In the past, the Malayalam film industry had a slew of war films that garnered a lot of praise. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look back at our favourite Malayalam war films. These films were filled with an emotional depth that had love stories and real-life inspirations weaved in them.
Keerthi Chakra
The powerful visuals of Mohanlal (as Major Mahadevan) and his team of commandos in Keerthi Chakra were a sight to see. It’s one of those Malayalam war films that made us go through an emotional roller coaster ride. The film is based on the militant insurgency that took place in Jammu & Kashmir. Major Ravi, who won the Kerala State Film Award for the Best Screenplay for Keerthi Chakra, based the film on incidents in Punjab and Kashmir that took place during his time as an officer in the Indian Army.
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is the sequel to Keerthi Chakra. The film is based on the 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan, especially the Battle of Tololing. We see Major Mahadevan striking again with his aim to defeat Pakistani Army Colonel Chengiz.
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Kandahar
Kandahar is the third instalment of the Major Mahadevan series by Major Ravi. Apart from Mohanlal, we also saw Amitabh Bachhan share the screen with him. The film was BigB’s debut in the Malayalam film industry. It was a spectacle to look forward to. The film is based on the Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijack which took place on December 24, 1999.
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Picket 43
Did you know that Mohanlal was supposed to play the lead in Picket 43 instead of Prithviraj? It was Lalettan who suggested that Prithvi take up the role as he felt that a younger face would do better. Picket 43 is about an Indian army officer who guards a picket alone in Kashmir. He becomes friends with a Pakistani soldier and that raises suspicion.
Fun Fact: The dog (Bacardi) you see in the film is an army dog. He served 7 years in the Indian army, headquartered at Shopian.
Douthyam
Who hasn’t watched Douthyam here? This 1989 Mohanlal classic had Suresh Gopi, Vijayraghavan, M.G Soman, Babu Anthony and other iconic actors in it. The film tells the tale of Captain Roy Jacob who rescues his colleagues from a forest after their aeroplane crashes. It’s no mean feat as they have to fend for themselves while steering away from terrorist attacks.
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Mission 90 Days
This film is based on Major Ravi’s understanding of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. The one thing that will get your attention is Mammootty as Major Sivaraman. His impeccable performance as an army officer showed his acting prowess. Mission 90 Days is a must-watch!
Have we missed out on any other war film in Malayalam cinema? Let us know in the comments.
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