From silent films to Mollywood
It was cinephile Jose Kattookkaran who brought the seventh art to the state of Kerala, and more specifically to Thrissur in 1913. It was here that the man established the state's first permanent cinema, still operating today under the name of Jos Theatre. However, it wasn't until 1928 that the first Malayalam film was shown on these screens. Vigathakumaran or The Lost Child tells the story of a young boy kidnapped from his parents by a bandit and sent to Ceylon. There, he works on a plantation, but climbs the social ladder before finally gaining recognition from his peers and being reunited with his family, in a grandiose finale that only silent films of the era can match. Shot by J.C. Daniel, a film neophyte turned one-man band, who starred in his own film and is considered the father of Mollywood cinema, Vigathakumaran has unfortunately disappeared, and no copies remain today.
After this spark, Kerala cinema developed gradually, thanks to Indian producers from Tollywood and Bollywood, but also to the studios that were being built in the region. Malayalam cinema, which focused on social themes from the second half of the twentieth century onwards, was distinguished from the others by a relative absence of songs, and an increasing influence of the French New Wave in the 1970s. As a result, this auteur cinema, as opposed to more commercial cinema oriented towards romantic dramas and epic social frescoes, was more easily exported internationally. In 1994, the film Destinée was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and five years later filmmaker Murali Nair won the Caméra d'Or with Le Trône de la mort, a hard-hitting account of the first execution by electric chair in India's history. Today, after a period of drought in the early 2000s, Mollywood cinema is on the rise again. It is once again being exported to India and neighboring Sri Lanka, where it is highly appreciated, but also internationally on Netflix and other platforms, as well as in Indian communities around the world.
With a more realistic bias, Mollywood films stand out from their northern counterparts, and have been repeatedly recognized for their cinematic qualities. Malayalam cinema has represented India at the Oscars on several occasions.
Milestones of Mollywood cinema
If only one film could sum up Indian cinema, it would perhaps be Devdas. Narrating the impossible romance between two characters from opposite backgrounds, but whose love transcends their differences, this Romeo and Juliet revisited by writer Sarat Chandra Chatterjee in 1917 is a hugely popular tale that has since been adapted for the big screen sixteen times, both by Bollywood and by other Indian cinema hubs. While the first Malayalam version dates back to 1989, the best-known of these is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2002 adaptation, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. One of the most profitable films of the decade, it made a major contribution to the spread of Bollywood culture in France, where it sold over 100,000 tickets.
More recently, Drishyam (2013) and its sequel were one of Mollywood cinema's biggest successes, the first Malayalam film to top 500 million rupees at the domestic box office. Directed by Jeethu Joseph, the film tells the story of George Kutty, a cinema owner in a small village, whose peaceful life is disrupted when his daughter accidentally kills the son of a police inspector. To protect his family, George Kutty and his family cover up the crime and destroy the evidence. A gripping thriller that explores themes of family, loyalty and ethics, Drishyam features a healthy dose of unexpected twists and turns. The film has received critical acclaim for its well-written script, Mohanlal's performance in the lead role and Jeethu Joseph's precise direction. And like many of the commercial successes of national cinema, it was subsequently adapted into several Indian languages for easy distribution.
Filming locations in the region
While the majority of films shot in Kerala may be unfamiliar to you, some major international productions have used the state's settings and landscapes to represent India in all its splendor. In The Odyssey of Pi, for example, you can travel between the mosques and temples of Munar, alongside young Suraj Sharma and his companion in misfortune, a tiger as terrifying as it is endearing. More recently, the Tollywood film The Legend of Baahubali, a historical-epic fresco in two parts stopped off at the foot of the Athirappilly Falls, not far from Chalakudy on the river of the same name. Here, the hero and adventurer Baahubali faces his destiny with superhuman strength and unfailing charm. If you haven't yet heard of this grandiose duology that would make even the most grandiloquent Hollywood peplums pale in comparison, you'd better go and discover it right now. It's one of the biggest-budget Indian films of recent years, and you won't be disappointed. And why not continue this discovery with the director's latest film, RRR, which is just as epic? Indian cinema never ceases to surprise.
Seeing movies in Kerala
For over 25 years, the Kerala International Film Festival has been bringing the region's film buffs together in Thiruvananthapuram, and represents one of the major events on India's seventh art calendar. Thiruvananthapuram is also home to the region's largest cinemas, where you can discover the latest national and international blockbusters. Visit the PVR Lulu Trivandum to enjoy IMAX technology, or the Aries Plex for the most comfortable cinemas. In Kochi, the Sridar Theatre will welcome you for films in Malayalam or English, to the delight of all film buffs.
