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Refreshing youthfulness being experienced by Malayalam cinema

Malayalam cinema is witnessing an unprecedented burst of youthful vitality that has enabled it to break free from the yoke of superstardom

Let us say it with conviction this Independence Day: the age of superstardom is over in Malayalam cinema. If one might go by history-book terms, this is the Age of Renaissance. From the black age of superstar-driven unpalatable mediocrity, the industry is rising to find a new bearing.
If the spirit of independence is about breaking free of unhealthy repression - be it from superstars or cliques - Malayalam cinema industry can courageously say that it has broken free of its shackles.
Today, the industry does not need superstars. If actors who enjoyed the largesse of fanfare are going to peddle mediocre films, the audience are going to stand up and reject it.
That is not to undermine the relevance of Mammootty or Mohanlal, who have been ruling the silver screen for close to three decades. They are exceptional actors but as history proved, they make for bad 'superstars.'
Let us not get carried away, though. Their movies will continue to rake in good initials, their fans will still fight it out on social media (abusing anyone who challenges their lordships), and they will sure as daylight, deliver superhits.
But the overt dependence that the industry has for them as well as any superstar - be it Dileep, Jayaram or Suresh Gopi - is practically over.
We are not being ungrateful here. We love, cherish and adore all those exceptionally brilliant actors for their contribution to Malayalam cinema. But when business takes precedence over the industry and the room for merit to grow is stifled by vested interests, perhaps it is time for reformation and renaissance. And that is what is happening now.
Unlike Hollywood, Bollywood or even Kollywood where the top-most actors become extremely choosy and hardly commit to more than one movie a year, Malayalam's top paid actors are on a signing spree, intent to make hay and prolong the sunshine.
Every year four or five of their films hit the marquees through a supply chain of casting, technician, production and exhibition - all fiercely controlled by these actor-entrepreneurs.
Not surprisingly, the lessons of how to control the industry were not lost on those who followed them. Dileep and Prithviraj have been quick to cash in on the prospects of film production and distribution, and the new generation is set to follow. Even the current heartthrob and box office sensation Nivin Pauly is turning into a producer.
There is nothing wrong in actors investing in movies; Kamal Haasan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan have all been dabbling with their home productions. 
But when it comes to a small industry such as Malayalam, where getting a movie into the Rs100-crore club is to this day a major challenge, the clout and control that superstars extend across the industry has been, perhaps inadvertently, weighing down the industry.
Although Mammootty and Mohanlal made their name and fame during what can be described as the 'golden age' of Malayalam cinema (yes, those nostalgic 1980s when directors such as Padmarajan, Bharathan and KG George balanced commercial with artistic sensibilities), their extraordinarily long-reign also meant a sad decline in the quality of Malayalam cinema.
Perhaps faced with the prospect of poor stories and mediocre scripts, they churned out films by the dozen that almost took the audience for granted. 
When actor-writer Sreenivasan came down heavily on them with his black humour movies about superstardom, we were miffed with him. But now, time has proved how proverbial his words were.
It is not surprising that at the vanguard of the new age of Malayalam cinema (let us not call it 'new generation') is Sreenivasan's son Vineeth. He understood the magic of his father's writing - the films that made Mohanlal, the loveable hero. It meant turning the camera into real-life setting, being self-deprecatory, having a hero who is a loser and packaging it all in a heady dose of humour.
This year, Vineeth stormed the box-office with his film Oru Vadakkan Selfie, directed by Prajith and starring Nivin Pauly and Aju Varghese (the new Mohanlal-Sreenivasan combo, if you may). While there was nothing extraordinary about the film, the effortless ease that Nivin brought on screen and the characterisation that was rooted in reality worked for the film, which became a runaway hit.
But the real sensation was to follow. Writer-director Alphonse Putharen had Malayalam film audiences eating out of his hand with his Nivin Pauly-starrer Premam. The top grosser of all time, the film has been in news since its almost sneaky release in May, without even as much as a YouTube trailer.
Nivin has since then been touted as the new superstar, a tag he firmly wants to reject. He also wants to brush aside any comparison with Mohanlal. But what Premam delivered was a knock on superstar and big budget ego. It showed that even with a cast of relative newcomers, super-duper hits can be made if the film dares to be rather true to its milieu.
Such mind-blowing, trend-defining success is not new in Malayalam. In fact, Manjil Virinja Pookal, which thrust Mohanlal into the limelight, was one such success by then-debutant director Fazil. The film challenged the prevailing conventions and set in motion the next generation of talent.
In many ways, Premam's success will be noted for inspiring newcomers to dare and experiment with camera, and for audiences to receive movies without star-jaundiced prejudices.
The positive vibe that the Malayalam cinema experiences today is a wake-up call for every actor. Dileep learnt it soon enough to deliver a superhit in Chandrettan Evideya and Prithviraj, as he has proved in the past, is extremely choosy about his roles. He bagged a hit in Picket 43 (by far the most accomplished film by director Major Ravi), while Dulquer Salman effortlessly straddles Tamil and Malayalam. His Ok Kanmani was a success, while 100 Days of Love did not disappoint his rom-com loving fans. Fahadh Faasil, despite his best intentions, did not fare quite well at the box office although he must be admired for his efforts to experiment.
Such successes do not close the door on accomplished actors such as Mammootty or Mohanlal. If they can deliver even a semblance of an 'okay movie,' audiences still will rush to receive them as the success of Fireman, Bhaskar the Rascal and Ennum Eppozhum, and the debacle of Laila O Laila and Acha Din proved.
Furthermore, Malayalam cinema is seeing a new age where talent is appreciated even if it is not from within the industry. The success of Dubai-based ad-filmmaker turned director Arun Shekhar's Jilebi is statement enough that Malayalam cinema is open to new talent.
Does this all make the industry so heavily male-driven? While we might want to say, 'au contraire,' the sad fact is that it is still very much so.
Barring an Anjali Menon or Sreebala Menon (who made Love 24x7 this year), and talents such as Manju Warrier, Asha Sharath, Nithya Menen and Anusree who are making a definitive mark, the 'she-side' has been pretty bleak this year, except for Sai Pallavi, who became the talk of the town for her role as Malar in Premam. Director Lal Jose's Nee-Na dared to bring in the female perspective. The film was a box-office success and its heroine Deepti Sahi made an impression.
The track-record of success in Malayalam now also transcends commercial films. This year has seen indie, arthouse films such as Kanyaka Talkies, Crime No 89 and Unto the Dusk not only receiving theatre release thanks to the efforts of the government, but also gaining box office acclaim.
Chirakodinja Kinavukal, a spoof, perhaps befittingly wraps up audience sentiment. The audiences have learned to laugh at the industry's clichés. That is a good sign. It shows maturity and a hidden clamour for original writing.
Make way, then, for the new generation. Rest assured they will do the industry proud.