Best Malayalam Films 2021: Ode to a woman rebel, a male superhero and unrelenting experimentation

2021 began with a Malayalam film becoming a pan-India rage despite being released on a then brand new, completely unknown OTT platform, Neestream, after rejections by Netflix and Amazon (the latter subsequently changed its mind). The year ended with another Malayalam film breaking new ground for Indian cinema. Between The Great Indian Kitchen and Minnal Murali flowed a stream of quality Malayalam releases so unrelenting, that I have struggled to restrict my Best Malayalam Films 2021 compilation to just 10. Hence, a large collection of Special Mentions. Each film on this list was either released in theatres during the brief respite from pandemic-related lockdowns or on an OTT platform at some point in 2021. It is a measure of our changing times that a lovely documentary I watched this year fulfills this criterion. Binge watchers, fasten your seat belts. Here is my list:Best Film: The Great Indian Kitchen (Mahaththaya Bharatiya Adukkala)Director: Jeo BabyClick here for the review of The Great Indian KitchenMinnal Murali Director: Basil JosephClick here for the review of Minnal Murali MalikDirector: Mahesh NarayananClick here for the review of Malik8-1/2 Intercuts Director: Lijin JoseClick here for the review of 8-1/2 Intercuts NayattuDirector: Martin Prakkat Click here for the review of NayattuBiriyaaniDirector: Sajin Baabu Click here for the review of BiriyaaniJojiDirector: Dileesh PothanClick here for the review of Joji Thinkalazhcha NishchayamDirector: Senna HegdeClick here for the review of Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam Drishyam 2Director: Jeethu JosephClick here for the review of Drishyam 2 Jan-E-Man Director: ChidambaramClick here for the review of Jan-E-Man SPECIAL MENTIONS: Musical Chair Director: Vipin Atley1956, Central Travancore Director: Don PalatharaBhramam Director: Ravi K ChandranKaanekkaaneDirector: Manu AshokanSara’sDirector: Jude Anthany Joseph Chathur Mukham Directors: Ranjeet Kamala Sankar and Salil V#Home Director: Rojin Thomas Operation Java Director: Tharun Moorthy Sunny Director: Ranjith Sankar Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam Director: Don Palathara Anna M.M. Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficialRELATED LINKS:Jeo Baby Director’s Cut: On The Great Indian Kitchen, piracy, censorship, Sabarimala and a fear of right-wingers among TV channelsMahesh Narayanan Director’s Cut: On being labelled Islamophobic, Malik, Take Off and his Hindi debutSajin Baabu Director’s Cut: On Biriyaani, Kani Kusruti, Islamophobia and his scrutiny of the Muslim community