40 Must Watch Malayalam Movies

1. A Northern Story of Valor (1989)

 8.7
 

 Rate
The film offers an alternative version of the fight between two legendary Chekavars from
Chanthu's perspective.

Director: T. Hariharan | Stars: Mammootty, Madhavi, Devan, Suresh Gopi

Votes: 5,708

 
2. Vaishali (1988)
133 min | Musical, Drama, Romance

 7.8
 

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Princess of a country long suffering from drought should please a saint living in distant hills
to bring rain.

Director: Bharathan | Stars: Sanjay Mitra, Suparna Anand, Geetha, Babu Antony

Votes: 418
 
3. Manichithrathazhu (1993)
Not Rated | 169 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

 8.8
 

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When a forbidden room in an old bungalow is unbolted, the spirit of a vengeful dancer is
unleashed.

Director: Fazil | Stars: Shobana, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Vinaya Prasad

Votes: 11,362

 
4. Kireedam (1989)
Not Rated | 124 min | Action, Drama

 8.9
 

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The life of a young man turns upside down when he intervenes in a dispute in order to
rescue his father (a cop) from a ruthless local outlaw.
Director: Sibi Malayil | Stars: Mohanlal, Thilakan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Parvathi

Votes: 7,942

 
5. Action Hero Biju (2016)
144 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller

 7.6
 

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The life of an honest and determined police officer Biju and the various criminals he puts
behind bars.

Director: Abrid Shine | Stars: Nivin Pauly, Anu Emmanuel, Devi Ajith, Binoy Antony

Votes: 4,114

 
6. Piravi (1989)
110 min | Drama

 7.9
 
 Rate
Raghu, the only son of Raghava Chakyar was born late for him. So he poured his entire love
and affection on him. Raghu, studying in an engineering college in a far away city has to
arrive ... See full summary »

Director: Shaji N. Karun | Stars: Premji, Archana, Lakshmi Krishnamurthy, V.K. Sriraman

Votes: 282

 
7. Annayum Rasoolum (2013)
168 min | Romance

 7.4
 

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The story of how Rasool, a Muslim falls in love with a Christian girl, Anna and how her
family's strong disapproval makes their relationship change for the worse.

Director: Rajeev Ravi | Stars: Fahadh Faasil, Andrea Jeremiah, Sunny Wayne, Shine Tom Chacko

Votes: 2,181

 
8. Kammatti Paadam (2016)
Not Rated | 177 min | Action, Drama

 8
 

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Krishnan, who has been living away from his family and friends in Mumbai, gets a call from
his friend Ganga in Kerala, out of the blue. He senses danger, and leaves for
Kammattipadam, where both of them grew up.

Director: Rajeev Ravi | Stars: Dulquer Salmaan, Vinayakan, Shaun Romy, Anil Nedumangad

Votes: 4,822

 
9. Thondi Muthalum Driksakshiyum (2017)
Not Rated | 135 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

 8.1
 

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Prasad and Sreeja enter wedlock and move to a new place to continue the rest of their lives.
Unfortunate events begin to take place after Prasad, a small-time thief, robs Sreeja's gold
chain during a bus journey.

Director: Dileesh Pothan | Stars: Fahadh Faasil, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nimisha Sajayan, Alencier Ley Lopez

Votes: 6,919
 
10. Yavanika (1982)
147 min | Drama, Mystery

 7.9
 

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An infamous tabla player of a touring drama group goes missing. Later on, Sub-inspector
Jacob Eeraly investigates the case.

Director: K.G. George | Stars: Bharat Gopy, Nedumudi Venu, Mammootty, Venu Nagavalli

Votes: 819

 
11. The Play of God (1997)
Not Rated | 130 min | Drama

 7.8
 

 Rate
An adaptation of "Othello" set in the south Indian state of Kerala.
Director: Jayaraj | Stars: Suresh Gopi, Lal, Manju Warrier, Biju Menon

Votes: 307

 
12. Mathilukal (1990)
120 min | Drama, Romance

 8.2
 

 Rate
Its a story of Basheer, an author who experiences his prison life. In it he finds friendship,
loneliness, fear and finally love, but that remains questionable.

Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Stars: Mammootty, Thilakan, Karamana Janardanan Nair, Murali

Votes: 1,556

 
13. Thoovanathumbikal (1987)
151 min | Drama, Romance

 8.6
 
 Rate
Jayakrishnan falls in love with two girls, Radha and Clara, and fights his confusion about
whom he should marry and spend his life with.

Director: P. Padmarajan | Stars: Mohanlal, Sumalatha, Parvathi, Ashokan

Votes: 4,287

 
14. Yaathra (1985)
124 min | Drama, Romance

 8
 

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Unnikrishnan (Mammootty), an ex-convict, tells his tragic love story to his fellow passengers
in a school bus. An orphan and a forest officer by profession, he falls in love with a
local ... See full summary »

Director: Balu Mahendra | Stars: Shobana, Mammootty, Adoor Bhasi, Thilakan

Votes: 831

 
15. Kaalapani (1996)
178 min | Action, Drama, History

 8.5
 

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Govardhan, a doctor by profession, is wrongly accused of bombing a train and is jailed by
the British in Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He
witnesses the sufferings of hundreds of Indian prisoners there.

