Year in review: Breakout talents from Malayalam cinema in 2022

Express News Service

Every new year starts with a sense of hope. Like Andy Dufresne of The Shawshank Redemption said, hope is indeed a good thing, and no good thing ever dies. It is this ‘hope’ that propels many dreamers despite the umpteen stumbles and setbacks. For some, it might take years to succeed, and for some, it might just be the case of getting the first step right. It depends on many factors—talent, hard work, luck… or is it just a matter of being there at the right place at the right time? I guess it’s the combination of all these factors. Here, we look at some of the year’s brightest talents from Malayalam cinema who got this combination right and managed to leave a strong impression.

Abhinav Sunder Nayak for Mukundan Unni Associates

Abhinav Sunder Nayak had cut his teeth in the industry as an editor on acclaimed films such as Godha, Aanandam, and Uriyadi. A rare example of an insightful filmmaker who walks the talk, Abhinav’s directorial debut Mukundan Unni Associates, featuring an unabashedly evil protagonist with no redeeming features, proved that one doesn’t necessarily need a virtuous character to make a great film.

Krishand for Aavasavyuham

The biggest game-changer of 2022, filmmaker Krishand’s Aavasavyuham is that rare ‘festival film’ which balanced both commercial and arthouse sensibilities to stunning effect. A hot talking point after its release on SonyLIV, the film is the brainchild of a visionary whose interests run the gamut from anthropology to ecology to graphic novels to superhero movies.

Jithin Thomas Isaac for Attention Please

Writer-director Jithin Issac Thomas first proved himself an inventive storyteller with his segment Pra.Thoo.Mu from the anthology Freedom Fight. His formidable talent was further solidified with his full-length feature, Attention Please. Though wholly reliant on dialogues, it’s careful not to fall prey to the usual talking head cliches. The innovative storytelling and arresting performances ensure a boredom-free experience.

Rahul Sadasivan for Bhoothakalam

Bhoothakaalam came along when many movie buffs assumed the horror genre was dead in Malayalam cinema. Powered by stellar turns from Shane Nigam and Revathy, remarkable minimalism, and effectively chill-inducing atmosphere and sound effects, Bhoothakaalam was born out of director Rahul Sadasivan’s desire to crack the horror genre and present something hitherto unattempted.

Vishnu Govindan for Attention Please

Often seen in supporting characters in numerous films, Vishnu Govindan made his mark as a lead character for the first time in newcomer Jithin Isaac Thomas’ Attention Please. Vishnu’s hauntingly unpredictable and desperate screenwriter Hari is the soul of Attention Please, a film that’s essentially a series of unsettling storytelling sessions moderated by the character.

(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

<br /> Every new year starts with a sense of hope. Like Andy Dufresne of The Shawshank Redemption said, hope is indeed a good thing, and no good thing ever dies. It is this ‘hope’ that propels many dreamers despite the umpteen stumbles and setbacks. For some, it might take years to succeed, and for some, it might just be the case of getting the first step right. It depends on many factors—talent, hard work, luck… or is it just a matter of being there at the right place at the right time? I guess it’s the combination of all these factors. Here, we look at some of the year’s brightest talents from Malayalam cinema who got this combination right and managed to leave a strong impression.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Abhinav Sunder Nayak for Mukundan Unni Associates</p> <p>Abhinav Sunder Nayak had cut his teeth in the industry as an editor on acclaimed films such as Godha, Aanandam, and Uriyadi. A rare example of an insightful filmmaker who walks the talk, Abhinav’s directorial debut Mukundan Unni Associates, featuring an unabashedly evil protagonist with no redeeming features, proved that one doesn’t necessarily need a virtuous character to make a great film.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Krishand for Aavasavyuham</p> <p>The biggest game-changer of 2022, filmmaker Krishand’s Aavasavyuham is that rare ‘festival film’ which balanced both commercial and arthouse sensibilities to stunning effect. A hot talking point after its release on SonyLIV, the film is the brainchild of a visionary whose interests run the gamut from anthropology to ecology to graphic novels to superhero movies.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Jithin Thomas Isaac for Attention Please</p> <p>Writer-director Jithin Issac Thomas first proved himself an inventive storyteller with his segment Pra.Thoo.Mu from the anthology Freedom Fight. His formidable talent was further solidified with his full-length feature, Attention Please. Though wholly reliant on dialogues, it’s careful not to fall prey to the usual talking head cliches. The innovative storytelling and arresting performances ensure a boredom-free experience.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Rahul Sadasivan for Bhoothakalam</p> <p>Bhoothakaalam came along when many movie buffs assumed the horror genre was dead in Malayalam cinema. Powered by stellar turns from Shane Nigam and Revathy, remarkable minimalism, and effectively chill-inducing atmosphere and sound effects, Bhoothakaalam was born out of director Rahul Sadasivan’s desire to crack the horror genre and present something hitherto unattempted.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Vishnu Govindan for Attention Please</p> <p>Often seen in supporting characters in numerous films, Vishnu Govindan made his mark as a lead character for the first time in newcomer Jithin Isaac Thomas’ Attention Please. Vishnu’s hauntingly unpredictable and desperate screenwriter Hari is the soul of Attention Please, a film that’s essentially a series of unsettling storytelling sessions moderated by the character.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)<br />