The Big Disappointments of Malayalam Cinema

According to some estimates, of the 90-odd films released in Malayalam in 2011, a mere 15 per cent were successful.

Films such as Sandwich, Mohabbath, Ninnishtam Ennishtam 2, Violin, Veeraputhran, August 15, Race, Payyans and Vaadamalli were noted mainly for their inanity.

Many more were total let-downs. Here's our list of the worst Malayalam films of 2011.  

Doubles

Director: Sohan Seenulal

With Mammootty as the hero, Nadia Moidu making a comeback as his twin sister, Tamil heroine Tapsee Pannu in the lead and hit duo Sachi-Sethu penning the script, Doubles had a lot at stake. But director Sohan Seenulal's debut venture was nothing short of a disaster.

With no storyline worth mentioning, the sequences were surprisingly naive and lacked any depth.

The year was a disappointing one for Mammootty, with films like The Train, 1993 March 12, August 15 and Venice ile Vyapaari not posing any sort of challenges for this fantastic actor.

Director: Dipu Karunakaran

It was meant to be a comedy but ended up as a big yawn! Lavishly shot in Malaysia, the film had a poor script.

Prithviraj played an underworld don based in Kuala Lumpur, who is smitten by the ample charms of a Malayali girl and tries to impress her in every way that he can. Munnabhai MBBS, did you say? That would be an insult to the Bollywood blockbuster, from where this ridiculous movie sought its inspiration.

Dipu Karunakaran, who has earlier directed a forgettable thriller called Winter, and an okay comedy, Crazy Gopalan, made Prithviraj do everything to make viewers laugh, except that they didn't.

Director: Fazil

Fazil has directed some gems in the past. But the ones he directed in the recent past could strike you dumb with their asinine storylines.

With the irritatingly silly Moz & Cat in 2009 and the genuinely tasteless Living Together this year, Fazil needs to do some serious introspection if he plans to direct more films.

Living Together had a lazy script and the lead actors, mostly fresh faces, failed to make any impression.

It was another disappointing venture from a director whose magic seems to have deserted him.

Director: T V Chandran

It was regarded as a commercial entertainer and even a comedy, from an award winning director like T V Chandran.

The film had some mainstream stars such as Jayasurya (in almost ten different avatars including one as a snow man), Rima Kallingal and Meera Nandan in the lead. But it turned out to be a disaster.

Jayasurya had to play an older character (with some silly make-up), who is dead but can't rest in peace as he is still in love with his young wife! The film was neither commercial nor offbeat and failed to make any impact.

Director: Jayaraj

The Train turned out to be another forgettable escapade, while no one is quite clear about what Jayaraj was trying to convey in Naayika.

There was Urvashi Sarada, who was making a comeback in Malayalam films, playing the part of a retired heroine. Then there was Jayaram mimicking Prem Nazir, and Siddique whose character was perhaps modelled on a prominent real-life producer of yore.

In The Train, shots of Mammootty and Jayasurya were repeated almost throughout the film.

No wonder both films failed miserably at the box office.