The Malayalam movies helmed by female directors are more content-driven and deal with serious subjects rather than having a mass appeal.
Female directors in Malayalam. (Supplied)
The Malayalam film industry is predominantly male-centric, and every year, the industry welcomes debutants with open arms.
There is a glaring contrast between the movies made by female directors and their male counterparts. The usual “mass masala entertainers” are not really the cup of tea for women filmmakers.
In fact, the Malayalam movies helmed by women filmmakers are more content-driven and deal with serious subjects rather than having a mass appeal.
For instance, the films made by Revathi Asha, Geethu Mohandas, and Vidhu Vincent have been accepted by movie buffs for their strong content.
Geetu Mohandas’s Moothon (2019) dealt with a serious subject and was shot in Lakshadweep and Mumbai.
Vidhu Vincent‘s Manhole (2016) depicted the life and struggles of the daughter of a manual scavenger. It also won the Best Film Award at the Kerala State Film Awards.
Ratheena PT is another woman filmmaker who successfully crafted Puzhu (2022) with Mammootty and Parvathy Thiruvothu. It was an impactful movie that spoke against class discrimination and featured Mammootty in a negative role.
Now, let’s check the works of four successful female directors in Malayalam:
Writer-director Anjali Menon is a known face in the cinema industry as she has directed some critically acclaimed films in Malayalam. She debuted as a director with Manjadikuru in 2008.
Anjali Menon’s ‘Wonder Women’ is available on Sony Liv. (Supplied)
The movie was received well by critics and audiences alike, as the theme was refreshing.
During a conversation with Anjali Menon, she said the movie had elements of her own family and ancestral house in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
In 2009, Manjadikuru won five Grand Jury Awards — Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer and Best Emerging Talent — at the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) in New York.
In 2011, Anjali Menon worked as a scriptwriter for Ustad Hotel, a super hit. Anwar Rasheed directed the Dulquer Salmaan movie.
In 2012, she did her second film Bangalore Days, a phenomenal hit.
After a short break, Anjali Menon wrote, directed, and co-produced the commercially and critically acclaimed Koode (2018). A fantasy movie, it featured Prithviraj Sukumaran and Nazriya Nazim as siblings.
Koode was the official adaptation of the Marathi film Happy Journey (2014) by Sachin Kundalkar, with a change in the plot.
Wonder Women (2022) marked Anjali Menon’s OTT debut. It was written and directed in English.
The film was released on Sony LIV and the cast included Nadiya Moidu, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Nithya Menen, Amruta Subhash, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Sayanora Philip, and Archana Padmini.
A poster of Shruthi Sharanyam’s ‘B 32 Muthal 44 Vare’. (Supplied)
Shruthi Sharanyam directed the critically acclaimed B 32 Muthal 44 Vare (Bust 32 to 44) in 2022.
She is also the winner of the Best Director Award (female) in the Woman/Transgender category at the 53rd Kerala State Film Awards.
B 32 Muthal 44 Vare is a bold take on gender and body politics, the issues faced by queer community and women from the lower class. The title itself is a brave attempt as it suggests the bust size of women, which is rare in Malayalam cinema.
Ramya Nambeesan, Zarin Shihab, Ashwathy B, Anarkali Marikar, Krishna Kurup, and Raina Radhakrishnan played the characters of six women around whom the film revolves.
The project was produced by Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) to empower women directors. A lot of research went into the film because the director wanted to address intersectionality.
In an interview with South First, Shruthi Sharanyam said she spoke to the members of the transgender community and learnt about their experiences because one of the characters (played by Anarkali Marikar) was a transman.
Similarly, she researched the aspect of cancer survivors as Ramya Nambeesan essayed the character of a cancer survivor.
The Malayalam director likes to watch films of different genres, including classics. She says it’s an exercise for her.
Vijay Sethupathy and Nithya Menen in ’19(1) (a)’. (Supplied)
Indhu VS debuted as a director with the critically acclaimed movie 19(1)(a) in 2022. It starred Nithya Menen, Vijay Sethupathi, and Indrajith Sukumaran in lead roles.
The film marked Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi’s debut in Malayalam. It is loosely based on the tragic death of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh.
The movie’s title referred to Article 19(1) in the Constitution of India: (1) All citizens shall have the right (a) to freedom of speech and expression.
19(1)(a) was selected for screening at the 45th Moscow International Film Festival. It was also selected under the out-of-competition segment.
Earlier, at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), it won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film.
Further, Indhu VS bagged the FIPRESCI Award for Best Debut Director in Malayalam.
‘Nila’ released in theatres on 4 August. (Supplied)
Before venturing into feature films, Indu Lakshmi directed three short films — Alikitham (Unwritten), Uthara Kadalasu (Answersheet), and Mareechika (Mirash).
Uttara Kadalasu got many official selections.
The Trivandrum-based director asserts that short films served as a great learning platform for her.
Her debut Malayalam movie Nila (2023) is being widely appreciated for its bold take on relationships and womanhood. The flick also disrupts the notion that age restricts women from doing certain things or achieving something.
Nila is an emotional story of Malathy, her son Mahi (Vineeth), and Nila (Ananya). It is a female-oriented movie that showcases the abilities of a wheelchair-bound elderly woman.
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