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Golden 70's & 80's Malayalam movies

by soumyam890 • Created 8 years ago • Modified 8 years ago
This reputation of quality cinema with relatable themes dates back to the ’70s and ’80s, often referred to as the golden age of Malayalam cinema, with directors, who was celebrated as a pioneer in avant-garde filmmaking at the time. Many of the movies released during this time were known to have narrowed the gap between art house and commercial cinema with films. This era also saw the rise of stars such as Mamootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi. The decade following, however, witnessed a slump in the quality of films being made, in the late ’90s and 2000s, as they were largely dictated by over-the-top slapstick comedies with few films of real merit.
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  • 26 titles
  • Mohanlal, Parvathi, and Sumalatha in Thoovanathumbikal (1987)

    1. Thoovanathumbikal

    19872h 31m
    8.6 (5.3K)
    Jayakrishnan falls in love with two girls, Radha and Clara, and fights his confusion about whom he should marry and spend his life with.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsMohanlalSumalathaParvathi
  • Mammootty, Parvathi, Saritha, and Thilakan in Thaniyavartanam (1987)

    2. Thaniyavartanam

    19871h 59mNot Rated
    8.9 (3.5K)
    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.
    DirectorSibi MalayilStarsMammoottyThilakanMukesh
  • Ashokan in Peruvazhiyambalam (1979)

    3. Peruvazhiyambalam

    19791h 58m
    7.9 (107)
    This is a National award winning and critically acclaimed film by P Padmarajan, based on his novel of the same name. The film explores the angst of a teenage mind remorseful of murder and the changes life brings in the aftermath.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsAshokanAzeezAdoor Bhawani
  • Geetha, Parvathi, and Suparna Anand in Vaishali (1989)

    4. Vaishali

    19892h 13m
    7.9 (460)
    Princess of a country long suffering from drought should please a saint living in distant hills to bring rain.
    DirectorBharathanStarsSanjay MitraSuparna AnandGeetha
  • Jayaram and Shobana in Aparan (1988)

    5. Aparan

    19881h 55m
    8.0 (520)
    Viswanathan, new in town, soon learns that he is being chased by enemies of his look-alike, who is a con man. Vishwanathan tries to find out Uthaman before its too late, but things don't go as planned.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsJayaramShobanaMadhu
  • Mammootty, Karthika, Mohanlal, and Rahman in Kariyila Kattu Pole (1986)

    6. Kariyila Kattu Pole

    19862h 17mNot Rated
    7.7 (581)
    Deputy Superintendent of Police Achuthankutty tries to solve the mystery of film director Harikrishnan's death. Three women are the main suspects.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsMohanlalMammoottyRahman
  • Innale (1989)

    7. Innale

    19892h 17mNot Rated
    7.9 (580)
    After a serious accident a girl who was hospitalized forgets her past. She stops worrying about her past when she fall in love with a man and finds herself secure with him. But the reality of her past was much shocking and was about to reveal when a man comes in search of the girl....
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsShobanaJayaramSrividya
  • Bharat Gopy and Jalaja in Yavanika (1982)

    8. Yavanika

    19822h 27m
    7.9 (941)
    An infamous tabla player of a touring drama group goes missing. Later on, Sub-inspector Jacob Eeraly investigates the case.
    DirectorK.G. GeorgeStarsBharat GopyNedumudi VenuMammootty
  • Karthika, Mohanlal, and Urvashi in Desatanakkili Karayarilla (1986)

    9. Desatanakkili Karayarilla

    1986
    7.6 (311)
    Two school students plan to runaway while on the school trip. But with the entering of an uninvited man in the situation for their help and one of them falls in love with him, something is revealed which is not so pleasant.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsMohanlalUrvashiKarthika
  • Moonnam Pakkam (1988)

    10. Moonnam Pakkam

    19881h 54mNot Rated
    8.2 (1.1K)
    An old man spends his life in solitude awaiting his grandson to come for vacation after 6 years. He thought he was the most happiest man in the world until he found out that fate has something unpredictable for him.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsJagathi N.K. AchariAjayan AdoorAjayan
  • Geetha, Mohanlal, Shankar Panicker, and Urvashi in Sukhamo Devi (1986)

    11. Sukhamo Devi

    1986
    7.0 (260)
    Nandan loves Devi, but she is compelled to marry someone else. Meanwhile, Thara loses her lover Sunny in an accident. Circumstances bring Nandan and Thara together and finally unite in marriage.
    DirectorVenu NagavalliStarsShankar PanickerMohanlalUrvashi
  • Mammootty in A Northern Story of Valor (1989)

    12. A Northern Story of Valor

    19892h 48m
    8.7 (6.6K)
    The film offers an alternative version of the fight between two legendary Chekavars from Chanthu's perspective.
    DirectorT. HariharanStarsMammoottyMadhaviDevan
  • Mohanlal in Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal (1986)

    13. Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal

    19862h 17m
    8.5 (2.7K)
    A man falls in love with his new neighbor but then finds that her family life is difficult.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsMohanlalShariThilakan
  • Amrutham Gamaya (1987)

