Before Masterpeace’s release, watch these Indian films inspired by Wes Anderson’s style

Masterpeace, starring Nithya Menen and Sharaf U Dheen, is one of the highly anticipated web series of the year. Scheduled to release on Disney+ Hotstar on October 25, the Sreejith-directed series revolves around an unconventional family. Touted to be a visual treat, the show has drawn inspiration from the unique and bright aesthetics often associated with Hollywood director Wes Anderson’s films.

The theme of a dysfunctional family, witty punchlines, unique narrative technique and zoom-in shots used in the series make it one of the much awaited shows of 2023. The cinematography and visually pleasing compositions are sure to enhance the viewing experience for audiences. 

But before watching the new Malayalam web series, let’s take a look at some of the best Indian films inspired by Wes’ movies.

Kanakam Kamini Kalaham

Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar

Nivin Pauly-starrer Kanakam Kamini Kalaham is a Malayalam comedy, directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval. The film features Grace Antony as the female lead, while Vinay Forrt, Sudheesh, Jaffar Idukki, Joy Mathew, Vincy Aloshious, Sivadasan Kannur and Rajesh Madhavan play supporting roles.

The film follows former TV actress Haripriya (Grace) and her husband Pavithran (Nivin), a junior artist and acting coach. The couple grapple with their strained marriage. Pavithran’s misguided attempt to rekindle the romance with a gift of gold-plated earrings leads to a humorous series of events. Things go down when Haripriya mortgages the earrings, prompting Pavithran to plan a getaway to Munnar, where he hides them in a hotel. The movie unfolds as a comical search for the lost earrings ensues.

The vibrant orange and yellow hues in the film evoke strong similarities to The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes, indicating the director’s emphasis on the film’s visual appeal and aesthetics. This colour palette symbolises a sense of comfort, yet it conceals the unfortunate events unfolding within the hotel. 

Barfi!

Streaming on: Netflix

The Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra starrer 2012 Hindi romantic comedy film, Barfi!, became a cult favourite for its cinematography and the lead actors’ incredible performances. The Anurag Basu-directed film also features Ileana D’Cruz, Saurabh Shukla, Ashish Vidyarthi, Haradhan Bandopadhyay and Jisshu Sengupta as key characters. Shruti (Ileana) falls in love with Barfi (Ranbir), a hearing and speech impaired man. However, she ends up marrying someone else. Years later, she learns that he is in love with an autistic girl Jhilmil (Priyanka), and feels the need to rethink her own marriage. As the film is set in Darjeeling, one cannot ignore the aesthetics that have been referenced from Wes’ films. The quirkiness in the characters and the use of visuals and imagery definitely makes it one of the best Wes Anderson-inspired Indian films. 

Monsoon Mangoes

This 2016 Malayalam comedy film, starring Fahadh Faasil, is hugely inspired by Wes’ colour palette and filmmaking. Directed by Abi Varghese, the movie also features Iswarya Menon, Vinay Forrt and Vijay Raaz in key roles. The film narrates the story of Daveed (Fahadh) who is a determined filmmaker in a quiet New Orleans suburb. He struggles to create his movie Monsoon Mangoes. However, after facing setbacks and seeking an ageing Bollywood actor’s (Vijay) help, he eventually crafts a unique film by weaving the actor’s life experiences into the narrative. The film ends with a public screening receiving appreciation, and Daveed realises his dream as a filmmaker. The film uses hues of pink and blue and bright colours that sync with the lead character’s aspiration of his dreams. The colour palette is also very comforting in the comedy scenes, making it visually appealing.

1744 White Alto

The Sharaf U Dheen-starrer Malayalam comedy crime drama film 1744 White Alto explores the quirky avatars who resemble the characters from Wes’ films. Helmed by Senna Hegde, the film also stars Rajesh Madhavan and Vincy Aloshious. The movie narrates the story of Vijayan (Navas Vallikkunnu), an ordinary individual who becomes embroiled in a case of mistaken identity when his car is mistakenly swapped with that of two small-time criminals. Local police, led by Mahesh (Sharaf) and his team, pursue them in a lively and humorous cat and mouse chase. The film precisely captures Wes’ style that combines his cinematic shots with the use of bright retro colour scheme.

Also read: Masterpeace director Sreejith: We deliberately took Wes Anderson’s films as references for the web series 

Super Deluxe

Streaming on: Netflix

One cannot complete the list without the 2019 Tamil neo-noir drama Super Deluxe. The blockbuster film - starring Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Ramya Krishnan - was helmed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja. It is one of the best films known for its narrative style and ensemble cast. The movie revolves around the stories of an unfaithful wife, an angry boy, and a transgender woman who are all compelled to confront their inner struggles on a fateful day. The film is a perfect Indian version of Wes’ films for its compelling narrative, dysfunctional characters with the Wes’ style of bright colour scheme.

Also read: Masterpeace: Sharafudheen, Nithya Menen star in Disney+ Hotstar’s new Malayalam comedy web series