sasi, the film starred Mammooty, Lalu Alex, Rehman, Bahadur, Shobhana, Sabitha, Seema, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Sukumari, Unnimary, and Noorjehan. An orphaned young girl finds herself in love with the hard-headed businessman who is paying, reluctantly, for her education. It is only when the girl is about to be sent to a nunnery that he accepts her and her feelings. The film was based on a script by P. Padmarajan.
1985 - Kilipattu: Directed by Raghavan, the film starred Nedumudi Venu, Sukumaran, K.P. Ummar, Sabitha Anand, and Adoor Bhasi. A corpse is discovered in a well during a festival, and an activist is arrested for the murder of the temple keeper`s daughter. He dies while in police custody. The daughter appears sometime later, but is killed during the next festival and her corpse recovered from a well. The film was the director`s first.
1991 - Amaram: Directed by Bharathan, the film starred Mammooty, Madhu, Ashokan, and Murali. The film relates the predicament of a family - the father witnessed his wife die due to lack of medical aid and decides to enter his daughter into the medical profession. The daughter however loves a man who objects to her education. The camerawork of the film was much-admired.
 In recent years, Shaji Karun, already distinguished as a cameraman, has emerged as a talented film director. His first feature film, Piravi (The Birth, 1988), was based on the Rajan murder case that occurred during the Emergency in the mid-1970s. It explores with great poetic sensitivity and cinematic understanding the anguished search of an old man for his lost son, who is taken into police custody. Piravi won several prestigious awards at international film festivals and was shown in England on Channel 4.
While these filmmakers were making artistic films, the popular cinema in Kerala was catering to the escapist taste of the bulk of filmgoers, producing cheap entertainment. These films offer romance, sex, seduction and murder in abundance. As in many other states, the film industry in Kerala has had its ups and downs. At one point, money poured in from the Gulf states to shore up its film production but this is no longer the case. As with most popular cinema, the appeal of the films depends largely on the drawing power of the actors and actresses. In Kerala, film producers eagerly seek actors such as Mammooty and Mohanlall, who have acted in hundreds of films. But Malayalam cinema deserves attention for its enriching of the artistic tradition of film.
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