Kerala Cinema

It is commendable that with just 3 percent of the country’s total population speaking Malayalam, some of the best works Indian cinema have come from Kerala. The last few decades have seen Malayalam cinema carve a niche for itself even in world cinema. It will be an exaggeration to say that Malayalam films, directors, actors and script writers have constantly been recognized at the national level for their meaningful cinema.

Malayalam Cinema took off late and there were only a handful of films till the 1950’s, when film production began gathering momentum. However, it did not take very long for recognition to come and in 1954 Malayalam Cinema first got national attention when it bagged the President’s silver medal for ‘Neelakuyil’. Since then Malayalam films have occupied an important place in the National awards tally.

Malayalam Cimema, Kerala has always had a generous dose of literary influences, social realism and self expressions. Even when movies tackled ordinary themes like family issues or love stories, what stood out was the realistic treatment with which these issues were handled. Here, one does not find picture perfect men and women looking like movie stars and dancing around the artificial sets; this cinema has excelled in the amazing ability to connect with the audience by portraying characters as realistically as possible. And like good films anywhere in the world where one need to know the language to understand the message of the movie, Malayalam Cinema, Kerala too has earned a place for itself in the genre of highly acclaimed cinema.

Another unique feature of Kerala Cinema was the talent was drawn from the theatre and influenced by the theatrical music of Tamil Nadu. Therefore theatrical and melodramatic productions became the order of the day. The magic of moving images reached Kerala in the early 1900s when JC Daniel set up a studio and produced the first film. It was called ‘vigathakumaran’ (1928).

Malayalam Cinema second film, ‘Maathanda varma’ was made in 1933. The film, based on historical novel by CV Raman Pillai, was known for the realism and simplicity it portrayed. The first talkie ‘Balan’ (1938) bode well for Malayalam because it brught an array of actors from theatre into films.

After a lull during the Second World War, the 1940s saw the resurgence of the film industry. A major milestone was the launching of Kerala Talkies Limited, by PJ Cheriyan whose film ‘Nirmala’ (1948) saw the arrival of playback singers in a field that had so far relied on singing stars. A major change that took place was that filmmakers started relying less on theatre and literature and new scripts began to be written. Also, cinema now started attracting actors, singers and dancers, notable among these being the arrival of the Travancore sisters, Lalita Padmini and Ragini, who held centre stage for a long period.

A long innings of 284 days by Jeevithanauka (1951), which then went on to be remade in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, became the first box office hit. The Koshy- Kunchacko duo produced the film. This was the first step in the foundation of a ‘film industry’ in Kerala.

Malayalam films in the 1950s reflected of the Kerala culture communist ideology that prevailed at that time. Films portrayed inequalities in society and highlighted the underdog. One such film was the cinematic version of Ponkunnam Varkey’s ‘Navalokam’ (1951).

The 50s were also the most eventful period. New producers like P Subramaniam and TE Vasudevan set up production companies that started churning out movies with mass appeal. It was during this time that film makers started making movies that were adaptations of literary works. A name that is etched in public memory is that of TK ‘Neelakuyil’, and succeeded in bringing together the best in filmmaking and literature.

Malayalam cinema, Kerala has had its share of highs and lows but, year after year, hope rises when a debut director comes up with a film that lingers on. TV Chandran and Blessy were two such filmmakers who took up novel themes and created a lasting impact. The last decades has seen the rise of a crop of youngsters as heroes. Leading the pack is Dileep along with Prithviraj. Among the new heroines, Meera Jasmine, Kavya Madhavan and Navya Nair are creating ripples.

Other Cultural Activities In Kerala

Kerala Arts || Kerala Music