The Other Kerala Story

MALAYALAM CINEMA HAS been more about plot than prof­it. Here the stories were told from the heart, and the budgets were comparatively meagre. Unlike its counterparts, the Tamil or Telugu film industries, where film budgets were as astronomical as in Bollywood, filmmakers from Kerala chose to root themselves in reality over dream worlds. Their cinema was closer to everyday life, and so was the price of telling it. While the biggest Bollywood hits of 2023 like Jawan and Animal made more than ₹500 crore at the box office, when movies from Kerala make more than ₹100 crore, it is cause for celebration.

Over the last few months, Malayalam films are finally seeing the kind of box office returns they truly deserve. This year, four films have already reached blockbuster status and have averaged over ₹150-200 crore gross returns. Leading the pack is writer-director Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys set to become the highest grossing Malayalam film ever, followed by Premalu, Bramayugam and the most recent Aadujeevitham. Each of these films have been lapped up by audiences, not just within Kerala but across India and beyond, from the Middle East to New Zealand. Manjummel Boys, the rescue drama that celebrates brotherhood, was made with a reported budget of ₹20 crore, and has already grossed ₹230 crore worldwide, making it one of the biggest Malayalam movies of all time. These returns have been unheard of for an industry previously known best for its cinéma vérité. These new films star both rank newcomers and superstars of Kerala, but it’s their storytelling that has propelled them into the hearts of the audience.

Manjummel Boys highlights the bond between 11 friends who are holidaying at the popular Guna Caves in Kodaikanal. However, the holiday turns into a 12-hour ordeal, when one of them falls into an endless crevice within the caves. For Chidambaram who conceptualised this real-life tale for screen, the story highlights the bonds of friendship. “When I came across this incident, I couldn’t believe some­one could go to such great lengths to save a friend. It changed the definition of a hero in my mind. The character Kuttan based on Siju David who dropped down 50-feet into a cursed dark hole to rescue his buddy, is testimony to what we are capable of as human beings. Not just physically, but intent wise too. I wanted to communicate that there is a god within each of us, and it shows itself during extraordinary times like this. That thought has resonated with people, and the power of a pack that can surmount the biggest hurdles,” he says.

The film keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with its realistic drama, and superbly crafted sets that resemble the endless caves, tunnels, and crevices. It also resurrected a legendary Ilayaraja number ‘Kanmani Anbodu’, which was picturised on Kamal Haasan in Gunaa (1991). The song became the soul of Manjummel Boys and carried the climax to its emotional peak. The makers believe that Tamil cinema buffs flooded into theatres also to relive the song. “This is a visual film that surpasses language barriers, but Kamal sir’s Gunaa changed the history of the caves. And when we paid tribute to him, it came from a place of reverence. We knew we had to include it and now it’s connected with so many people just because of the song,” adds producer Shawn Antony of Parava Films.

Similarly, Premalu directed by Girish AD and co-produced by Fahadh Faasil crosses over to the IT world of Hyderabad from its home state. The coming-of-age rom-com about a bunch of youngsters who fall in and out of love, and are still coming to terms with their newly attained independ­ence, has hit all the right notes with the youth of South India. Shot in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai it has captured a cross-section of young audiences with its fresh humour, and relatable storyline. It has been hailed as the present day Bangalore Days—a 2014 Malayalam film by Anjali Menon that was the original crossover film for audiences outside Kerala. The film found its viewers across the country purely through theatres and subtitles. It was appreciated for its por­trayal of complex urban relationships, and Premalu mirrors similar themes.

Made at a modest budget of just over ₹3 crore, Premalu has grossed a world­wide collection of over ₹120 crore and counting. “I don’t know what to make of these numbers because we just made a film for the love of making a film. Yes, we wanted to seep into the lives of 20-year-olds in India who are free, yet confused, and are ambitious yet tied down by their own ideas of what love and life should be. I wanted to communicate the heartbreak of fig­uring out love as a youngster through humour, and it worked,” says Girish AD who co-wrote and directed Premalu.

According to Ramesh Bala, an entertainment expert who has analysed South Indian cinema for over two decades, a lot of the attention Malayalam cinema is receiving is because of OTT platforms. “Though Malayalam films have always been unbeatable when it comes to content, it was limited by distribution. Many brilliant films wouldn’t reach audiences outside of Kerala, because of this. But during Covid, OTT platforms changed it, and put the spotlight on Malayalam films. It started with the popularity of Kumbalangi Nights (2019), and then never stopped. People from hundreds of nations started to watch films like The Great Indi­an Kitchen, Pada, Joji, and so many more, and now everyone wants to experience these films on the big screen too,” he says.

