#malayali cinema

[autailome]

I'm trying to find a Malayalam film called Neethi Peedham / Neethipeedam from 1977 which according to wikipedia is an adaptation of both les mis and hitchcock's the wrong man

It doesn't have a letterboxd page and I can't find it on youtube or anywhere on google besides imdb and wikipedia

does anyone have any leads on where to find this movie? much appreciated!

[ambadijinjinaakadi]

എല്ലാരും ഹാപ്പി അല്ലെ?

[thozhar]

Gulf migration is not just a major phenomenon in Kerala; north Indian states also see massive migration to the Gulf. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar accounted for the biggest share (30% and 15%) of all Indian workers migrating to GCC1 countries in 2016-17 (Khan 2023)—a trend which continues today. Remittances from the Gulf have brought about significant growth in Bihar’s economy (Khan 2023)—as part of a migrant’s family, I have observed a tangible shift in the quality of life, education, houses, and so on, in Siwan. In Bihar, three districts—Siwan, Gopalganj, and Chapra—send the majority of Gulf migrants from the state, mostly for manual labor (Khan 2023). Bihar also sees internal migration of daily wagers to Delhi, Bombay, and other parts of India. Gulf migration from India’s northern regions, like elsewhere in India, began after the oil boom in the 1970s. Before this time, migration was limited to a few places such as Assam, Calcutta, Bokaro, and Barauni—my own grandfather worked in the Bokaro steel factory.

Despite the role of Gulf migration and internal migration in north Indian regions, we see a representational void in popular culture. Bollywood films on migration largely use rural settings, focussing on people who work in the USA, Europe, or Canada. The narratives centre these migrants’ love for the land and use dialogue such as ‘mitti ki khusbu‘ (fragrance of homeland). Few Bollywood films, like Dor and Silvat, portray internal migration and Gulf migration. While Bollywood films frequently centre diasporic experiences such as Gujaratis in the USA and Punjabis in Canada, they fail in portraying Bihari migrants, be they indentured labourers in the diaspora, daily wagers in Bengal, or Gulf migrants. The regional Bhojpuri film industry fares no better in this regard. ‘A good chunk of the budget is spent on songs since Bhojpuri songs have an even larger viewership that goes beyond the Bhojpuri-speaking public’, notes Ahmed (2022), marking a context where there is little purchase for Gulf migration to be used as a reference to narrate human stories of longing, sacrifice, and family.

One reason for this biased representation of migration is that we see ‘migration’ as a monolith. In academic discourse, too, migration is often depicted as a commonplace phenomenon, but I believe it is crucial to make nuanced distinctions in the usage of the terms ‘migration’ and ‘migrant’. The term ‘migration’ is a broad umbrella term that may oversimplify the diverse experiences within this category. My specific concern is about Gulf migrants, as their migration often occurs under challenging circumstances. For individuals from my region, heading to the Gulf is typically a last resort. This kind of migration leads to many difficulties, especially when it distances migrants from their family for much of their lifetime. The term ‘migration’, therefore, inadequately captures the profound differences between, for instance, migrating to the USA for educational purposes and migrating to the Gulf for labour jobs. Bihar has a rich history of migration, dating back to the era of indentured labor known as girmitiya. Following the abolition of slavery in 1883, colonial powers engaged in the recruitment of laborers for their other colonies through agreements (Jha 2019). Girmitiya distinguishes itself from the migration. People who are going to the Arabian Gulf as blue-collar labourers are also called ‘Gulf migrants’—a term that erases how their conditions are very close to slavery. This is why, as a son who rarely saw his father, I prefer to call myself a ‘victim of migration’ rather than just a ‘part of migration’. It is this sense of victimhood and lack of control over one’s life that I saw missing in Bollywood and Bhojpuri cinema.

— Watching 'Malabari Films' in Bihar: Gulf Migration and Transregional Connections

[olvaheiner]

Aavesham (2024)

Directed by Jithu Madhavan

[jinjurloaf]

Kummatty (1979), dir. Govindan Aravindan

[arty-holly]

Thoughts on Kalki 2898 AD

For any new watchers, it might help to get some context. Kalki 2898 AD is about the emergence of Kalki, the last and 10th Avatar or Avataram of Lord Vishnu. There are 4 yugams according to Hinduism. Satyayugam, Tretayugam, Dwaparayugam and Kali Yugam. When evil shadows the world, Vishnu is born into Earth as a human to rid all evil. Krishna is one such very popular avataram of Vishnu. Kalki, the last Avatar has not yet appeared in Kaliyugam( the most evil of all times) and this movie is an imagination of that probable time.

Spoiler Alert!

