4 Malayalam Movies To Watch Out For During Christmas 2024
2024 has proved to be one of Mollywood’s most successful years in terms of both creative output and box office revenue. A large number of Malayalam films, handling a variety of genres, found wide acceptance from different parts of the country. As 2024 comes to a close, Mollywood braces itself for a pretty interesting clash for Christmas, with 4 films gearing up for release. All 4 are very different in terms of genre and scale.Initially, Sreerag Sreenivasan’s Pravinkoodu Shappu (starring Soubin Shahir, Basil Joseph, Chemban Vinod Jose and Chandni Sreedharan, and produced by Anwar Rasheed), Jofin T Chacko’s Asif Ali- Anaswara Rajan starrer Rekhachithram, and Akhil Paul – Anas Khan directorial Identity (featuring Tovino Thomas, Trisha and Vinay Rai) had planned for a Christmas release, but were eventually postponed to later dates.
Barroz (December 25):
Mohanlal’s debut directorial has been in the making for about 5 years now, a significant portion of which has been spent for post production. The film is a fantasy story told from a child’s viewpoint (played by Portuguese actress Maya), and boasts of a cast that includes Guru Somasundaram and multiple foreign actors, along with Mohanlal himself in the titular role.Santhosh Sivan acts as the DoP.The continuous delays have been a source of both discussions and memes among fans and audiences alike, and have also caused changes in the cast, with a few of the original cast having to opt out. This includes Prithviraj Sukumaran, who was roped in earlier for a cameo.The movie has also been plagued with a few internal issues -with the original writer Jijo Punnoose (My Dear Kuttichathan) exiting the project. The trailer has opened to mixed responses, with some appreciating Mohanlal for attempting something new and risky,while some others have placed criticisms on the overall aesthetics of the production design. Many, however, appreciated how director Fazil (who introduced Mohanlal to the big screen through Manjil Virinja Pookkal) was the one who was made to announce the release date of the film.Interestingly, both Barroz and Manjil Virinja Pookkal share the same release date.The songs have been composed by child prodigy Lydian Nadaswaram (in his debut feature), while BGM is handled by Mark Kilian. Hopefully, Mohanlal strikes gold with this passion project.
Marco (December 20):
While Haneef Adeni’s 2019 venture Mikhael was a box office failure that didn’t resonate well with audiences, many appreciated Unni Mukundan’s villainous turn as the suave Marco Jr, prompting for spin off discussions with the character. 5 years later, we now have Marco, a spin off that aims to be “the most violent Malayalam film ever”, as claimed by its makers. Haneef returns to direction after 2023’s box office failure Ramachandra Boss & Co, and judging by the initial teaser, the makers seem to have gone all out in terms of cinematography, colour grading, and action set pieces. Featuring a supporting cast comprising of Kabir Duhan Singh (seen earlier this year in Turbo), Yukthi Thareja, Anson Paul, Siddique (whose character in Mikhael was one of the best parts of the film) and Jagadish ( whose villainous turn is being widely hyped in social media), Marco is lensed by Chandru Selvaraj (Vazhakku, Mahaveeryar, Jai Ganesh) and edited by Shameer Muhammed (Ajagajantharam, Turbo). KGF composer Ravi Basrur is doing the music, making this his 3rd Malayalam film after Muddy and Picasso. The film is aiming for a Pan India launch, having its trailer released in multiple languages. Its first single, ‘Blood’ wasn’t initially well received, with many criticizing the lead singer, Dabzee, prompting the makers to release another version with sung by KGF fame Santhosh Venky, a decision that was received with mixed responses. Let’s hope Marco sets a new benchmark in Mollywood in terms of action.
ED – Extra Decent (December 20):
Aamir Pallikkal’s debut directorial Ayisha, based on the life of theatre actor Nilambur Ayisha, and starring Manju Warrier in the lead role, opened last year to mixed reviews and a disappointing box office reception. This year, he reteams with writer Ashif Kakkodi (who also co-wrote Halal Love Story and Momo In Dubai) for this comedy film starring Suraj Venjaramoodu in the lead role. Also featuring Grace Antony, Shyam Mohan, Vinayaprasad and Sudheer Karamana, the posters so far have been interesting.No other promotional material has been released, as of now. This also marks Suraj’s maiden production venture under the banner of ‘Vilasini Cinemas’, in association with Listin Stephen’s Magic Frames. Cinematigraphy is handled by Sharon Sreenivas (Qalb, Pallotty 90s Kids), while Ankit Menon (Guruvayoorambala Nadayil, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey) handles the music department. Let’s hope second time’s the charm for Aamir.
Rifle Club (December 19):
The announcement of an Aashiq Abu film always piques the curiosity of cinephiles in Kerala. Rifle Club boasts of a huge cast led by Dileesh Pothan, and also featuring Anurag Kashyap (in his Malayalam acting debut), Unnimaya Prasad, Vishnu Agasthya (fresh off the success of RDX), Darshana Rajendran, Vani Vishwanath, Senna Hegde (director of Thinkalazhcha Nischayam), Vineeth Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Surabhi Lakshmi, Suresh Krishna, and rappers Hanumankind and Parimal Shais. The writing team of this action film comprises of Syam Pushkaran (Kumbalangi Nights, Joji), Dileesh Karunakaran (Salt N’ Pepper, Mayaanadhi) and Suhas (Varathan, Virus). This also marks the return of Rex Vijayan as a composer after a hiatus, with the first single, Gandharva Ganam, already becoming a chartbuster. The poster campaign for the film was also pretty great, with the character posters being much talked about.This also marks the second time Aashiq is also handling cinematography duties (the first being the yet to release Mathew Thomas starrer Lovely).Let’s hope Aashiq gets a much needed comeback, after the disappointing box office performances of Naradan and Neelavelicham.
