In Pics | 5 key moments for Mollywood in 2020

The year 2020 proved to be a pretty eventful one for the Malayalam film industry despite the fact that movie theatres were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With 2021 almost upon us, here is a look at the five most memorable moments for Mollywood from the year gone by.  

'Jallikattu' heads to Oscars | Director Lijo Jose Pellissery’s critically-acclaimed film ‘Jallikattu’ was selected as India’s entry to the Oscars, becoming the third Malayalam movie after ‘Guru’ and the Salim Kumar-starrer ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’ to bag the honour. The film, featuring newcomers in the lead, revolves around what happens when a bull escapes from a slaughterhouse and explores the ‘animalistic’ side of human nature. Credit: IMDb

Box office roundup | Actor Mammootty impressed fans with a lively performance in 'Shylock', which did well at the box office while receiving positive reviews. His ‘arch-rival’ Mohanlal, however, failed to deliver the goods with the underwhelming ‘Big Brother’. Of the younger stars, Dulquer hit the right notes with ‘Varane Avashyamund’. He, however, suffered a setback when his production venture 'Maniyarayile Ashokan' failed to make an impact on Netflix. Credit: IMDb

Covid-19 affects releases | The pandemic affected the shoot schedules and release dates of several movies. Mohanlal’s ‘Marakkar’ and the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer ‘Kurup’ were two high-profile movies that failed to keep their date with the janta. Credit: IMDb

The rise of OTT | The digital medium emerged as an alternative to cinemas during the pandemic. Aditi Rao Hydari’s 'Sufiyum Sujatayum' was the first major Malayalam movie to opt for a ‘direct to OTT’ premiere. The film, however, received mixed reviews. The computer/mobile screen film 'C U Soon' and the Indrajith-starrer 'Halal Love Story' also released digitally. The Malayalam-dubbed versions of Tamil movies 'Penguin' and ‘Soorarai Pottru’ kept fans hooked. Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Fahadh pan-India ready? | Actor Fahadh Faasil, who has been lauded over the years for his stellar performances, wooed the pan-India audience with ‘CU Soon’. The Amazon Prime Video-backed ‘lockdown film’ received rave reviews and helped Malayalam cinema scale new heights. The Mahesh Narayanan-directed movie had an impressive cast that included Darshana Rajendran and Roshan Mathew. Credit: Amazon Prime Video