Before you read this article, you must know that this piece will make you sad. These deaths in Malayalam cinema made us go, “Why, why them?”. Some of them were shocking. Others, well, we predicted them but made us cry anyway. We are ranking deaths in Malayalam cinema that were heart-wrenching and left us in tears.
Spoilers Ahead, BTW!
13. Bijo John Kurishingal (Sumit Naval) In BigB
More than the cold-blooded murder of Mary John Kurishingal, the scene where Bijo is killed strikes a really bad chord. The scene where his body is taken to the mortuary and the cries of Manasa made our mood go dark. Watching his life slowly slip away as we realise Bijo is no longer alive, our hearts sink with him.
12. Anjali Arakkal (Aparna Gopinath) In Munnariyippu
Uff, did anyone expect that last blow? This is definitely one of the shocking deaths we have seen in Malayalam cinema. Anjali’s death was haunting. That’s all I can say.
11. Dasan (Harisree Ashokan) In Minnal Murali
We all felt bad for Shibu, for the right reasons. Even though we had our own opinion about why Minnal Murali shouldn’t have killed Shibu, the film had to follow the “Superhero saves the day” trope. We understand. But, Shibu killing Dasan was unexpected. First off, Dasan’s sad demeanour and circumstances made us feel bad for him. When he was killed, we knew that there was no stopping Shibu from getting what he wanted. It was then we saw the “true villain” in him. We said goodbye to Dasan way too soon.
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10. Achutha Menon (Thilakan) In Indian Rupee
The mentor figure to Jayaprakash, Achutha Menon’s death made our eyes and hearts swell. We see him throughout the movie as a helping hand, and when he passes away, it feels lonely. Like cold air brushing against our skin lonely.
9. Kunjan (Sreenath Bhasi) In Trance
Tears were shed. Hearts ached. Sadness filled our entire bodies. The scene leading to Kunjan’s suicide in Trance was upsetting to see, especially because he choose to take his own life for his brother, Viju Prasad. Kunjan, who has bouts of violent psychological episodes does not want to burden his brother anymore. He hangs himself. But his memories loomed in the house, in Viju’s already traumatic mind, and in our minds too.
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8. Veerasimha Mannadiar (Jayaram) In Dhruvam
Even though we know that Jayaram dies, what makes his death shocking and saddening is that there was no meaning in his death. He is killed by chance and that makes it upsetting. It was not his fault; he was just collateral damage. This leads to Mammootty risking his life to avenge his death.
7. Imraan (Dulquer Salmaan) In Parava
A slash on the throat is what took us to feel unexpectedly sad. Even though Dulquer Salmaan had an extending cameo in Parava, his death scene was an emotional one for the fans.
6. Mathan (Tovino Thomas) In Mayaanadhi
Mayaanadhi‘s ending wouldn’t have been so haunting if they hadn’t shown Mathan’s death. They could have left the audience to interpret the sound of the gunshot. Our theories would have been that the police officer was conflicted about shooting Mathan; that the gunshot we all heard was him firing straight up into the air or at his superior. I know we’re all suckers for a happy ending. But no, he had to die and fall into the river, all while staring into our souls. The deep background score made it even worse for us viewers. The situation is all the more painful when we hear Appu reacting to the “Appu” call she hears. Appu likes to believe Mathan is alive somewhere because she doesn’t know what happened to him. Just like we’d like to.
5. ASI Maniyan (Joju George) In Nayattu
Maniyan’s death by suicide, and the further disrespect of the body by police officials to save face, made it worse for us. We didn’t expect him to die and that was the turning point in the film.
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4. Moideen (Prithviraj) In Ennu Ninte Moideen
We knew his death was coming. The build-up to his death as Kanchanamala awaited his presence killed us every second. We hoped against hope that he would survive the storm, but he doesn’t. The moment of this realisation was heartwrenching for the audience to watch.
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3. Mangalserry Neelakandan (Mohanlal) In Ravanaprabhu
The death of this “old feudal lord” was a real shocker. We’d watched the father-son duo bond over drinks. And just when we thought things were going great, Neelan was snatched away.
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2. Neena (Shobana) In Minnaram
A twisted love story turned tragic, Minnaram is one of those movies that makes you wonder why you watched it in the first place. It’s sad AF. Towards the end of the film, we get to know that Neena is terminally ill with polycythemia vera and she succumbs to her illness. Bobby is devastated. The track Nilave Mayumo makes it even worse to believe that it actually happened. Argh!
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1. Rameshan (Mohanlal) In Thanmathra
Thinking about this scene itself fills my eyes with tears. Even though the film was released in 2005, the emotional impact it had on me still persists. Rameshan’s death at the end of the film was unexpected. What made the scene overwhelming was the call from his son. His mother picks up the call and gives her blessings, all while controlling her sobs in this tear-jerking farewell.
These deaths in Malayalam cinema sure did do a number on us. Let’s get back to crying all over again.