This renewed interest in Malayalam cinema has been a blessing for a larger-than-life film like Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) made on a hefty budget of ₹80 crore. Written, directed and produced by Blessy, the film has been in the making for over 16 years. Based on the book Goat Days inspired by a real-life story by author Benyamin, it is an astonishing yet tragic story of survival. It tells of a humble Kerala labourer Najeeb, who migrates to the Gulf in the 1990s in search of better opportunities. Upon landing in Saudi Arabia, Najeeb and his friend Hakim get kidnapped by an Arab kafeel (guarantor) only to be thrown into the deep end of an infinite desert as goatherds, with no way of getting back to civilisation. They are separated, and then begins an odyssey to survive against the blazing sun, the swirling sands with bare­ly any food, very little water, no human company, and zero hope.

Shot in the unforgiving deserts of Jordan, the human struggle at the heart of the film is brought out with visual and cinematic genius. If there was beauty in breakdown, Aadujeevitham captures it to the tee. Blessy, who is known to make films that take you through the dark recesses of human nature, gave more than a decade of his life trying to complete this film. “I was in the hospital for months after the filming because we were shooting in such gruelling weather. And because I had been carrying the idea for so long, once it was over, my mind and body simply gave up. But that’s what it takes to make cinema that outlives the cinema halls. We need to make films that we can remember during times of pain, and difficulty. We need to make cinema that inspires us beyond culture, lan­guage, motives, and cinema that holds value in everyday life and relationships. Aadujeevitham is that film for me. It’s not just a Malayalam film that has crossed borders and seas to reach people. It’s the story of how far a human being can hold onto hope, and how much empathy a human being is capable of,” he says.

In one scene a lamb cries out to its herd, when Najeeb in a moment of utter desolation and desperation has a meltdown. The herd of animals then gathers around Najeeb, looking into his eyes, calling out to him and comforting him. It’s one of the turning points of the film where Najeeb (played with extraor­dinary skill by Prithviraj Sukumaran) decides to continue persevering. Aadujeevitham has many such scenes that will take you inwards, in search of your most primal self. “When we look at the world from the top of a mountain, everything seems equal. Everyone seems to be the same. One’s world view changes when we realise the value of the smallest of things. There’s an equanim­ity in animals and human beings that brings balance to this world. And being the most emotionally and intellectually evolved living beings on earth, we as humans need to create examples of love and empathy. That’s what I saw in Najeeb’s life. There was such brutality he faced, and yet it’s love that takes him through. It’s probably what people are connecting with the most,” adds Blessy.

Aadujeevitham, which released on March 28, has already garnered over ₹100 crore worldwide. “It’s a human story that’s found a place with the audience despite its pace and language not being too commercial. The Kerala film market has always been a small one compared to Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh, but thanks to theatricals picking up, the smallest of films in Malayalam have now become bigger than expected. Manjummel Boys paved the way for Aadujeevitham, and hopefully Aadujeevitham will pave the way for upcoming films. That’s the only way to do this. To create an ecosystem where, as makers, we support each other, and take the wave further.” says Kerala-based producer Vivek Ramadevan who helped market Aadujeevitham. According to him, the OTT market has now plateaued be­cause of many unreleased films. “Though the interest in Malayalam films remains, they are not being purchased for even half their original value on platforms like Netflix or Amazon. Thank god the theat­rical releases are bringing in the money, otherwise we would have bled,” he adds.

Rahul Sadasivan, the maker of Bramayugam, a niche film that found its market with Malayalam movie lovers, agrees. This folk horror film set in 17th-century Kerala has been shot in monochrome with only three actors, and is highly experimental, and has made ₹85 crore to date. It’s helmed by Kerala super­star Mammootty in a never-before-seen role. The film turns Mammootty into his most demonic avatar and is being lapped up by audiences. “Creative liberty comes from a free mindset. My film cost over ₹27 crore and I was very well aware that I’m making something that is far re­moved from the commercial plethora of films. I’m taking a superstar and turning him into a monster, that too in black and white. But I also knew that our audience is very sensitive, and all they are waiting for is the next great idea on screen. It’s faith that took us through. The film was released on SonyLiv after its theatrical run and it’s finding enough of an audi­ence online too,” says Sadasivan whose previous film Bhoothakaalam (2022) was also an OTT superhit.

Apart from original storylines, strong social messaging, dubbing in multiple languages, and word-of-mouth promo­tions, Malayalam cinema also boasts of a solid sense of community, where actors and filmmakers lean on and support each other. Many of these films are pro­duced, shot by, written and performed by the same group of new-wave storytellers, and that is the mark of a healthy, growing cinema environment. “We are not here to cut each other off, but to grow as a clan so we can make a difference. That is the only way to survive in this space where films are dime a dozen. Everyone today looks up to a new Malayalam film, and is expecting something pathbreaking from it. We can’t let them down,” adds Blessy who has been directing for over 25 years and sees today’s film culture as the most inclusive.

Bollywood’s Karan Johar is already remaking Hridayam (2022) and Manjummel Boys, proving that a good idea creates its own market. Kerala’s new year festival, Vishu, will see three new releases Varshangalkku Shesham, Aavesham and Marivillin Gopurangal. The Kerala wave proves that movies made with heart and intellect can indeed win at the box office.

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Divya Unny

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