"I watch Malayalam movies!" was once considered an offensive statement among Telugu movie watchers. We don't need to explain why. Even though there were actors like Mammootty and Mohanlal, and their movies were dubbed and remade in Telugu, there was a time when Malayalam movies were synonymous with adult movies in rural Andhra Pradesh.
Time has changed! Watching Malayali movies has become a classy hobby among Telugu people now. However, I started watching Malayali movies even before the OTT era. The first Malayali movie I watched on TV is 'Sargam'!"
It stunned me with its shocking narration and exceptional acting skills. As a 12-year-old boy who spends his summer holidays just watching TV, I randomly watched that movie! It left me in wonderment. Vineeth, Rambha, and Manoj K Jayan acted in the movie, and it had a tragic and shocking ending. The narration and camera work also stood out from regular movies. That movie sparked my interest in Malayali movies.
At that time, cable operators provided non-Telugu channels, while DTH offered complete South channel packages. As a movie buff with a keen interest in watching movies, I often tuned into Malayali channels like Surya and Asianet. Watching these channels regularly, I discovered some interesting facts about Malayali movies!
While watching, I noticed many Malayali movies that reminded me of Telugu movies. In one movie, Mammootty has five sisters, and its name is "Hitler." I came to know that Chiranjeevi's "Hitler" is a remake of Mammootty's. One day, I watched a comedy-drama called "Chronic Bachelors" about the same hero, which was also remade in Telugu. These trivial facts became a more interesting subject for me by that time!
Chandralekha, Manichithrathazhu, Chitram, Vandanam, Spadikam, and In Harihar Nagar, God Father- and many more These are the superhit Malayali movies I used to watch on Sundays during my college days. They were all remade in Telugu with big stars!
On the other hand, Telugu newspapers have introduced various popular Malayali movies. Telugu newspapers and weeklies provide extensive coverage of Malayali movies, including in-depth biographies of actors like Mammootty and Mohanlal, as well as information about directors such as Fazil, Priyadarshan, Siddique, and Lal. They also explain the storyline of their movies. Telugu media consistently promotes Malayali movies, including police dramas featuring Suresh Gopi and comedies by Priyadarshan.
Some Telugu producers, known for their good taste, have remade small Malayali films and created masterpieces in Telugu as well. For example, "In Harihar Nagar" was remade in Telugu as "Madhura Nagarilo" and is considered a classic. Producers S. Gopal Reddy, director S.V. Krishna Reddy, and another producer, Sravanthi Ravi Kishore, have frequently remade Malayali movies in Telugu.
Gopal Reddy remade A Malayali movie as 'Allaripilla.' SVK dubbed and remade various Malayali movies. Sravanthi Ravikishore remade the Sargam movie in Telugu as Sarigamalu. Other movies like Hanuman Junction, Dhanalakshmi I Love You, Dongodu, Maa Balaji, and Bhagyalakshmi Bumper Draw are also based on Malayalam movies and are considered comedy classics.
Event-based cinemas are one of the specialties of Malayali cinema, similar to Steven Spielberg movies. The Malayali industry adapted that style very early.
It is all the brilliance of Malayali cinema and its enduring impact on my cinematic experience, even before the OTT era.
Jeevan Reddy B
