2024's Most Impressive Debuts In Malayalam Cinema

ON PAPER, Malayalam cinema’s 2024 box office performance appears immensely profitable. At least five films have collected over Rs 100 crores and another five have surpassed over Rs 50 crores. But beyond the first quarterly high, the year has been underwhelming. Out of the odd 300 films, the number of quality films has been dismayingly low, and that has also disproportionally impacted the talent pool, typically a hallmark of Malayalam cinema yearly. 2024 has been remarkably disappointing when it comes to discovering new, exciting talents. Here are our picks for the few notable exceptions.

The Boys in Aavesham 

Despite Fahadh Faasil towering over the rest in Jeethu Madhav’s zany gangster comedy, one has to concur that the relatively fresh cast provided more than ample support. If the witty, unpredictable and flamboyant Kannadiga-speaking Don Ranga was able to unleash himself, he did receive a lot of ground support from the three boys who “ushered” him into the narrative. Aju (Hipzster), Bibi (Mithun Jai Shankar) and Shanthan (Roshan Shanavas) essayed engineering college freshers who are out to wreak vengeance on their seniors who mercilessly ragged them. They scout Bengaluru's shady bars and alleys for their ‘saviour’, only to bump into this lanky guy in whites, flashy jewels and Ray-Ban. Not only do these boys bring their natural charm to their characters, making their plight relatable, they also succeed in creating a believable dynamic with Ranga. It is their chemistry with Fahadh Faasil that elevates the film’s humour and tension.

Christo Tomy

Christo Tomy already had a reputation when he made his debut feature film, Ullozhukku. His debut short film won a National award and the Netflix documentary Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case was an instant global success. In Ullozhukku, Christo, who has also written the screenplay, yarns a tense, dense family drama in the backdrop of the pandemic when their seemingly placid existence is unexpectedly shattered by certain home truths. There is a younger woman trapped in an unhappy marriage with an invalid and an older woman who is in denial about her history of abuse. Christo subverts expectations by transforming a potential melodramatic material into a poignant, thought-provoking narrative that exposes the entrenched patriarchy; challenges caste bias, and confronts social stigmas. What’s powerful are the silences, heavy with unspoken anguish, capturing the characters’ inner turmoil as they grapple with the complexities of their moral compass. This allows us to fill in the gaps and connect with the characters on a deeper level.  With stellar performances from the leading actors (Parvathy Thiruvothu and Urvashi), Ullozhukku is an impressive debut indeed.

Anishma Anilkumar 

In Girish AD’s I Am Kathalan, which pivots around Vishnu (Naslen Gafoor) who is driven to hack to avenge his humiliation, the true standout is Anishma Anilkumar who plays the girlfriend. Though her character arc is written to empathise with Vishnu’s plight, Anishma impresses with her natural ease. Her performance seamlessly navigates the innocence of newfound love, her frustration with Vishnu’s lack of productivity and questionable behaviour and her eventual decision to call it off. There is a blend of authenticity, naivety and intelligence in the performance that shines throughout. She seems to be a good find for sure.

Bahul Ramesh

Events unfold at a deliberate pace in Kishkindha Kaandam, directed by Dinjith Ayyathan, weaving a complex tale of family secrets and emotional depth. In the middle of a forest inhabited by monkeys lives a cranky old, retired army man (Vijayaraghavan) with his widowed son (Asif Ali). The narrative starts to untangle with the arrival of a new bride (Aparna Balamurali). Soon she realises that not only is her grieving husband still in search of his missing son, but her father-in-law is also unusually secretive and temperamental. It becomes clear that skeletons are waiting to tumble from the closet. Debutant Bahul Ramesh’s mastery over the screenplay is evident as he fastidiously builds the plot and characters, leaving subtle red herrings, yet never losing grip over the narrative. Except for the young bride’s one-dimensional sketch, the characters of father and son are richly layered, keeping us emotionally invested in their journeys. The allegories are clever, and adequate sub-characters enhance their impact.