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Movie Aadujeevitham narrates the gripping story of a brave Gulf Malayali’s escape from the harsh desert, captivating audiences across theaters. Similarly, ‘Manjummel Boys’ recounts real-life events in the Guna caves of Kodaikanal, emerging as one of Mollywood’s highest-grossing films. Survival adventure trends are taking Mollywood by storm, driving its success at the box office.
The intricately designed survival narratives have garnered significant resonance among audiences in Kerala, transcending generational boundaries, as reflected in their remarkable commercial success. Without question, both Aadujeevitham and Manjummel Boys represent commendable works of cinematic craftsmanship, contributing to the elevation of Malayalam cinema onto the global stage.
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Malayalam cinema has a rich tradition of embracing successful genre structures. Historically, when a film from a particular genre succeeds, it often paves the way for producing more films within that genre. This pattern reflects the industry’s keen awareness of audience preferences and willingness to cater to evolving tastes. As a result, genres that strike a chord with viewers see a proliferation of content, illustrating the industry’s adaptability and responsiveness to audience demand.
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As reported by the Times of India, the emergence of the psychological thriller genre in Mollywood can be traced back to Fasil’s ‘Manichithrathazhu’ from 1993. This film acclaimed as one of the finest in its genre, not only earned actress Shobhana a National Award but also inspired remakes in various Indian languages. At the time, Malayalam cinema predominantly focused on family dramas and political comedies, making ‘Manichithrathazhu’ a refreshing departure from the norm.
From 2012 to 2013, there was a wave of successful serial killer thrillers in the Malayalam film industry. Films like ‘Memories,’ helmed by Jeethu Joseph, and ‘Grandmaster,’ directed by B. Unnikrishnan, enjoyed great popularity. These successes led to a surge in the thriller genre, particularly psychological thrillers, dominating the scene in 2013. However, despite high expectations, movies such as Priyadarshan’s ‘Geethanjali,’ Anil Das’ ‘Alice: A True Story,’ and Shajiyem’s ‘Ms. Lekha Tharoor Kaanunnathu’ failed to impact the box office and faced criticism from both critics and audiences. Tough luck for those films!
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After those rough patches, Midhun Manuel Thomas stepped in to breathe new life into the genre with ‘Anjaam Pathiraa in 2020.’ The momentum continued with a string of serial killer movies like ‘Abraham Ozler,’ directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas himself, and ‘Garudan,’ for which he wrote the screenplay. Plus, ‘Forensic,’ led by Akhil Paul & Anas Khan, and ‘Joji,’ by Dileesh Pothan, added fuel to the fire, keeping the trend alive and kicking. Please note that the movies above are not arranged in any specific release order. Except for ‘Anjaam Pathiraa.’
This pattern repeats with every successful movie genre. The same will inevitably occur with survival thrillers. In the coming years, many survival thrillers will hit the screens for Malayalam audiences, and most will likely flop. That’s just how our industry operates.
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