Upcoming Malayalam Movies to Watch Out for in 2022

Malayalam cinema has a rich cinematic past and continues to produce contemporary masterpieces. Here are five movies you shouldn’t miss this year

From Chemmeen (1965) to Elippathayam (1982) to Swaham (1994) to Jallikattu (2019), Malayalam cinema has produced countless classics over the decades and continues to add to its already vast legacy with critical and popular acclaim. We pick a few upcoming movies that are guaranteed to be modern classics and not to be missed this year.

1) Padavetu:
This Yoodlee offering, co-produced with Sunny Wayne, is helmed by superstar Nivin Pauly and was released on 21 October 2022. The political thriller, which chronicles the relentless struggle of an oppressed community for justice, has received rave reviews and with positive word-of-mouth feedback, has become one of the most talked about stories in Malayalam cinema. Set in an idyllic village in northern Kerala, the captivating film with a theme that is relevant to the times is a fascinating and moving account of the aspirations of people who must constantly fight for dignity, joy and their rightful place in the world. The film also stars Shine Tom Chacko and Aditi Balan among others and is directed by Liju Krishna.

2) Turamukham:
It is an action drama that audiences are looking forward to. Directed and shot by Rajeev Ravi, the film is produced by Sukumar Thekkepat, Jose Thomas and Anoop Joseph. The film stars in-demand star Nivin Pauly with Indrajith Sukumaran, Joju George, Arjun Ashokan, Sudev Nair, Manikandan R. Achari, Senthil Krishna, Nimisha Sajayan, Purnima Indrajith and Darshana Rajendran. The story is set against the backdrop of the primitive ‘Chappa’ system of labor distribution that was practiced in the Mattancherry port of Kochi in the 1940s and 1950s. Metal tokens (Chappa) were thrown among the desperate workers, and whoever managed to get hold of one got a job. The film promises to be an epic tale of rebellion against this dehumanizing system.

3) Nna Thaan Code:
Directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval and produced by Santhosh T. Kuruvilla, this comic court drama stars Kunchacko Boban and Saiju Kurup. The story is a tongue-in-cheek, satirical commentary on our country’s legal system and revolves around a reformed thief’s fight for justice when he gets involved in a case he didn’t create. That it all starts with a dog bite makes the premise even more interesting! The film released on August 11 this year.

4) 1744 White Alt:
This Sena Hegde directorial is also highly anticipated by the fans. The film stars Sharafudheen in the lead role and is produced by Mrinal Mukundan, Sreejith Nair and Vinod Divakar. Set in Kasaragod, on the west coast, the crime comedy promises to be an interesting take on spaghetti westerns and features protagonist Sharafuddin managing a team of cops as they hunt down two petty crooks. At the heart of the conflict is an accidentally swapped white Alto! The cast also includes Vincey Aloysius, Rajesh Madhavan, Arun Kurian and Anand Manmadhan.

5) Mahaveryar:
This time travel fantasy comedy drama is directed by Abrid Shine and follows the characters in two different eras. Incidentally, this is also the first Malayalam film to revolve around time travel and the third collaboration between Abrid Shine and Nivin Pauly, who has also produced the film with PS Shamnaz. Interestingly, Asif Ali plays a ruler while Nivin portrays a godman and both of them handle multiple twists and turns to entertain the audience. Mahaveeryar was released on 21 July 2022.