Director: Priyadarshan | Stars: Mohanlal, Amrish Puri, Prabhu, Tabu

Votes: 4,402

 
16. Vatsalyam (1993)
Not Rated | 156 min | Drama

 8.4
 

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Raghavan, a farmer, devotes his life to ensure that his brother Vijayakumaran gets
educated. But with time and under the influence of his rich wife, Vijayakumaran ends up
destroying all relationships.

Director: Cochin Hanifa | Stars: Mammootty, Geetha, Siddique, Kaviyoor Ponnamma

Votes: 3,286
 
17. Amaram (1991)
150 min | Drama

 8.4
 

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An uneducated fisherman wants his daughter to be educated and become a doctor but his
dreams get shattered when she falls in love with her childhood friend.

Director: Bharathan | Stars: Mammootty, Maathu, Chitra, Murali

Votes: 3,186

 
18. Njan Steve Lopez (2014)
117 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller

 7.2
 

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A college student witnesses a gang attack and as his curiosity behind the encounter tries to
get the better of him, he realizes that his dad and the police are involved.
Director: Rajeev Ravi | Stars: Farhaan Faasil, Ahaana Krishna, Alencier Ley Lopez, Gibin Gopinath

Votes: 458

 
19. Kaazhcha (2004)
Not Rated | 137 min | Drama

 8.2
 

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Madhavan, a villager, comes across Pavan, a young boy who lost his family in the Gujarat
earthquake. He welcomes Pavan into his family and the rapport between them strengthens
over time.

Director: Blessy | Stars: Mammootty, Yash Gawli, Padmapriya, Sanusha

Votes: 3,347

 
20. Spadikam (1995)
Not Rated | 150 min | Action, Drama

 8.6
 
 Rate
A small-town criminal constantly clashes with his strict school headmaster father at the
expense of their family lives.

Director: Bhadran | Stars: Mohanlal, Thilakan, Urvashi, Sphadikam George

Votes: 6,085

 
21. Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999)
150 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

 7.7
 

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Conflicts between a father and son, when the unemployed son brings his love to the family
without the consent of the parents.

Director: Sathyan Anthikad | Stars: Jayaram, Thilakan, Samyuktha Varma, K.P.A.C. Lalitha

Votes: 662

 
22. Punjabi House (1998)
146 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

 8.1
 

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A debt-ridden man tries to commit suicide by drowning in the sea but he is rescued by two
fishermen and ultimately he ends up working for a Punjabi household.

Directors: Meccartin, Raffi | Stars: Dileep, Mohini, Lal, Cochin Hanifa

Votes: 2,654

 
23. Devasuram (1993)
Not Rated | 187 min | Action, Drama, Thriller

 8.7
 

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Neelakandan squanders away the inheritance left by his father. However, his life turns
upside down when his mother reveals a terrible secret on her deathbed that changes the
course of his life.

Director: I.V. Sasi | Stars: Mohanlal, Napolean, Revathi, Innocent Vareed Thekkethala

Votes: 5,984
 
24. Sandesham (1991)
Not Rated | 138 min | Comedy, Drama

 9
 

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A satire on contemporary Kerala politics where brothers turn local leaders of rival parties,
leading to distress for their aged and once-proud parents.

Director: Sathyan Anthikad | Stars: Sreenivasan, Jayaram, Thilakan, Maathu

Votes: 4,761

 
25. Nadodikattu (1987)
158 min | Comedy

 8.8
 

 Rate
After losing their jobs in Kerala, Dasan and Vijayan decide to migrate to the Middle East.
But they end up in Tamil Nadu where they are mistaken as two CID officers by a group of
smugglers.

Director: Sathyan Anthikad | Stars: Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Shobana, Thilakan

Votes: 5,255

 
26. Chithram (1988)
159 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical

 8.7
 

 Rate
A woman hires a stranger to pose as her husband because she doesn't want her ailing
father to know that her fiance broke their engagement.

Director: Priyadarshan | Stars: Mohanlal, Nedumudi Venu, Renjini, Poornam Vishwanathan

Votes: 5,689

 
27. Nirmalyam (1973)
134 min | Drama
 8.1
 

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An ancient temple is neglected to ruins and is tended only by the Velichappadu 'village
oracle'. When the priest goes on leave, a young man takes up his job and forms a
relationship with Velichappadu's daughter.

Director: M.T. Vasudevan Nair | Stars: P.J. Anthony, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Kottarakkara Sridharan

Votes: 131

 
28. Swayamvaram (1972)
131 min | Drama

 7.2
 

 Rate
Vishwam and Sita, who resist opposition from their families, elope and marry. The
unemployed couple begin a happy married life but later land in a sea of perils without a
source of income.

Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Stars: Adoor Bhawani, Bharat Gopy, K.P.A.C. Lalitha, Madhu

Votes: 108
 
29. Vidheyan (1994)
112 min | Drama

 8.3
 

 Rate
Thommy is a loyal servant of Bhaskar Patel. But Patel is a ruthless tyrant. Thommy
struggles between his moral sense and his professional sense. He is finally redeemed
without compromising his duty as Patel's servant.

Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Stars: Mammootty, M.R. Gopakumar, Tanvi Azmi, Sabitha Anand

Votes: 1,379

 
30. Journey to Wisdom (1996)
127 min | Drama

 7.9
 

 Rate
The emotional pangs a child and his parents go through when his grandfather agrees to him
being selected to be the head of a genuine and distinguished Matha.

Director: Jayaraj | Stars: Master Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Mini Nair, Unnikrishnan Nampoothiri

Votes: 142

 
31. Chemmeen (1965)
Not Rated | 140 min | Drama, Romance

 7.8
 

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Karuthamma, the daughter of a Hindu fisherman, falls in love with a Muslim fish trader.
However, social prejudices seem to ruin their love life and invite the wrath of their
communities.

Director: Ramu Kariat | Stars: Sathyan, Sheela, Madhu, Kottarakkara Sridharan Nair

Votes: 523

 
32. Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha (2009)
155 min | Crime, Drama, History
 7.7
 

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A woman is found dead in mysterious circumstances. Several discrepancies arise in the
findings, which eventually leads to the closure of the case. Years later, Haridas decides to
reopen the case.

Director: Ranjith | Stars: Mammootty, Mythili, Shweta Menon, Gowri Munjal

Votes: 2,010

 
33. Vanaprastham (1999)
119 min | Drama

 8.2
 

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An illicit relationship between a Kathakali dancer and a young woman from an upper caste
family results in an illegitimate child. He faces hardships when she refuses to let him see
their child.

Director: Shaji N. Karun | Stars: Mohanlal, Suhasini, Mattanoor Shankara Marar, Kalamandalam Gopi

Votes: 1,862
 
34. Mumbai Police (2013)
145 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

 7.9
 

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ACP Antony is the only one who knows the truth behind ACP Aaryan's murder. Antony
meets with an accident, losing his memory and is unable to reveal the killer. He is forced to
investigate the murder again hoping that he remembers something.

Director: Rosshan Andrrews | Stars: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jayasurya, Rahman, Riyaz Khan

Votes: 7,159

 
35. Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010)
140 min | Comedy, Drama

 8.3
 

 Rate
Pranchiyettan is a successful businessman who often has talks with an imaginary St. Francis
of Assisi. The story deals with how he goes about changing his embarrassing image to
making a name for himself using wealth and contacts.

Director: Ranjith | Stars: Mammootty, Priyamani, Jesse Fox Allen, Innocent Vareed Thekkethala

Votes: 5,946

 
36. Thaniyavartanam (1987)
Not Rated | 119 min | Drama

 8.8
 

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A school teacher living in a village belongs to a family with a history of lunatic males, and
soon he falls prey despite being normal due to society misinterpreting his actions.

Director: Sibi Malayil | Stars: Mammootty, Thilakan, Mukesh, Kaviyoor Ponnamma

Votes: 2,953

 
37. Memories (III) (2013)
Not Rated | 132 min | Mystery, Thriller
 8
 

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Sam Alex, a drunkard ex-cop, is forced to investigate a series of murders which are
committed in the same pattern. His search leads to a serial killer, and something more than
what he expected.

Director: Jeethu Joseph | Stars: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sreejith Ravi, Vijayaraghavan, Suresh Krishna

Votes: 7,512

 
38. Ponthan Mada (1994)
119 min | Drama

 8
 

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Set in 1940s, the low-caste Ponthan Mada bonds with his colonial landlord Sheema
Thampuran, who was expelled to British India from England during his youth for supporting
the Irish Republican Army.

Director: T.V. Chandran | Stars: Janardanan, Salu Koottanad, Lakshmi Krishnamurthy, Mahesh

Votes: 996
 
39. Drishyam (2013)
Not Rated | 160 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

 8.3
 

 Rate
A man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits
an accidental crime.

Director: Jeethu Joseph | Stars: Mohanlal, Meena, Asha Sharath, Ansiba

Votes: 42,575

 
40. The Master Carpenter (1991)
140 min | Drama, History

 8
 

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Perumthachan, a legendary carpenter, follows the stringent social norms of his time.
However, when Kannan, his son, grows up to rebel against those very norms,
Perumthachan must deal with him.

Director: Ajayan | Stars: Manoj K. Jayan, Monisha, Prashanth, Thilakan

Votes: 399

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