Cons-

The dialogue, I understand that they now live in a place of amalgamated cultures but why does some of it sound so bad?? I watched the Malayalam dubbed version in theatre and it is actually not that bad but still this use of english slang that sounds so awkward and which can be easily replaced with regional slang is so annoying. For example why does the rebel fighter keep calling bhairava "bro" 😭. Especially when it can be replaced with "chetta" or " anna".

The names, Characters that should have traditional names like Shobana's character has Mariam, I mean Huh?? Who thought this was a good idea? Prabhas's character has a name that does not suit him even slightly( sorry guys but Bhairava is reserved for Ram charan's Magadheera, and he actually lives up to the name) It does not fit him thematically either bcz Bhairava is a form of Lord Shiva and that is not connected to Prabhas's character in any way whatsoever . As they revealed him as Karna at the end, they could have given him a name connected to being a son of the Sun god or smth like that. And the women's names. Sigh. Guys didn’t we all agree about using names like Kyra in Indian cinema. Then why does this KEEP HAPPENING. I mean Kyra, Mariam, Raya, Roxy(her character is another issue entirely)???What. Why. We have a bajillion good indian names both traditional and modern and u choose this, really. And if they're so adamant on using western names, use good western names like Rose or smth. Also who wants to bet that they thought they were the only ones who watched Raya and the Last Dragon and thought it'll be a good name for a indian girl.

THE TREATMENT OF FEMALE CHAARCTERS, I have been yapping about this for years to my sis so I might as well yap here too. Does the movie have good female characters? Yes. Does it treat them well? Hell no. Kyra, dead. Mariam, dead. Leela, left to die, probably dead or used as a sex slave. Roxy, there to add some spice and romance into Bhairava's boring life and consecutively forgotten and never seen again. Good thing Raya is a literal child or the writers will probably kill her off too. And it's the way their deaths have no meaning too. The man who Kyra sacrificed herself to kill is alive actually! Mariam after barely escaping death in the aircraft just gets stabbed by the villian. Sumati's case is gonna be a bit more controversial bcz while i like that she is free from the lab and might get a life of her own, it still doesn't stick quite right with me on her being told by Aswathama that her dharmam is to give birth to kalki ( more accurate and appropriate wording would've been duty or 'kartavyam') I forgot about Mrunal Thakur's character's death at the beginning bcz it had no impact at all. I don’t understand how the man who directed Mahanati could do this to the women of his movie.

Casting choices, You can sue me to hell and back but Prabhas was..not a good choice for Bhairava or as he is revealed to be, Karna. Let's be honest, every single movie after Bahubali was a huge huge miss for him and i'm almost convinced now that the reason Bahubali was such a hit was bcz of Rajamouli and the immense talent he was surrounded by like Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan. For all the marketing they did for him as presenting him as the central character, he is not the main character(as he should be bcz I doubt he'll do a good job of it). His acting stands out like a sore thumb amongst Amitabh, Shobhana and Deepika. And i'm kind of disappointed that he's Karna bcz Karnan is such a complex and good character. Unpopular opinion but DQ should've been Karnan. He just fits. And Vijay Devarokonda does not fit Arjun either. His lines feel flat and emotionless. Maybe instead of casting popular Telugu names they should've casted people who actually fit and can act.

Bcz I sing, I feel slightly qualified to comment on the music in the movie. Prabhas's romance song needs to get burnt to ashes immediately bcz what. what even was that. Ew. But the theme of Kalki immediately bought back my hope for music in the movie bcz that was excellent. But I still feel like it could have been better by adding female singers in a lower pitch. The contrast would've been phenomenal. Bahubali's music director Keeravani already used these techniques in the Mahismati song guys, it's a guaranteed hit. Or maybe it's just my disappointment that there weren’t more female voices.

Krishna's voice should've been sweeter. He is pookie ok? and he deserves a sweet voice. I'm pretty sure he's described to have a voice that melts your heart. His current voice would've suited Balaram more.

Pros:-

The VFX was actually not that bad. Compared to the usual, it was miles better.

Amitabh as Aswatthama, Kamal Hassan and Shobhana delivered. They were absolutely excellent.

The little details were great. Humans get smaller through the progression of the yugams so Aswatthama being 8 feet bcz he was from the Dwapara Yugam fit perfectly. The mythical city Shambala. The little sculpture of Kalki, Bhairava holding and protecting the statue of vishnu from falling( foreshadowing?), Ashwattama meditates near Kashi's shivalingam, Gandhivam, the 5 objects around Supreme(Kamal Hassan) being the 5 evils.

