6 million – 80 million) and have more than recovered their investment. 2 million and 30 million each (compared to the average Malayalam commercial film budget of Rs. Most of the new wave films are modestly budgeted, thus supporting experiments by new directors, between Rs. These films too broke the norms which were considered the prerequisite for a commercial entertainer, and traversed a new path between popular and parallel cinema. In the 1980s, Malayalam films witnessed some positive changes through directors like Padmarajan and Bharathan, who made path-breaking films. Īs per critics, the new wave of activity in Malayalam cinema is reminiscent of the 1980s, regarded as the golden age of Malayalam cinema, when mainstream films bridged the gap between arthouse and commercial movies, led by a team of talented writers and directors. The stranglehold of superstars that was stifling any new experimentation, complemented by the autocratic control of Malayalam film industry organisations over all areas of the industry was seen as pushing the industry to the wall. In the 1980s, stars mattered, though not as much as in the 1990s and 2000s, when Malayalam cinema was practically dictated by the then superstars of the industry. The new wave soon ignited a debate about the era of superstars coming to an end and Malayalam cinema witnessing a radical change. Impact on superstars Ī new macho hero image emerged through a number Malayalam films during the 1990s and 2000s, that added another dimension to the ascent of Mohanlal (Left) and Mammootty (Right) as superstars. The new wave films are criticized for explicit language and provocative themes, often under the guise of bold or modern. The leading ladies often flirt openly, drink in public, and make lewd comments. A number of female-oriented films such as 22 Female Kottayam, Cocktail, Beautiful and Trivandrum Lodge were also part of the new wave. The depiction of women has also changed in the New Wave films beyond recognition. Actors such as Thilakan ( Ustad Hotel) and Prathap Pothen ( Ayalum Njanum Thammil) were noted for their hard-hitting performances in the Wave films. Movies featuring gender minorites and homosexual leads is definitive characteristic of this era of Malayalam cinema. Another notable feature is that stories shifted to depict more non-male characters as lead. The focus of the films also shifted from the conventional masculine, handsome, virtuous and invincible hero to more humane characters. Until recently, most Malayalam films had rural themes portraying the "essential goodness" and "unspoilt beauty" of villages. The frequent use of Malayalam influenced by English is also noted in the films. A recurrent trope in these new narratives is accidents, coincidences, casual encounters and chance meetings that set in motion an unexpected chain of events affecting the lives of the characters drifting in the urban flotsam. While formats and styles of the new directors are deeply influenced by the global and Indian trends, their thematics were firmly rooted in Malayali life and mind-scape. Influx of new actors, the absence of superstars, rise of metro-centric/urban and middle-class themes and different story-lines were also noted in the wave. 3 Films widely regarded as new generation filmsĮrosion of the so-called "superstar" system in popular Malayalam films coincided with rise of the new wave where screenplay got rooted-to-reality, closer-to-life and lead characters became ordinary men and women.
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