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Cinema thrives on young commitment- T.D. Ramakrishnan

At a time when Malayalam cinema is increasingly being cited as a reference point for the rest of the country, writer T. D. Ramakrishnan attributed its momentum to the collective energy of a new generation of filmmakers. Speaking at the national seminar “Malayalam Cinema: India’s New Cinematic Compass”, held on December 17, 2025, as part of the 30th IFFK, Ramakrishnan argued that the industry’s recent successes are rooted in the commitment and imagination of a broad pool of young creative talent.

Balancing a strong sense of tradition with a curiosity for the wider world, Malayalam cinema’s 21st-century trajectory, he said, reflects both continuity and reinvention. The post-pandemic expansion of OTT platforms has further accelerated this shift, opening up access to world cinema and new technologies. This convergence, Ramakrishnan noted, has enabled the coexistence of commercially viable films and works of significant artistic ambition—positioning Malayalam cinema as a continuing guidepost for Indian filmmaking at large.

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra traced the evolution of the industry’s cinematic language through recent landmark works such as Jallikattu, Bhramayugam and Manjummal Boys. Focusing on Manjummal Boys, he observed that the film moves beyond a conventional narrative of friendship to offer a distinctive cinematic experience, driven by meticulous craft and inventive formal choices.

The discussion also turned to experimentation as a defining impulse. Rahul Sadashivan’s Bhramayugam, with its stark black-and-white visual grammar, was cited as a reinvention of the horror genre, while Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu was described as a visceral capture of Kerala’s social and emotional terrain. Films anchored in political clarity and strong conceptual frameworks, the speakers suggested, point towards the future direction of Malayalam cinema.

Acknowledging the material constraints behind creative ambition, actor-director Aditya Baby spoke about negotiating financial pressures while striving to sustain cinema of artistic value.

The seminar concluded in the presence of emerging voices and industry figures, including young filmmaker Natesh Hegde and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Secretary C. Ajoy, reinforcing the sense of a shared, forward-looking energy shaping the next phase of Malayalam cinema.