Bujji, sarcastic and fun AI is always always a plus. Healthiest relationship that Bhairava has with anyone in the movie. And voiced by Keerthy Suresh? Double plus.

So many malayalam actors, it makes my malayali heart sing. Anna ben from Kubalangi nights, Shobhana and DQ 😭😭, and Malavika Nair as Uttara too. We were fed so well, just wish they did’nt kill all of them.

The inclusion of cringe english lines might've been dissapointing but the inclusion of races all over the world absolutely made up for it. Shambala's citizens being of all races, black, white, east asian, middle east and all of them being equally happy at Kalki's return made me cry. Hinduism and God is for every single person on earth regardless of their ethnicity. " Vasudaiva Kudumbakam" meaning the entire world is one family was embodied so WELL in that scene, I am floored.

No matter how many times Deepika walks into fire, she does it perfectly every time. Also that parallel between the birth of Krishna and Kalki!! Vasudeva walks through water while Sumati walks through fire. Literal chills

One can't mention chills without mentioning Krishna. It was the absolute BEST part of the movie no doubt. And not revealing his face was the best decision they made in the movie, the audience unknowingly understands that he is pure divinity. And he's Dark skinned too!! Granted he's said to be as dark as the rain clouds but meh, i'll take what I can get. I doubt that an actor with a skin colour like that is accessible. But not revealing his face and letting only the horse and his silhouette show was such a good choice, I can’t get over it.

The monks with guns 🙂

The Shambala weapons in the shape of Murugan's spear??😭 Excuse me while I cry.

The Mahabharata scenes

Supreme(Kamal Hassan) taking one drop of Kalki's essence and reviving from a Skeleton to a normal human body and that LAST POSE OMG

So even though the movie had it's flaws the good parts alone were all worth it and the theatre experience is phenomenal. The simple fact that all of this is going down and lil Kalki has'nt even been born yet is hilarious to me. It could definitely have been better but the parts that mattered, they did well.

And the iconic scene, Sree Krishna himself (forgive the trashy quality)

[neengareadynaaready]

Heroes of Malayalam Cinema Part 1: Ft mostly Mohanlal, DQ, and Tovino

NYAHAHAHAHAHA

Prithviraj Sukumaran and DQ!!!

[selva25]

[kumbhakarni]

Except the ones from Bollywood....they manage to be so cringey with that unnecessary comedy that you forget you're from the continent mastering horror. Indian mainstream cinema doesn't seem remotely interested in exploiting or even aware about the rich local horror myths. Regional cinema on the other hand delivers well but they are far and few.

i think at this point everyone can agree that asian horror will always have a superior hold on paranormal horror. demons, ghosts, and etc are just way scarier coming from any asian country. good for them

[vaseemabdublr]

ഇത് സത്യമാണോ?

[sada-siva-sanyaasi]

no because this was massively important for us.

our mega star once spoke in misery and rage of how people even in film festivals across India knew only Bollywood, Tamil cinema and Malayali cinema but there was zero recognition to Telugu cinema.

within our country.

and now, because of one man and his insanity and his vision, we stand with an Oscar in front of the entire fucking world.

to the dreamer, to the achiever that jakkanna is, take a bow 🙇‍♀️🛐🛐🛐

what is pride if not you?

[thebrewnews]

Manorathangal: Reflecting Malayali Society on Screen – Aswathy V. Nair | The Brew News

Explore how 'Manorathangal' captures the essence of Malayali society through the lens of Aswathy V. Nair. Discover the cultural significance of this OTT release and its impact on the silver screen. Read more on The Brew News.

[jinjurloaf]

Esthappan (1980), dir. Govindan Aravindan

[nivea-ah]

Just a few days after writing a post about the RG Kar Medical College rape case that was brought to light on India's independence day, another case of multiple sexual assaults on women working in Malayalam cinema has been revealed on Raksha Bandhan.

Back in 2017, a prominent Malayali actress was abducted from her car and raped by men. Out of the eight suspects, Dileep, arguable one of the most famous Malayali actor, was also accused. The case never went forward, remained in its trial stages, and Dileep continues to get paid in millions even now. However, just to help the women in their workplaces, a committee was established with women's safety in mind. And now it has been revealed that this committee failed spectacularly.

Women are asked for sexual favours just to get a role in the movie. They are not provided basic necessities like access to the washroom. They are sexually harassed by prominent men because most movies usually ALWAYS have men as producers, directors and actors and these men use their power to destroy lives.

A 235 page report, consisting of statements made by key witnesses, describing all the sexual exploitation they faced was submitted to the government back in 2019! Roughly five years later only was it made public. Ironically, a recent Malayalam movie was given a national award for handling the topic of sexual exploitation quite spectacularly. It would've been hilarious had it not been such a serious topic.

