'Hallyu,' as Indian fans of K-pop have recently learnt, is a word that best describes Korean popular culture. Closer home, there's another giant wave that would do well to have a similarly celebratory term coined after it. We are talking about the Malayalam New Wave, the extraordinary swell of boundary-breaking films coming from the cottage industry of Kochi. Move over 'Hallyu,' the 'Malyu' is here.
The impact of 'New Gen' offering, as the movement has been locally dubbed, now resonates well beyond Kerala. In the last few years, a resurgent Malayalam cinema has impressed movie-goers with its diligent delivery of superbly crafted and thought-provoking narratives. Just this year, we have seen director Aashiq Abu's Naaradan, a welcome commentary on dirty newsroom politics, Rahul Sadasivan's trailblazing haunted-house horror Bhoothakaalam and Amal Neerad's mob-ilicious Bheeshma Parvam. Last year was even better—a playground for audiences who enjoy eclectic taste. Director Don Palathara shot Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam with just two characters engrossed in a conversation while driving to a clinic in order to determine whether the woman is pregnant. Though it's not plot-heavy, there's enough baggage in the couple's relationship for audiences to unpack. Dileesh Pothan gave us Joji, a Macbeth reworking set in a Kerala village. The tragedy, tracking the rise of Fahadh Faasil from his family's black sheep to a criminal mastermind, got an endorsement from none other than The New Yorker's Richard Brody who wrote in his review,"Finally a movie that integrates the pandemic gracefully and intelligently into its story."
By fixing his camera on protagonist Nimisha Sajayan toiling in the kitchen day in, day out, Jeo Baby's The Great Indian Kitchen forced you to rethink the notions of patriarchy and exploitation of women in domestic spaces. Basil Joseph's enjoyable Minnal Murali turned the superhero genre on its head. And then there was Malik, Fahadh Faasil's— one of India's finest young actors and indisputably Malayalam New Wave's hottest property—very own The Godfather turn. Not to mention crossover critical darlings from the previous few years, such as 22 Female Kottayam, Ee.Ma.Yau, Kumbalangi Nights, Sudani from Nigeria, C U Soon, Bangalore Days, Drishyam, Jallikattu, Maheshinte Prathikaaram, Big B, Angamaly Diaries, Trance, Maheshinte Prathikaaram, Kammatti Paadam, Nayattu and so forth.
"UNLIKE BOLLYWOOD, MALAYALAM CINEMA FOCUSES ON GOOD STORYTELLING."Reghu Balakrishnan
Pairing rooted storytelling and formula-smashing content with technically brilliant camerawork at par with Hollywood and actors willing to be 'actors' and not stars (the best example is Fahadh Faasil), the New Gen has consolidated the Malayalam industry's position as one of India's most consistently creative powerhouses. The state's cinematic achievements made even its culture-loving chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan proud. After Kerala's 11 National Film Awards haul (including best feature film for superstar Mohanlal's Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea) in 2021, Vijayan had tweeted, "The Malayalam film industry has once again proved that it stands apart at the national level."