How directorial debuts are shaping Malayalam cinema

It’s always a refreshing feeling to watch a movie directed by a debutant filmmaker, and the reasons are plenty. Coming to the Malayalam film industry, it has always opened doors to debutant filmmakers, and needless to say majority of them have proved their talent. Let’s take a look at how the directorial debuts are shaping Malayalam cinema .

Bringing something new to the table


This is one of the major advantages of having a debut director on board. Every story has a common factor, and how it changes is the way it is presented to the audiences, and these debut directors like Manu Swaraj (‘Padakkalam’), Sreeraj Sreenivasan (‘Pravinkoodu Shappu’), and many others have infused a different and unique story treatment, which makes it special.





“The first thing about Joju is that he has conviction” - ‘ Pani ’ actress Abhaya Hiranmayi


At the very end of 2024, the actor Joju George proved that he is not only a talented actor but also a genius filmmaker. Through his directorial debut ‘Pani’, Joju George proved that a Korean gangster thriller style can be infused in a normal Indian style gangster movie. Many sequences in the film prove that Joju knows his game.


In an exclusive interview with the ‘Pani’ actress Abhaya Hiranmayi, she told, “The first thing about Joju is that he has conviction. That’s his best quality. He’s got so much going on—directing, acting, producing—his mind is everywhere. He has a kind of craziness on set, but he has conviction in everything he does. He knows what he wants and communicates it to everyone, whether they’re comfortable with their dialogues or scenes. His kind of friendship on set is something amazing. I understood that he could do even more directing in the future.”


Not everything was a success


While several newcomers impressed the audiences with their directorial debut films, the legendary actor Mohanlal disappointed with his directorial debut movie ‘ Barroz ’. Although the efforts were praiseworthy, the overdramatic style and several loopholes made ‘Barroz’ a tiring watch even for those who were keen to witness Mohanlal’s directorial style.


Many of the other films, like ‘Bazooka’ ‘ID: The Fake’, ‘Secret’, and others, also failed to impress the audiences.



“Mohanlal was hurt by ‘Barroz’ failure - Producer Shibu Baby John


In a talk with Mathrubhumi, the producer Shibu Baby John revealed that Mohanlal was hurt by the failure of his directorial debut. He said, “Mohanlal was hurt by ‘Barroz’ failure. Audiences, including Mohanlal fans, were not interested in the film.”


In another media interaction, Mohanlal said, “The responsibility of taking a film forward lies with the audience. I see ‘Barroz’ as something significant that is being given back to society after four decades. Everyone who has watched the film has enjoyed it. However, some people haven't even seen the movie yet, coming forward to criticize it. I am someone who accepts criticism. But when you criticize something, you should understand it well. This is simply a different experiment from me and my exceptionally talented team.”



Opportunities for new filmmakers


There is, obviously, a wide scope for new filmmakers to showcase their talents, but what matters is whether they can keep up with the interests of the audiences through their storytelling style. For example, Jithu Madhavan’s ‘Romancham’ can be simply categorized as a horror comedy film, but what makes it different is the treatment. Never in any sequence, the director try to bring out the ghost in the movie, apart from teasing the viewers with small elements that surely work.



In short, there is surely no specific formula for the success of a film, nor can one definitely confirm that a debut director will be able to pull off successful films only. It all matters whether you are able to tell a story differently and give it good traction.