Women get raped everywhere. On the roads, in their workplaces, even in their homes and yet people keep their 'neutral' stance where they claim the don't know much about the case and, 'not all men are like this!' Wake up. Wake up and look at the hellhole you live in and hate it with all your heart. Hate the way we've stooped so low that we still think rapists deserve a chance. Fight against it and maybe with small efforts from all of us, we could establish a world where our security is truly a right.

[alfrik]

Cannes 2024: Grand Prix Award For An Indian Film

A very precious moment for Indian cinema, as an Indian film creating history at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Payal Kapadia and her team made this film an award winning movie and takes the pride and honor to be represented at the centerstage in an international level.

The filmmaker became the first person from India to receive this prestigious Grand Prix Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The Grand Prix Award is the second largest award after the Palme d’Or.

The movie “All we Imagine As Light” is gaining popularity and recognition after the great success. Payal’s film is basically a drama that centered and picturized to show the life of two Malayali Nurses and their way of living and navigating in the crowd of Mumbai.

During the release of the premier at the Cannes Stage, this movie and the team received an eight-minute appreciation via standing ovation. The movie also gets rare and real reviews from all over the world, the media critics, news channels, social media and much more. View All

[mydesignation]

Naatil Evideya? - The Inevitable Question Every Malayali Faces at Least Once in Their Lifetime

Wherever you go in the world, you will find a Malayali. It’s a well-known fact that Malayalis have spread their wings far and wide, leaving their imprint on every corner of the globe. There’s even a joke that when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, he found a Malayali tea shop there, highlighting the ubiquitous presence of people from Kerala.

For every Malayali, the phrase "Naatil Evideya?" is almost a rite of passage. Translating to "Where in Kerala?" this question is the cornerstone of any conversation between two Malayalis meeting for the first time, no matter where they are in the world. It's a simple yet profound query that instantly establishes a connection rooted in their shared heritage.

Kerala: Land of Coconut Trees

Kerala, fondly known as "God's Own Country," is renowned for its lush landscapes dotted with coconut trees, serene backwaters, and vibrant cultural heritage. The state is a treasure trove of traditional art forms like Theyyam and Kathakali, each telling stories through intricate costumes, expressive makeup, and dramatic performances.

Theyyam is a ritual art form that combines dance, music, and mime, reflecting the rich folklore and mythology of Kerala. Kathakali, on the other hand, is a classical dance-drama known for its colorful makeup, elaborate costumes, and detailed gestures that bring ancient epics to life.

The Unique Malayali

The Malayali identity is deeply intertwined with the Malayalam language, which is one of the oldest languages in the Dravidian family. Malayalam literature, poetry, and cinema are celebrated for their depth and cultural richness. The language itself is a source of pride and a significant marker of identity for Malayalis around the world.

Historical Significance

Kerala’s strategic location on the southwestern coast of India has made it a prominent hub for trade and cultural exchange since ancient times. It was here that the first Europeans, the Portuguese, landed in India in 1498, led by Vasco da Gama. This marked the beginning of a new era in the Indian subcontinent's history, with Kerala playing a crucial role in maritime trade routes.

The influence of various cultures over the centuries has left an indelible mark on Kerala’s society, making it a melting pot of diverse traditions and practices. From the historical spice trade that attracted traders from across the world to its rich literary and artistic heritage, Kerala’s contribution to the cultural tapestry of India is immense.

Embracing the Malayali Spirit

The phrase "Naatil Evideya?" encapsulates the essence of being a Malayali – a sense of belonging, pride in one's roots, and the joy of finding a connection in a faraway land. It's a conversation starter that often leads to reminiscing about home, sharing stories of Kerala’s breathtaking landscapes, mouth-watering cuisine, and the warmth of its people.

So, if you’re a Malayali or know one, wearing a tee with the phrase "Naatil Evideya?" is more than just a fashion statement. It’s a celebration of your heritage, a nod to your roots, and a way to connect with fellow Malayalis wherever you go. Whether you're in bustling New York City, serene Switzerland, or even the far reaches of Antarctica, you're bound to find a fellow Malayali who’ll greet you with a smile and the inevitable question, "Naatil Evideya?"

Adipoli!

In conclusion, being a Malayali is all Adipoli – a term that means awesome or fantastic in Malayalam. It’s about celebrating the rich cultural heritage, the resilient spirit, and the warm hospitality that defines Kerala. So next time you meet a Malayali, don’t forget to ask, "Naatil Evideya?" and watch as the conversation unfolds, bringing a slice of Kerala wherever you are.