Ten Malayalam movies to look out for this year

From a Lijo Jose Pelliserry-Mammootty collaboration to a time-travel fantasy tale starring Nivin Pauly, here is a list of the most anticipated Malayalam movies expected to release by the end of 2022

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Malayalam movies had a niche following outside the State with just the most enthusiastic viewers keeping an eye on what was coming out of Kerala. However, the pandemic forced Malayalam filmmakers to take the OTT route and a huge audience outside the Malayalam-speaking world discovered the hidden gems of this small industry. It helped that this was one of the only movie industries to actively produce films even during the height of the pandemic, with Dileesh Pothan’s Joji, starring Fahadh Faazil getting declared by the New Yorker as the ‘first major film of the COVID-19 pandemic.’

Now, the Malayalam movie industry is back on its feet and starting to stretch its wings again. Halfway through 2022, the industry has already churned out blockbusters like Bheeshma Parvam, Jana Gana Mana, and Hridayamthat have earned much love from other-language viewers, while bringing out a number of critically acclaimed and well-received films — Bhoothakalam, Puzhu, Pada, Freedom Fight, Oruthee and Kuttavum Shikshayum.

Here is a list of movies to watch out for the rest of the year:

(Likely release dates, where available, have been given in brackets next to movie subheads)

Nanpakal nerathu mayakkam (meaning ‘siesta’ or ‘afternoon nap’) is arguably the most anticipated Malayalam movie of 2022 with high hopes on what can happen when the maverick filmmaker Lijo Jose Pelliserry collaborates with Mammootty for the first time. Lijo, whose last outing Churuli is already a cult classic, has established himself as one of new-wave Malayalam cinema’s pioneers. Meanwhile, Mammootty is on a roll this year scoring two hits with Bheeshmaparvam and CBI 5: The Brain , and delivering a powerful performance in debutant Ratheena’s Puzhu.

The renowned writer S. Hareesh is penning the script for Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, in which Mammootty’s character is rumoured to be leading a double life in a village near Palani. Although yet to get a release date, two teasers are already out and they both suggest a fascinating setting. In the first teaser, an entire village is shown to be taking an afternoon nap, including Mammootty who is in a rustic getup, wearing a check shirt and a lungi. Meanwhile, in the second teaser, the thespian is shown to be drunk in a bar, role-playing the characters of both the father and the son played by Sivaji Ganesan in his 1973 movie Gauravam. . The movie is also the first venture of Mammootty Kampany, the actor’s new production house.

In this historical drama covering the period from early 1920s to late 1950s, ace cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Rajiv Ravi explores the evolution of labour struggle at the Cochin port, where labour allocation was carried out using the inhumane Chappa system, in which labourers were forced to fight each other for earning the right to a specific amount of work (and pay). Starring a rough-looking Nivin Pauly as Mattancherry Moidu, Thuramukham assembles an ensemble of talent including Sudev Nair, Nimisha Sajayan, Joju George, Indrajith, Poornima Indrajith, Darshana Rajendran and Arjun Ashokan to name a few.