8 iconic Malayalam films that received pan-India remakes

Malayalam films have found maker takers in recent years thanks to the surge in the popularity of streaming platforms. The success of regional remakes of Malayalam films such as Manichitrathazhu, Ramji Rao Speaking, and Drishyam has also been a validation for the industry. The Telugu remake of the 2020 Malayalam film Kappela, titled Butta Bomma releases on Netflix on 4th March and the eponymous Tamil remake of The Great Indian Kitchen also releases on Zee5 on the 3rd March. With no dearth of compelling stories, Malayalam films will continue to raise the bar and the trend of remakes only proves that good stories are independent of language. So for today’s List hai toh hit hai we’ve curated a list of iconic Malayalam films that received pan-India remakes.

The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) - Prime Video

Filmmaker Jeo Baby’s 2021 Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen did not release with much fanfare during the pandemic. In fact, several major streaming platforms initially even turned the film down.The slow burner has since become one of the most influential Malayalam films in recent years for its satirical take on marriage in a patriarchal household. Lead stars Suraj Venjaramoodu and Nimisha Sajayan received plaudits for their performances, and the film bagged three Kerala State Awards including Best Picture. The film has been remade in Tamil with the same title, starring Aishwarya Rajesh and Rahul Ravindran, and a Hindi remake is also in development starring Sanya Malhotra and Angad Bedi.

Kappela (2020) - Netflix

The Malayalam industry’s rising stars Anna Ben and Roshan Mathew play the lead role in the film along with Sreenath Bhasi. The film narrates the story of a young woman who falls in love with a man over the phone, despite having never met him. The film was recognised at both the Kerala State as well as National Film Awards, with Anna Ben winning Best Actress at the Kerala State Awards. The Telugu remake of the film titled Butta Bomma released earlier this year in theatres and releases on Netflix on the 4th of March.

Ishq (2019) - Prime Video

The underappreciated 2019 film Ishq stars Shane Nigam and Ann Sheetal in lead roles. The plot revolves around a young couple who are harassed by men claiming to be police officers. The plot is packed with unpredictable twists as it explores several complex conundrums surrounding right versus wrong. Shine Tom Chacko excels in his role as the antagonist, while Jaffar Idukki also delivers a convincing performance in a supporting role. Despite being one of the lesser-known titles on this list, it has been remade into Telugu with the same name, in Hindi as Operation Romeo, and in Tamil as Aasai.

Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020) - Prime Video

Filmmaker Sachy’s final film before his tragic passing was the 2020 film Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Starring Prithviraj and Biju Menon in lead roles, the film narrates the story of the intense rivalry between an unrelenting police officer and a privileged soldier. The film was a universal success with Sachy winning Best Director posthumously at the National Film Awards, along with Biju Menon who won Best supporting actor. A Telugu remake of the film titled Bheemla Nayak released in 2022.

Angamaly Diaries (2017) - Netflix

The 2017 crime drama Angamaly Diaries became one of the biggest hits of the year, despite featuring an inexperienced cast. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery, the film is widely regarded as one of the best crime dramas ever made in Malayalam. The plot revolves around a rebellious young man who aspires to be a fierce gangster in the town of Angamaly. Both leads, Antony Varghese and Anna Rajan made their feature film debuts with this film. The film is set to be remade in Hindi with a cast of debutantes including Madhumita and Arjun Das.

Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016) - Manorama Max

Fahadh Fassil’s 2016 film is a black comedy that delves into the life of an unassuming photographer who becomes embroiled in an intense rivalry with a local hooligan and the madness that follows. The film, helmed by Dileesh Pothan, is based on a script by Syam Pushkaran. It also features excellent supporting performances by Aparna Balamurali, Anusree, Alencier Ley Lopez, and Soubin Shahir. The film was remade into Tamil as Nimir which was helmed by Priyadarshan and featured Udhayanidhi Stalin, Namitha Pramod, and Parvati Nair.

Mukundan Unni Associates™ (2022) - Disney+ Hotstar

The critically-acclaimed film Mukundan Unni Associates stars Vineeth Sreenivasan in the lead as an ambitious and conniving lawyer. The black comedy satire is helmed by Abhinav Sunder Nayak and was praised by critics upon release despite some sections of the film industry voicing their displeasure for positioning a negative character as the lead. Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sudhi Koppa, Aarsha Chandini Baiju, and Jagadish essay other prominent roles in this one. It was recently reported that Mukundan Unni Associates will be remade in Tamil.

Joseph (2018) - Prime Video

Widely regarded as actor Joju George’s best performance, the 2018 crime thriller Joseph is about a retired police officer who is abruptly pulled into an eerie mystery involving organ harvesting. The M. Padmakumar directorial also stars Nedumudi Venu, Malavika Menon, and Dileesh Pothan in prominent roles. It was remade into Tamil in 2022 as Visithiran, in Telugu the same year as Sekhar, and in Kannada as Ravi Bopanna. There is also a Hindi remake in development with Sunny Deol set to play the lead.

Well that's all the time we have for today's episode, until the next one it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

Written by Ryan Gomez