The Make-up Marvel in Malayalam Movies

In the make-believe world of cinema, the art of make-up has always enjoyed prime place. The deft hand movements of able make-up men bring shape and show to onscreen characters, transporting artists from the real world to the reel world. Variety, versatility, flexibility - the qualities that passionate artists wish to be praised for - have close association with the art of make-up. Let’s go through ten quality make-up cases from Malayalam cinema during the recent years.

Prithviraj in Celluloid:

The heart-wrenching stare of the aged character, the desolate state of a man who has lost everything in life for his obsessive love of cinema – more than the acting prowess of the artist, it was the make-up that ‘performed’ during the last few scenes of the classic movie Celluloid.

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Celluloid

Dileep in Sound Thoma:

If you count the number of hours that make-up men have worked on artists in Malayalam cinema, Dileep would clearly win the case hands down. The range of characters that he has played is amazingly wide and deep, thanks to his script-writers as well as his make-up men!

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Sound Thoma

Thilakan in Ardhanari:

Thilakan had no equals when it came to the ability to transform oneself into reel characters. Any kind of make-up would merge smoothly with the late actor’s impeccable character presentation, never allowing itself a chance to attract or hold attention. Examples are aplenty, like Ardhanari, Perumthachan and Moonnam Pakkam.

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Ardhanaari

Dileep in Mayamohini:

In the super-hit pot-boiler movie of 2012, the make-up man was clearly the second hero. Presenting a male artist in a female role that’s sensuous, exuberant and naughty, who is the object of lustful desire for a bunch of virile men, was not an easy task. Dileep’s ‘Mohini’ was a ravishing success.

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Mayamohini

Mammootty in Munnariyippu:

The art of make-up has a subtle and clever facet in its supreme or cleanest form. The character Raghavan that Mammootty played in the movie resembled an iceberg. As one of the best characterizations of offbeat Malayalam cinema, Raghavan was given the best make-up – a trimmed moustache and a neat haircut with hand-picked strands of grey hair in both.

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Munnariyippu

Sreejith Ravi in Punyalan Agarbattis:

The mini-truck driver Abhayakumar was a hit with the audience. The overemotional character that Sreejith Ravi played in the Jayasurya-starrer was given a hilarious look by its make-up man, which contributed immensely to its success.

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Punyalan Agarbattis

Manoj K Jayan in Ardhanari:

Manoj K Jayan is another talented artist who loves to play unconventional roles on big screen. The transgender character in Ardhanari is a memorable one, for both the actor and its make-up man.

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Ardhanaari

Kunchacko Boban in Poppins:

The typical masculine look of a bygone age was reproduced very well by the make-up man through the character that Kunchacko Boban played in the V.K. Prakash movie ‘Poppins’. If you have watched those golden movies of Sathyan or Prem Nazir, you would appreciate the make-up better.

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Poppins

Jinu Joseph in Iyobinte Pusthakam:

Here’s an entry from the very recent ‘period’ film Iyobinte Pusthakam, made possible for the brilliant portrayal of the character ‘Ivan’ by Jinu Joseph and his make-up man. The brutal, the barbaric, the monstrous man that Ivan is has been well-represented by the looks itself – the ‘General Lee’ type moustache, the long hair with the pony tie and the brown savage eyes.

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Iyobinte Pusthakam

Anoop Menon in Vikramadityan:

This is again one of those subtle cases, where the character’s hidden behaviour or motive is well-complemented by its make-up. The selfish and scheming Police Officer in the movie shows up on Anoop’s face clearly, especially in the thin & trimmed moustache and the thick-framed glasses.

Great onscreen characters can make great movies. When such characters are realized for the celluloid, the art of make-up can play a magical role in making them a marvel to remember!

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Vikramadityan