The year 2024 will forever remain a remarkable chapter in the history of Malayalam cinema, for it witnessed the industry scaling new heights, while also stooping to new lows. The highs came with some monstrous box office hits and the lows, with the horrific details in the Hema Committee Report. The year will also be remembered for the diverse content produced, the exuberance of the youth, the Cannes glory, and some irreplaceable losses. But first, let’s talk money.
Striking gold
Ever since the post-pandemic OTT boom, no other industry has benefited like Malayalam cinema. Though the industry has traditionally been known for its remarkable experiments with content and form, the advent of streaming platforms opened the gates for a larger viewership, introducing non-Malayalis to a wide array of films from Kerala’s rich cultural backyard.
But even then, this newfound love for Malayalam films hardly reflected as footfalls in theatres... until 2024. This was the year that truly witnessed Malayalam cinema turning into a dominant force in terms of box office collections.
The industry peaked during the period from February to April when a string of blockbusters set the cash registers ringing.
Films like Premalu, Bramayugam, Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham, and Aavesham were released in a space of around two months, and suddenly, all the talks were about how Malayalam cinema alone managed to thrive when other language films struggled to lure the audience to theatres. All these films expanded their wings and soared high beyond the traditional Kerala and Gulf markets to make staggering numbers at the box office.
Despite a brief lull period, films like Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM), Kishkindha Kaandam, and Sookshmadarshini sustained the momentum, before Rifle Club and Marco lent the finishing touches for what has been the highest revenue generating year in the history of Malayalam cinema.
But is all that glitters... gold?
Despite the extraordinary run this year, the Malayalam film industry, as per reports from the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA), has incurred an estimated loss of close to Rs 700 crore. According to them, 199 new films and five remastered versions were released in theatres in 2024, amounting to an investment of Rs 1,000 crore.
But among them, only 26 films made a cumulative profit of Rs 300-350 crore, with the rest suffering a loss of Rs 650-700 crore. The numbers are still encouraging as only 12 films made a profit in 2023, as per the KFPA records. According to them, the only way to overcome the crisis is to limit the number of releases and produce quality content that appeals to the youth as well as the families.
Bigger & Better but Bitter
Experiments worth encouraging
hough this year has mostly been about the big box office numbers, Malayalam cinema still had its share of experiments. Malaikottai Valiban, a comic book-style fantasy adventure, saw Mohanlal attempting something out of the box after years. Though the film failed to please the majority, it was still lauded for his performance and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s craft. Mammootty extended his purple patch by kicking off this year with a folk horror made in black-and-white format. Bramayugam, directed by Rahul Sadasivan, despite being such a daring experiment, emerged as one of the highest-grossers of the year.
Asif Ali’s psychological thriller Level Cross, Manju Warrier’s Footage, the first-ever found footage film from Malayalam, and Rudhiram, another psychological thriller, starring Raj B Shetty and Aparna Balamurali, are other examples of A-listers trying to push the envelope. Ullas Chemban’s flawed yet ambitious Anchakkallakokkan and Girish AD’s I Am Kathalan, a revenge film told from the backdrop of cyber crimes, are other works worth mentioning.
But Arun Chandhu’s Gaganachari has to be the most audacious of it all. The film, which introduced the Malayali audience to a sci-fi mockumentary set in a dystopian Kerala, did decently well at the box office, proving that there are takers for such novel attempts. What was more heartening was the government encouraging such experiments by bestowing it with a Special Jury Mention at the Kerala State Film Awards.
Small films with big hearts
A hallmark of Malayalam cinema has always been the beautiful, little films that come with lesser-known star casts. Along those lines, this year, we had some excellent films like Pallotty 90s Kids and Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, both led by child actors. While Pallotty 90s Kids, a State award-winning film, is a heartwarming nostalgia trip to the simple pleasures of 90s childhood, Sthanarthi Sreekuttan is a rare political film with kids at the helm.
Then there’s Jananam 1947 Pranayam Thudarunnu, an endearing tale of two elderly people deciding to spend their final lap of life together. Saiju Kurup’s old-school family drama Bharathanatyam, the action-packed Mura, the quirky Perumani, the smartly balanced satire Oru Sarkar Ulppannam, and the thrilling Golam also managed to impress.
Also a special mention to Pombalai Orumai, which was released directly on Saina Play. This surprisingly engaging thriller is powered by a State Award-winning performance from its lead actor Sreeshma Chandran.
Femi Fantastic
Though the year started on a great note with a stirring performance from Zarin Shihab in the National Award-winning film Aattam, there were scattered talks about the lack of female presence in recent Malayalam films. The voices only grew louder, with many from within the industry joining to ask, “Where are all the women?”
