20 Best Malayalam film performances of the past two decades

Malayalam cinema has always been known for its strong performers, not just in lead roles, but also among side-actors, comedians, character actors and anti-heroes. Award-winning filmmaker Ranjith Sankar lists out his choice of the 20 strongest performances of the past two decades. “There are definitely more characters that come to mind from the past 20 years, but these are the performances that had immediate recall value for me and struck an emotional chord,” says the Njan Marykutty director.

Dileep in Kadhavaseshan (2004)

Dileep’s Gopinatha Menon is a character riddled with existentialist angst in this T V Chandran film

Jagathy Sreekumar in Udayananu Tharam (2005)

Pachalam Bhasi in this Rosshan Andrrew’s directorial shows Jagathy Sreekumar’s typical comic genius

Mohanlal in Bhramaram (2009)

Mohanal effortlessly combines seething rage and a tragic heaviness playing Sivankutty, out to avenge his broken life in Blessy’s film

Mammootty in Pranchiyettan & The Saint (2010)

Mammootty was perhaps at his comic best portraying Thrissur-based businessman Pranchi in Ranjith’s satirical comedy

Thilakan in Indian Rupee (2011)

This Ranjith movie used Thilakan’s skills as a character actor to play a “mentor”


Prithviraj in Ayalum Njanum Thammil (2012)

Prithviraj shows his range, and brings pathos and maturity to the role of Dr Ravi Tharakan, as he moves from wayward youth to a doctor facing an investigation in this Lal Jose film

Revathy in Molly Aunty Rocks! (2012)

Revathy is the perfect mix of cool older woman and “activist” in Ranjith Sankar’s film

Dulquer Salmaan in Ustad Hotel (2012)

Dulquer brings his ‘confused youth’ charm to this Anjali Menon film, where he plays a youngster who turns his dream to reality

Nivin Pauly in Thattathin Marayathu (2012)

No one does romantic hero with the shy yet comic combination quite like Nivin Pauly, who is at his romantic hero-best in the Vineeth Sreenivasan movie

Sidhique in Pathemari (2015)

Sidhique as Lanchi Velayudhan steals the show despite his limited screen time in Salim Ahamed’s historical investigation drama

Vinayakan in Kammattipadam (2016)

Vinayakan plays Ganga, a Dalit gangster, with a pathos that particularly hits you when he is in his older avatar looking back and in his unexpected death in Rajeev Ravi’s action drama

Manju Warrier in Udaharanam Sujatha (2017)

Manju Warrier is every mother and more in Phantom Praveen’s mother-daughter drama, where she plays a single mother, working as a maid, but always willing to go the extra mile for her child

Fahadh Faazil in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017)

Dileesh Pothen uses Fahadh Faazil’s chameleon-like skill to blend effortlessly into the story and yet stand out in this subtle drama, where he plays a thief

Parvathy in Take Off (2017)

Parvathy plays a nurse caught in a war-zone in Mahesh Narayanan’s drama

Soubin Shahir in Sudani from Nigeria (2018)

Zakariya’s film that portrays the football craze of north Kerala has Soubin playing an emotionally-involved manager of a small-town football team

Jayasurya in Njan Marykutty (2018)

Jayasurya portrays the life of a transgender in an empathetic manner in this Ranjith Sankar film

Chemban Vinod in Ee.Ma.Yau (2018)

Chemban brings his very raw, natural self to the role of Eeshi, a man who looks back on life as preparations are made for his father’s funeral in this Lijo Jose Pellissery satire

Suraj Venjaramoodu in Vikruthi (2019)

Suraj Venjaramoodu plays a speech and hearing-disabled person in this Emcy Joseph film

Biju Menon in Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020)

Biju Menon brings a macho energy as SI Ayyappan Nair in late director Sachy’s film

Suresh Gopi in Varane Avashyamund (2020)

Suresh Gopi is a comic and shyly romantic retired Army Major in Anoop Sathyan’s directorial debut