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These 6 Feel-Good Malayalam Movies on JioHotstar Are the Ultimate Pick-Me-Up

From Premam to Ustad Hotel these streaming gems are packed with charm, wit, and gentle life lessons — comfort viewing at its finest. Neelima Menon writes.

Neelima+Menon

Jul 10, 2025

Poster detail. Premalu

NEED A COMFORT WATCH? These six Malayalam gems on JioHotstar are the cinematic equivalent of a warm hug. From the bittersweet laughs of Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela to the youthful nostalgia of Premam these feel-good films are tender, funny, and full of heart — perfect for lifting your spirits.

Premalu

At its core, this Girish AD film is a straightforward tale of a boy meeting a girl. Sachin (Naslen), a small-town youngster brimming with big-city dreams, shifts to Hyderabad in search of better job prospects. It’s in this unfamiliar cityscape that he crosses paths with Reenu (Mamitha Baiju), a confident, independent techie who seems to have her life sorted. For Sachin, still trying to find his footing, Reenu’s casual warmth and friendliness are enough to spark not just admiration but full-blown infatuation. He begins to imagine a romantic arc that doesn’t quite exist — a familiar trope, yes, but one treated here with gentle humour and empathy.

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What lends a breezy charm to this setup are the quirky, well-etched characters that pepper the story — Sachin’s loyal friend Amal Davis, his unwavering pillar of support; Aditya, the smooth-talking manipulator with his eyes on Reenu; and Karthika, Reenu’s no-nonsense confidante. As Sachin juggles daily life and romantic confusion, the narrative resists turning into a sobering tale of heartbreak or redemption. Even when the story builds towards an expected resolution, it doesn’t insist on a fairytale ending. The point isn’t whether Sachin gets the girl — it’s the ride, the laughter, the bittersweet lessons, and the slow, stumbling growth that matter. Watch now .

Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela

At first glance, this is a premise tailor-made for a tearjerker. Set in a close-knit Syrian Christian family in central Kerala, the story begins with the matriarch, Sheela (Shanthi Krishna), being diagnosed with cancer. Her wish is simple yet weighty: to see her children settled before time runs out. But the film cleverly sidesteps melodrama, opting instead for a warm, light-hearted narrative that finds humour and tenderness in the everyday.

KC Chacko (Lal), the mild-mannered patriarch, struggles to process his wife’s illness, while Sheela remains the emotional anchor — composed, pragmatic, and quietly strong. What makes the film disarming is its delightful ensemble: the bumbling NRI son Kurien, the unintentionally funny daughter and her husband, the practical youngest daughter, and the delusional yet oddly profound grandfather. Each adds colour and chaos, turning a potentially heavy subject into a celebration of life’s messy, bittersweet moments.

Most endearing of all is how the film handles its subject with levity, without ever trivialising it. Scenes brim with everyday humour — sometimes awkward, sometimes absurd, but always authentic. Rather than dwelling on grief, the film offers laughter, affection, and resilience, leaving us not drained but uplifted.

Ustad Hotel

What unfolds when two generations of chefs collide — one in the twilight of his years, steadfast in his belief that food must be cooked with love, and the other, a restless young man drawn to the glamour of exotic cuisines and Michelin stars? Ustad Hotel written by Anjali Menon and directed by Anwar Rasheed, delicately explores this generational rift through the relationship between Kareemkka (Thilakan), an ageing but spirited chef who runs a humble yet beloved eatery in Kozhikode, and his grandson Faizi (Dulquer Salmaan), a classically trained sous chef from London.

When Faizi is forced to return home and help out at his grandfather’s restaurant, he’s dismissive and disinterested, balking at the disorder, the physical labour, and the simplicity of it all — wiping tables, hauling rice bags, operating without a structured kitchen. But slowly, in the unlikeliest of ways, he begins to absorb Kareemkka’s real lessons — not about technique or presentation, but the soul of cooking, the kind that nourishes both body and spirit.

