8 Malayalam Films Which Were Themed On The Life Of Theatre Artists

‘Yavanika’ is a cult detective film directed by K. G. George. This film shows the petty feuds and intense sexual rivalries in a theatre troupe. The plot revolves around the mystery over the disappearance of infamous tabalist Ayyappan (Bharat Gopi). Mammootty portrays the police officer’s character who tries to unravel the mystery. This movie focused on how women are exploited in theatre. The film was a major hit despite labelled as an art film.

This film by Siddique- Lal is considered one of the best Malayalam films belonging to the comedy-detective genre. A struggling theatre company owner Mannar Mathai (Innocent) and two youths become part of a kidnapping plot, when they receive a chance call from a kidnapper. Thinking that they can become rich, they decide to impersonate themselves as kidnappers. However, soon they are on the run from the police and real kidnappers. Now, they have to prove their innocence to the police. The film was a runaway instant hit and was followed by a sequel.

This film dwells on a theatre artist (Lissy) and an innocent man (Maniyanpilla Raju) who falls in love with her. He joins the troupe only to meet her and express his love to her. The film is based on his struggles to adjust to other members of the trope and the tragedies that occur in his life. The film was directed by Priyadarsan. It was full of mistaken identities, unique to the director’s style.

Three retired men Janardhanan, Narendra Prasad and Jagathy Sreekumar make a plan to escape from their troublesome wives and scheming sons. They form a theatre troupe to indulge in their amorous activities. Their desperate efforts to run the troupe make up the narrative of this comedy film.

The exit of the lead heroine puts Mannar Mathai’s troupe in a crisis. However, they find Meera (Vani Viswanath), as a substitute who agrees to be part of the troupe. But they don't realise that they are becoming part of a conspiracy. Soon Meera's dark past is unveiled. Now the trio has to witness number of tragedies and gruesome murders.

Directed by Kamal, this film is based on the struggles of a theatre owner, Devadas Sargavedi (Jayaram) to revive his troupe. The film had important Malayalam theatre artists of yesteryears as cast. It also used scenes from some of the most popular plays and gave a glimpse of theatre’s history. It highlighted the challenges a theatre enthusiast has to go through to survive theatre.

A leftist political activist (Fahadh Fazil) is murdered in his hotel room after staging his play. The police team who investigates the murder unravels various shades of his personality. The humanist and activist sides of his personality make him an easy target for greedy business men and politicians. Humanist to the core, the film focuses on how both the victim and murderer become merely tools in politics.

Based on the first reported murder after Kerala’s formation, this is a nail biting crime thriller. A young lower caste woman is brutally raped and murdered, when her family was away to watch a popular drama. A private detective (Mammootty) reopens the case decades later. He cracks the mystery behind the murder and brings to the light the murderer, who now enjoys a distinguished place in society. Superb acting by lead actor Mammootty and supporting cast added to the popularity of this thriller.