‘City of God’ to ‘Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi’: Malayalam underrated masterpieces

Malayalam film industry has many underrated movies that stay hidden despite big blockbusters. They offer great stories, strong acting, and new ideas. These films mix real drama, history twists, hard choices, and adventure to show the industry's real depth. Perfect for movie fans seeking fresh takes on life and culture. Here, take a look at the underrated Malayalam masterpieces:

It interconnects lives in Kochi: Tamil migrant Swarnavel (Indrajith Sukumaran) navigates love and betrayal; goon Jyothi Lal (Prithviraj Sukumaran) works for real estate shark Sony (Rajeev Pillai), actress Surya (Rima Kallingal) faces abuse and widow Viji (Swetha Menon) seeks revenge, culminating in accidents, vendettas, and escapes. The film, starring Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rohini, and others, received critical acclaim for its raw realism but performed averagely at the box office.

Rathish Ambat directs an epic historical fiction, written by Murali Gopy and produced by Gokulam Gopalan. Liquor barons fund a biopic glorifying Kammaran Nambiar (Dileep) as a freedom fighter for their party's election gain, but flashbacks reveal his real villainy: inciting violence against rivals like Othenan (Siddharth), landlord Kelu (Murali Gopy), and British forces over love for Bhanumathi (Namitha Pramod). Featuring Bobby Simha, Shweta Menon, and Vijayaraghavan; it was lauded for its meta-narrative on history and politics.

Anand Ekarshi's thriller, produced by Ajith Joy, explores group dynamics in a theater troupe post-party. Actress Anjali faces assault, the all-male group debates expulsion amid envy of rising star Hari (Zarin Shihab as Anjali, Vinay Forrt, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Nandan Unni), uncovering hypocrisies, affairs, and fabricated opportunities. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, opened IFFI, and won the LAIFFA Grand Jury Award; it was inspired by ‘12 Angry Men’.

Sameer Thahir directs and co-produces this road adventure, written by Hashir Mohamed. Kasi (Dulquer Salmaan) and his friend Suni (Sunny Wayne) road-trip from Kerala to Nagaland seeking Kasi's love, Assi, amid unrest. En route via Odisha and the Puri surfing festival, they face bandits, form bonds, and reunite amid militant threats. Supporting cast includes Surja Bala Hijam and Dhritiman Chatterjee; the film was praised for its visuals, youthful energy, and portrayal of the Northeast.