Blockbuster Debut: Mollywood Directors of 2023

Nahas Hidayath's debut movie 'RDX: Robert Dronie Xavier' was a blockbuster hit at the box office. The movie is regarded as one of the finest action thrillers in Malayalam cinema in recent times. Speaking about its box office performance, RDX collected 100 crores at the world wide box office.The film hit cinemas and surpassed the box office collection of Dulquer Salamaan's King Of Koth and Nivin Pauly's Ramchandra Boss & Co. The movie garnered outstanding responses from the audience, leaving a trail of enthusiastic praise and appreciation in its wake. Viewers wholeheartedly embraced the film, captivated by its storyline, performances, and overall cinematic experience. RDX, starring Shane Nigam, Antony Varghese, and Neeraj Madhav, is a mass entertainer with high-octane action sequences.

Starring Soubin Shahir and Arjun Ashokan in the lead role, 'Romancham' marked the directorial venture of Jith Madhavan. The film made on a budget of Rs 5 crore entered the 100 crore club and it became the 7th Highest Mollywood Grosser. Romancham was  produced by John Paul George, Girish Gangadharan and Soubin Shahir, under the banner John Paul George Productions in association with Guppy cinemas. Sushin Shyam, the music composer of the film, is also one of the co-producers. If reports are to be believed Jithu Madhavan's begins the shoot of his upcoming movie titled Aavesham, Fahadh Faasil in the lead role.

Jithin Issac Thomas made his directorial debut with 'Rekha' starring Vincy Aloushious in the lead this year. It is revenge drama thriller which highlight the themes of love and women insercurities in the story line. It was penned by director himself and also starred Unni Lalu, Rajesh Azhikkodan, Premalatha Thayineri and Renji Kankol in pivotal roles. Vincy Aloushious secured the Best Actress award at the 53rd Kerala State Film Awards for her remarkable performance in the movie.

Abhilash Joshiy is one of the promising directors in Malayalam cinema. He is the son of the veteran filmmaker Joshiy and close friend of Actor Dulquer Salmaan. Abhilash has started his filmmaking journey by becoming an assistant director, and made a successful directorial venture with “King Of Kotha,” starring Dulquer Salmaan The film hit the theaters world wide in August 2023 and earned close to 40 crores at the box office. King of Kotha is Dulquer Salmaan’s seventh project as a producer, but first-period action-drama in his over a decade-long career. Apart from Dulquer Salmaan, the movie features Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Prasanna, and Gokul Suresh in the prominent roles.

Pranaya Vilasam is one of the best rom-com dramas in 2023, which was directed by Nikhil Muraly. The film captivated viewers by depicting love stories across various life stages, making it an engaging and heartwarming entertainer centered around the theme of love and loss.It struck a chord with its audience, evoking a strong and positive reaction that made it a memorable and much-talked-about movie. The movie hit the big screens in February 2023, starring Arjun Ashokan, Mamita Baiju, and Anaswara Rajan in pivotal roles.

Akhil Sathyan is the son of Veteran Malayalam director Sathyan Anthikad and  twin brother of director Anoop Sathyan. He made his directorial debut with 'Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum' in 2023, which received positive reviews and was a commercial success.The film featured Fahadh Faasil, Anjana and Mukesh in the prominent roles. Speaking about the movie, it was a feel-good drama, which evokes more emotions among audience. The well crafted screenplay was the major highlight and it captured the attention of audience from every corner.

The Malayalam-Arabic bilingual film by debutant director Aamir Pallikkal draws inspiration from the experiences of Nilambur Ayisha, recognized as Kerala's first Muslim woman to participate in theatrical plays and films. Written by Ashif Kakkodi and produced by Zakariya Mohamed, the film carries a light, feel-good ambiance, using cinematic freedom to enhance the character portrayed by Manju Warrier. The dance sequence 'Kannilu kannilu,' choreographed by Prabhu Deva in the film, garnered significant attention when it graced the big screen.