Kerala Art Movies

Indian cinema that aims to bring out the seriousness or art is cited as art cinema. Film critics also term such kind of cinemas as the "New Indian Cinema" or sometimes "the Indian New Wave" or parallel cinema. During the 1960-1980s, the art film or the parallel cinema was generally aided by government. Such directors would receive federal or state government allowances to produce non-commercial films on Indian themes. These films were exhibited showcased at state film festivals. The directors of these art cinemas had strong foreign influences like that Italian Neo-Realism or French New Waves. These parallel or art films are claimed as ‘meaningful movies’ where the intelligence of the viewers is not interrogated and profit-maximization is not the ultimate intention.

The 70s era experienced an upsurge of new kind of Malayalam cinema. The development of film society movement and the viewing of world classics enforced a radical change in Malayalam film perspective in Kerala. A new trend often termed as the 'New Wave Malayalam Cinema' or the 'Malayalam Parallel Cinema' came into existence. This new genre of movies was mainly sparked off by the new generation filmmakers educated at the FTII, Pune, who created films with the help of the Film Finance Corporation which was then newly founded.

P.N Menon, the maker of films like Kuttyedathy, Mappusakshi,Oolavum and Theeravum and in early 70s gave an impetus to the forthcoming movement.

The eminent director Adoor Gopalakrishnan's first film Swayamvaram (1972) transferred Malayalam Movies to the International film arena. He played an active role in establishing Kerala's first Film Socity, 'Chalachitra' (1965 In 1973, the directorial debut of M. T. Vasudevan Nair - Nirmalyam, which won the President's Gold Medal for the best film .G. Aravindan who is regarded as one of the best film directors of India, directed the Uttarayanam in 1974. Uttarayanam depicted the contemporary restless youth in silver screen. Other famous movies directed by him were Kanchana Seeta (1977), Thampu (1978), Kummatty (1979), Chidambaram (1985), Oridathu (1986), and Vasthuhara (1990.

Another major course of Malayalam cinema that emerged during the 1980s was the 'middle-stream cinema' which was a fusion of the popular commercial cinema and the parallel cinema and had significant themes. These films were mainly directed by K G George, Padmarajan and Bharathan, who were the exponents of Pune Film Institute. These film makers made films which were commercially successful but didn’t have the ingredients of commercial films.

The film Elipathayam in 1981directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan was greatly applauded by the mass of Kerala and bagged the British Film Institute award. Other significant movies directed by this feted director were Mukhamukham (1984), Anantharam (1987) Mathilukal (1989), Vidheyan (1994), Kathapurushan (1995), and Nizhalkkuthu (2003). P. A. Backer and Bharathan are other names worth mentioning. Movies like Piravi, Vanaprastham, Ponthan Mada were other acclaimed movies that won accolades in the international arena.