    14. Amrutham Gamaya

    1987
    7.8 (305)
    Its a classic story about a doctor named Haridas(mohanlal) who lives some mystreous emotions and tries to help family of a person (vineeth) who had been killed by himself during his collage days
    DirectorT. HariharanStarsMohanlalCaptain RajuGeetha
  • Geetha and Mohanlal in Panchagni (1986)

    15. Panchagni

    19862h 21m
    7.4 (281)
    Indira's life turns upside down as she is awarded life sentence for murdering Avarachan, a landlord, who killed a young tribal woman after raping her.
    DirectorT. HariharanStarsMohanlalGeethaThilakan
  • Mammootty, Suhasini, and Rahman in Koodevide? (1983)

    16. Koodevide?

    19832h 30mNot Rated
    7.6 (295)
    Alice, who lives with her brother, is a teacher at a convent school in Ooty. A neglected and unruly son of a MP, Xavier Puthooran joins the school in Alice's class. Alice manages to turn him into a prize student. Her boy friend Capt. Thomas feels intensely jealous of the attention Alice bestows upon Ravi.
    DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsSuhasiniMammoottyRahman
  • Mammootty, Mohanlal, and Seema in Aalkkoottathil Thaniye (1984)

    17. Aalkkoottathil Thaniye

    19842h 19m
    7.3 (159)
    The impending death of an ailing schoolteacher forces a set of uncomfortable reunions between mourners.
    DirectorI.V. SasiStarsMammoottyMohanlalSeema
  • Jayabharathi, Mohanlal, and Nedumudi Venu in Dasharatham (1989)

    18. Dasharatham

    19892h 34m
    8.5 (2.6K)
    Rajeev, an orphan eccentric millionaire, has his own strange taste towards everything. With less knowledge about family relationships, he struggles hard to achieve his aim to become a father without marrying.
    DirectorSibi MalayilStarsMohanlalRekhaMurali
  • Suresh Gopi and Jayaram in Vachanam (1989)

    19. Vachanam

    19892h 2m
    7.1 (52)
    The movie revolves around a monastery run by the Spiritual Head Vishnuji and the mystery behind the murder of Ravi.
    DirectorLenin RajendranStarsJayaramSuresh GopiCharu Haasan
  • Mammootty, Suhasini, Bharat Gopy, Srividya, and Thilakan in Adaminte Variyellu (1983)

    20. Adaminte Variyellu

    19832h 22m
    7.9 (144)
    Aadaminte vaariyellu depicts parellel stories of three women who are subjected to various forms of patriarchy and exploitation by the men around them and the society at large, and how they try to literally break free from it.
    DirectorK.G. GeorgeStarsSrividyaSuhasiniSoorya
  • Bharat Gopy, Jagathy Sreekumar, Sreenivasan, Srividya, Sukumari, Thilakan, and Nedumudi Venu in Panchavadi Palam (1984)

    21. Panchavadi Palam

    19842h 20m
    8.1 (423)
    A henpecked politician wants his name attached to a new bridge, even if that means destroying another, perfectly serviceable bridge.
    DirectorK.G. GeorgeStarsBharat GopyNedumudi VenuSrividya
  • Shobana in Yaathra (1985)

    22. Yaathra

    19852h 4m
    8.1 (895)
    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 girl, Thulasi, during his stay at a forest area. They decided to get married and he sets off to inform his marriage to his best friend. On his way back the police arrest him as a suspected criminal, who has some visible similarities to Unnikrishnan. There he accidentally kills a policeman and is sentenced to life imprisonment. During his early days in prison, he writes a letter to Thulasi asking her to forget him. When his prison term was about to complete, he wrote a letter to her to light a lamp if she still waits for him. After long years of torment in the prison he goes to meet Thulasi. Does she still wait for him? That's the question of his fellow passengers too.
    DirectorBalu MahendraStarsShobanaMammoottyAdoor Bhasi
  • Seema in Avalude Ravukal (1978)

    23. Avalude Ravukal

    19782h 24mNot Rated
    6.5 (91)
    A young woman, forced into prostitution by circumstances, is surrounded by admirers and even inspires the kind of love that is completely unconditional.
    DirectorI.V. SasiStarsSeemaRavi KumarM.G. Soman
  • Jayabharathi and Krishnachandran in Rathinirvedam (1978)

    24. Rathinirvedam

    19782h 4m
    6.7 (167)
    Pappu, a teenager, is awaiting his Pre-Degree results to join an Engineering course. He gets attracted to his neighbor Rathi, who is a middle-aged woman, and falls hopelessly in love.
    DirectorBharathanStarsJayabharathiKrishnachandranKaviyoor Ponnamma
  • Sharada in Swayamvaram (1972)

    25. Swayamvaram

    19722h 11m
    7.1 (136)
    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.
    DirectorAdoor GopalakrishnanStarsMadhuSharadaAdoor Bhawani

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