Kerala’s grand annual cultural festival of Onam began on 30th August and the ten-day long festival will conclude today, that is, 8th September. To enjoy the festivities in an even more entertaining way, we have compiled a list of ten Malayalam films from 2022 (in no particular order) which you can watch with your loved ones on various Indian OTT platforms. Happy Onam and happy Bingeing everyone!
Pada (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Helmed by Kamal K.M. and based on a true incident, the movie follows a group of men who identify themselves as Ayyankali Pada and how they execute their plan to hold the District Collector hostage for many hours. Their motive is to negotiate with the government to make them withdraw a newly passed controversial bill pertaining to Adivasi rights.
Jana Gana Mana (Streaming on Netflix)
The socio-political thriller revolves around an investigation headed by an upright cop ACP Sajjan (and Suraj Venjaramoodu) into the alleged rape and murder of a popular college professor. The film changes gears in the second half as it delves into the courtroom genre with Adv. Aravind Swaminathan (Prithviraj Sukumaran) taking the centre stage. The story portrays the idea of law and justice from the perspectives of the two protagonists – the cop and the lawyer. The film’s climax will take you off-guard.
Malayankunju (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Set against the backdrop of a hilly region during the monsoon season, the survival thriller movie features Fahadh Faasil as Anikuttan / Anil Kumar, a reclusive electronics technician who lives with his mother. One day, he gets trapped under the debris of a landslide and how he fights for his life forms the rest of the film’s story.
Helmed by Rosshan Andrrews, the film features Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role of a committed police sub-inspector named Aravind Karunakaran, who gets involved in the investigation of the killing of a middle-aged couple. After realizing that an innocent person has wrongly been accused of the crime, he makes it his mission to nab the real culprit. Bollywood actress Diana Penty stars opposite Dulquer Salmaan in the film.
Hridayam (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
The film features Pranav Mohanlal as a Keralite Arun Neelakandan, who enrols himself in a reputed engineering college in Chennai. The film showcases his emotionally charged journey and his tryst with love, college days, and life and how these experiences affect him as a person.
Freedom Fight (Streaming on SonyLIV)
‘Freedom Fight’ is a five-part Malayalam anthology film that delves into the idea of the importance of freedom and features female protagonists and their issues. Another highlight of the film is that one segment has been helmed by ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ director Jeo Baby while the other four directors are Kunjila Mascillamani, Akhil Anilkumar, Jithin Issac Thomas, and Francies Louis.
Bheeshma Parvam (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
Helmed by Amal Neerad, the film is a gangster drama starring veteran actor Mammootty in the lead role. Set in 1980s Kochi, the film’s plot is somewhat inspired by The Godfather and the Indian epic Mahabharata. It revolves around its protagonist Michael, the respected and equally feared head of the Anjootti family, and how some of his own family members join hands with his enemies to end the patriarch’s reign.
Helmed by Joshiy, the Malayalam language crime film features Suresh Gopi as a voluntarily retired cop Abraham Mathew Mathan aka Paappan, who reluctantly comes back to investigate an old murder case.
Bhoothakaalam (Streaming on SonyLIV)
The film features veteran actress Revathy and Shane Nigam as a mother-son duo grieving over the recent death of a family member. The unemployed son begins to experience a supernatural presence in his house which affects his perception of reality and his sanity.
Oruthee (Streaming on Manorama Max)
Helmed by V.K. Prakash and based on a true story, the drama thriller revolves around a Kochi-based female boat ticket collector named Radhamani (played by Navya Nair). Her life takes an adverse turn after her daughter falls ill and she takes a gold loan against a necklace but gets deceived in the process. How she fights back in life with the help of a good cop, forms the rest of the film’s plot.