Best Malayalam Movies of 2010

2010 has seen eighty one releases as yet, and as the year finally draws to a close, its time to pick out the best from among them. There hasn't been reason for much celebration at the box-office this year with very few films making it to the hit charts.

nowrunning.com presents the Top Five Films of 2010, not necessarily in the order of their merit! Some of these films might not have had a dream run at the box office, but nevertheless have left their mark in the minds of cine lovers in the state.

T D Dasan Std VI B

Mohan Raghavan’s TD Dasan Std VI B makes it to the Best Films list of the year on account of several reasons – an inherent genuineness that runs through out and a solid script that tells the story of a young boy who strikes up a relationship with his estranged dad. Though TD Dasan left the theaters without making much of an impact, it was selected as one of the Competition Films at the 15th IFFK, where it was received warmly.

Mohan Raghavan's debut film matched up in texture, dimension and depth to the wonderfully crafted films of Walter Salles that often transcend boundaries. This was the work of an artist who refused to see the medium as a mere commodity, and the highly sensitive writing and truly marvelous direction made this film a truly captivating watch.

Athmakatha

The positivism that abounded in 'Athmakatha' was what endeared the film to its viewer. A moving tale narrated with an amazing simplicity, 'Athmakatha' reinstated our faith in good cinema. Poor publicity and promotions ruined the chances of the film at the box office, where it didn't survive.

Prem Lal’s directorial debut is a rich and imaginative tribute to the indomitable human spirit that strives and eventually survives. The film even felt like a metaphor to Malayalam cinema and seems to suggest that there is bound to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Nayakan

One of the biggest surprises of the year was Lijo Jose Pellissery’s ‘Nayakan’ which arrived without as much as a whimper. It had quite a few surprises in store for the viewer, with its unconventional plot pattern turning out to be the biggest of them all. 'Nayakan' was one of the cleverest films of the year, in that it analysed alternative filmmaking strategies and boldly attempted a few of them.

Nayakan was an exceptionally polished film, a strange combine of a creepy drama and a jet-black thriller that gradually builds to an almost chimerical climax. It served almost as a relaunch for its lead actor Indrajith, who bounced back to showbiz with a vengeance.

Pranchiyettan and the Saint

After the delectable 'Kerala Cafe' in 2009, Ranjith gave us the incredibly charming ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ this year, that emphasized that commercial cinema need not entirely be mindless drivel. One of the most intelligent films to have come out this year, ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ won several viewer hearts and even completed a hundred day joy run at a few major centers!

Ranjith manages a unique mix of satire and comedy in 'Pranchiyettan and the Saint' and it was a tight ropewalk indeed for the director to juggle between fantasy and reality. In doing so he brought down heaven as close to earth and opened up a new universe before us where God and man beautifully blended into one.

Sufi Paranja Katha

Priyanandanan's 'Sufi Paranja Katha' was one of the earlier releases of the year, that was a heartrending sketch of adult love, and that talked of the power and passion that serve as requisites to faith. The film's cinematic sensibility had a mythical quality to it, as time merges into one and becomes a flawless single entity.

Sufi Paranja Katha told a simple story that fascinated us and which grew dearer to the heart with time. They say love, like art endures the tests of time. And it turned out that Priyanandanan's film is in many ways art in its own right.