From Chemmeen (1965) to Elippathayam (1982) to Swaham (1994) to Jallikattu (2019), Malayalam cinema has crafted countless classics across the decades and continues to enrich its already formidable legacy with critical and popular acclaim. We pick a few forthcoming films that are guaranteed to be modern classics and must not be missed this year.

1) Padavettu:

This Yoodlee offering co-produced with Sunny Wayne is headlined by superstar Nivin Pauly and was released on October 21st, 2022. The political thriller portraying an oppressed community’s relentless struggle for justice has received rave reviews and with positive word-of-mouth feedback, it has emerged as one of the most talked about stories in Malayalam cinema. The riveting film with a theme that is relevant to the times is set in an idyllic village in North Kerala and is an engaging and stirring account of the aspirations of people who have to constantly fight for dignity, joy, and their rightful place in the world. The film also stars Shine Tom Chacko and Aditi Balan, among others, and is directed by Liju Krishna.

2) Thuramukham:

This is an action-drama audiences are eagerly waiting for. Directed and filmed by Rajeev Ravi, the film is produced by Sukumar Thekkepat, Jose Thomas, and Anoop Joseph. The film stars much-in-demand star Nivin Pauly with Indrajith Sukumaran, Joju George, Arjun Ashokan, Sudev Nair, Manikandan R. Achari, Senthil Krishna, Nimisha Sajayan, Poornima Indrajith, and Darshana Rajendran. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the primitive ‘Chappa’ system of labour allocation that was practiced at the Mattancherry harbor in Kochi during the 1940s and 50s. Metal tokens (Chappa) were thrown among desperate laborers and whoever managed to get one, was given work. The film promises to be an epic account of the revolt against this dehumanizing system.

3) Nna Thaan Case Kodu:

Directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval and produced by Santhosh T. Kuruvilla, this comic courtroom drama stars Kunchacko Boban and Saiju Kurup. The story is a tongue-in-cheek, satirical comment on the legal system of our country and revolves around a reformed thief`s battle for justice when he gets embroiled in a case, not of his own making. That it all begins with a dog bite, makes the premise even more interesting! The film was released on August 11, this year.

4) 1744 White Alto:

This Senna Hegde directorial is also much awaited by fans. The film stars Sharafudheen in the lead role and is produced by Mrinal Mukundan, Sreejith Nair, and Vinod Divakar. Set in Kasaragod, on the western coast, the crime comedy promises to be an interesting take on spaghetti westerns and depicts leading man Sharafudheen helming a team of cops as they chase two small-time crooks. At the heart of the conflict is an accidentally swapped white Alto! The cast also includes Vincy Aloshious, Rajesh Madhavan, Arun Kurian, and Anand Manmadhan.

5) Mahaveeryar:

This fantasy, comic drama based on time travel is directed by Abrid Shine and follows the characters across two different eras. This also incidentally happens to be the first film in Malayalam that revolves around time travel and the third collaboration between Abrid Shine and Nivin Pauly who has also produced the film with PS Shamnaz. Interestingly, Asif Ali plays a ruler while Nivin portrays a godman, and the two deal with multiple twists and turns to keep the audience entertained. Mahaveeryar was released on July 21, 2022.