RS Vimal, Nadirshah, Sachy, G Prejith, Arun Sekhar, Vineeth Kumar, John Varghese, Basil Joseph, Sreebala K Menon and Jenuse Mohamed have made a mark in the Malayalam entertainment industry with their debut directorial ventures in 2015.
Ennu Ninte Moideen - RS Vimal
"Ennu Ninte Moideen", which narrated the real-life love story of BP Moideen and Kanchamala, is one of the best movies released this year. The debut directorial of RS Vimal has become the top grosser at the Kerala box office and is still running in some theatres in Kerala. With the success of "ENM", Prithviraj Sukumaran found a top spot at the box office after back-to-back flops.
Amar Akbar Anthony – Nadirshah
Nadirshah is a familiar face for the Kerala audience as a mimicry artiste, and also known for his comic roles. He was appreciated for his debut directorial film "Amar Akbar Anthony", which marked the reunion of "Classmates" actors Prithviraj, Indrajith Sukumaran and Jayasurya. The film was tagged one of the best entertainers of the year for its fresh comic moments.
Anarkali – Sachy
Prithviraj's romantic movie "Anarkali" was the debut directorial attempt of scriptwriter Sachy, of the Sachy-Sethu duo. The movie was received well by the Kerala audience, and the actor was lauded for his flawless portrayal of two different avatars. Three back-to-back hits — "Ennu Ninte Moideen", "Amar Akbar Anthony" and "Anarkali" — have helped Prithviraj rule the Kerala box office.
Oru Vadakkan Selfie – G Prejith
Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Neeraj Madhav and Manjima Mohan-starrer "Oru Vadakkan Selife" has become one of the top-grossing Malayalam films by collecting Rs 21 crore. The movie has been directed by debutant G Prejith, making him one of the promising filmmakers of the industry.
Jilebi - Arun Sekhar
"Jilebi" is a pure family entertainer directed by debutant Arun Sekhar. Even though it couldn't work wonders at the box office, the Jayasurya-starrer was appreciated by the audience for its fresh content.
Ayal Njanalla – Vineeth Kumar
Vineeth Kumar, who began his career in the entertainment industry as a child artiste, proved he is also a promising filmmaker. His directorial debut "Ayaal Njanalla", starring Fahadh Faasil and Mrudula Murali, received good response from the audience. Fahadh was seen in a never-before avatar in the clean family entertainer.
Adi Kapyare Kootamani – John Varghese
"Adi Kapyare Kootamani" has been getting good response from the Kerala audience ever since it was released on Christmas day. The movie, starring Dhyan Sreenivasan, Aju Varghese, Neeraj Madhav and Namitha Pramod, has been directed by debutant John Varghese, who has worked as an assistant to director Suresh Unnithan for four years.
Love 24*7 – Sreebala K Menon
Dileep's film "Love 24*7" was the debut directorial of Sreebala K Menon, who has worked as an assistant to popular filmmaker Sathyan Anthikkad. Despite not doing good business at the Kerala box office, the movie received good response for being a feel-good film.
100 Days of Love - Jenuse Mohamed
Popular filmmaker Kamal's son Jenuse Mohamed made his debut as a director for Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen-starrer "100 Days of Love", which was accepted well by the audience for the performance of the "OK Kanmani" stars. The romantic entertainer was tagged one of the cutest romantic comedies ever made in Malayalam.
Kunjiramayanam – Basil Joseph
Basil, who resigned his job from Infosys, is one of the youngest directors in Malayalam. He was introduced to the Malayalam entertainment industry by Vineeth Sreenivasan, with whom he worked as an assistant for the 2013 movie "Thira". He has also acted in "Homely Meals" and turned director with "Kunjiramayanam", which starred Vineeth, Aju Varghese, Dhyan Sreenivasan and Srinda Arhaan.