Meanwhile, with their fabulous performances in other language films, the likes of Parvathy Thiruvothu (Thangalaan), Anna Ben (Kottukali, Kalki 2898 AD), and Swasika (Lubber Pandhu) highlighted the lack of enticing roles from Malayalam. It was also exactly around this time that two Malayali female actors gained international acclaim with their film All We Imagine as Light. Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha, who headlined this Hindi-Malayalam film, danced their way to glory at the famed Cannes film festival, where they won the prestigious Grand Prix.
Thankfully, things got better in the latter half of the year. We first saw Urvashi and Parvathy, two powerhouse performers, proving why they are among the best in the business with Ullozhukku, which fared well, both critically and commercially. Nazriya also made a smashing comeback with Sookshmadarshini, which pitted her against Basil Joseph. Surabhi Lakshmi in ARM, Jyothirmayi in Bougainvillea, Mamitha Baiju in Premalu, and Lijomol Jose in Nadanna Sambavam and I Am Kathalan are the other notable female performers in 2024.
A report that opened a can of worms
The Malayalam film industry in 2024 was not shy of controversies, with the worst of all being the events that followed the release of the long-buried Hema Committee Report. When the government, after being put under serious pressure from all corners, released the nearly 300-page report, it opened a Pandora’s box of murky details about the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, including sexual harassment, denial of work, and various other forms of exploitation.
After the report became public, but without taking any names, several women recounted their harrowing experiences of facing sexual assault and misconduct from powerful men in the industry. What followed was days of intense drama with many big names called out, of which some were forced to go into hiding. The alleged perpetrators include actors Siddique, Jayasurya, Mukesh (also an MLA), Baburaj, and filmmakers Ranjith, Hariharan and VK Prakash.
Legal proceedings against some of them are still underway, but the allegations rocked Malayalam cinema like never before. Mohanlal stepped down as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), and along with him, the members of the executive committee. While it invited a lot of criticisms for the AMMA leadership, there was newfound support among the public for the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), who, for years, have been steadfast in their demands for a total revamp in the industry.
All eyes are currently on how the recommendations in the report are being planned to be implemented.
Manjummel Boys and the ‘scene’ twist
Much before the release of Manjummel Boys, composer Sushin Shyam had said that the film would ‘change the scene’ in Malayalam. His words turned out to be quite true with the film smashing all existing records to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time. The film had an outstanding run in Tamil Nadu, where its final figures got close to the films of top-tier actors.
But the ‘scene’ is not yet over. The makers, including producer and lead actor Soubin Shahir, are currently caught in legal trouble after the Enforcement Directorate booked them for financial frauds. IT raids were also conducted recently at their offices, following allegations of inflating ticket collection figures for money laundering purposes. This is definitely not what Sushin meant.
Time to rethink about rerelease?
Taking a leaf out of the phenomenal success of rerelease films in Tamil Nadu, the Malayalam industry also dreamt big this year. Mohanlal films Devadoothan and Manichithrathazhu, Mammootty’s Paleri Manikyam and Valyettan, and Prithviraj’s Anwar got to grace the screens once again, but among them, only Devadoothan managed to survive.
While it is poetic justice that a film that failed originally succeeded during its re-release, it also poses serious questions on the future of rereleasing films. With more films like Devasuram, Thenmavin Kombathu, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Aavanazhi, and Summer In Bethlehem eyeing a second run, the saturation point isn’t very far away.
The final flourish
This Christmas, Malayalam cinema witnessed a mouthwatering clash between Unni Mukudan’s Marco, the multi-starrer Rifle Club, Suraj Venjaramoodu’s ED (Extra Decent), and Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz. While the latter two vanished without making any impression, the other two films are currently enjoying a free run. Marco, especially, is turning out to be an unprecedented success.
An extremely violent actioner, the film is making all the right noise outside Kerala, prompting the makers to dub and release it in other languages. As it inches closer to the coveted 100 crore mark, Marco has once again put Malayalam cinema on the map. Not many would have expected an industry known to make pleasant, feel-good films to deliver the most violent Indian film ever. Perhaps, it’s this unpredictability and sheer diversity in content that defines Malayalam cinema best.
As we bid adieu to 2024, it’s also hard not to think about the losses this year. Actors Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Meghanathan, TP Madhavan, Mohanraj, Kanakalatha, Dileep Shankar, Meena Ganesh, filmmakers Aroma Mani, Harikumar, M Mohan, editor Nishadh Yusuf... And finally, the legendary MT Vasudevan Nair on Christmas day. Malayalam cinema stands orphaned today and with that, the year’s roller-coaster ride has come to a sudden jolt.
On to the next one now...