Ustad Hotel is more than a tale of culinary rediscovery. It’s a soulful, quietly stirring meditation on food, legacy, compassion, and the invisible threads that bind generations. As much an ode to relationships as to the act of cooking, the film reminds us that life’s most profound lessons often arrive not in grand moments, but in simmering pots, shared meals, and the silent generosity of an elder’s love.

Bangalore Days

Writer-director Anjali Menon once again returns to the comforting embrace of familial bonds to build this heartwarming narrative centred around three cousins — Aju (Dulquer Salmaan), Divya (Nazriya Nazim), and Kuttan (Nivin Pauly). Though they’ve branched out into different worlds and careers, their connection remains unshaken — each instinctively attuned to the others’ strengths, flaws, and silences. Whenever one falters, the others rise — not with grand gestures, but with the quiet assurance of shared history and unconditional support.

Aju, the brooding biker, carries the bruises of a broken home; Divya, newly married, is impulsive and yearning for a life beyond convention; and Kuttan, earnest and naïve, is anchored in simplicity. Through romantic entanglements, personal setbacks, and small triumphs, their bond only deepens.

The beauty of Bangalore Days lies not just in its feel-good vibe or youthful energy, but in how it treats this trio — not just as characters, but as reflections of our own cousins and friendships. An eternally fizzy mix of nostalgia, rediscovery, and togetherness, the film endures because it captures what so few others do: the rare, golden phase when friendship and family blur, and growing up doesn’t necessarily mean growing apart.

Ohm Shanthi Oshaana

More than a typical boy-meets-girl story, Ohm Shanthi Oshaana — Jude Anthany Joseph’s directorial debut, written by Midhun Manuel Thomas — is a charming ode to young love, told entirely from a girl’s perspective. At its heart is Pooja (Nazriya Nazim), a spirited, impulsive teenager who falls madly in love with Giri (Nivin Pauly), a stoic social worker and martial arts instructor. When he gently turns down her proposal, Pooja is heartbroken — but not defeated.

She picks herself up, pursues her dream of becoming a doctor, and continues to live her life, quietly nursing a fondness for Giri in the recesses of her heart. What elevates the film is its buoyant, witty tone and its refusal to fall into cliché. It subverts the usual love story tropes with humour and heart.

The world around Pooja is filled with delightful oddballs — her jovial, supportive father; a mother whose culinary experiments are more brave than edible; a wine-making, free-spirited aunt; a cheeky local mechanic who tricks her into bike repairs; and a cousin with an unresolved grudge against Giri. These characters bring warmth, colour, and comic unpredictability to the narrative.

Told with a playful, self-aware energy, Ohm Shanthi Oshaana doesn’t ask to be taken too seriously — yet it doesn’t shy away from the emotional undercurrents of heartbreak, longing, and the quiet strength of growing up. It’s this blend of humour, nostalgia, and sincerity that makes it such an enduring feel-good love story.

Premam

Premam is best experienced with a generous dose of irreverence and humour — much like its protagonist. At its centre is George (Nivin Pauly), whose journey from gangly teenager to quietly assured adult unfolds through a series of misadventures in love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

First, there’s Mary, the schoolgirl with an unforgettable mop of curly hair, who sets his heart racing in the church choir. He dreams of boat rides and serenades — until he learns her heart belongs elsewhere. A few tears and a beard later, college brings along Malar, the charming Tamil lecturer, and another wave of yearning. When that chapter too fades, life nudges George forward — to opening a café, and eventually, to Celine, who, in a delightfully ironic twist, happens to be Mary’s younger cousin.

But Premam is more than a string of romances. It’s about the world that pulses around George — loyal friends who age with him but never grow up, eccentric teachers who teeter between absurdity and wisdom, and a father who cheers his son’s nonconformity. Alphonse Puthren crafts a film that’s cheeky, nostalgic, and deeply rooted in the everyday messiness of growing up.

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