Although Malayalam cinema has been putting out one great film after the other in the last couple of years, loyal audiences of the industry by and large have one complaint — which is the lack of pure comedies like in earlier times. Even if films like Romancham are trying to turn the tide, the number of modern comedy classics from the industry are few and far between. If you ever find yourself wanting to have a jolly good time and a few laughs, look no further from our list of classic comedies on Amazon Prime Video to take you back to the olden days.
Summer in Bethlehem
The film certainly incorporates everything that we fondly remember of the Malayalam movies of the 90s with its catchy songs, effortless comedy, and the eventual shift to drama after initially making the audiences laugh their hearts out. The plot centres around Ravishankar (Jayaram), who pretends to own his friend Dennis’s (Suresh Gopi) farmhouse in front of his relatives. Along with keeping up with this lie, they also have to find out who Ravi's secret admirer is. But the identity of the admirer is not revealed even at the end of the film. Even after all these years, that question remains unanswered. There persists a collective curiosity from the Malayali audience to know who that admirer is, which reaffirms how well the film has aged.
Vettam
What is not to love about Vettam? Even though the film failed to create much of an impact at the box office during its run, it has attained cult classic status over the years. That the film has a high repeat-watch value isn't something to be debated, with everyone in the ensemble cast providing a laugh or two whenever they appear on the screen. What happens when a thief on the run and a girl searching for her to-be-engaged lover meet? A sure shot recipe for hilarity.
Unda
Starring a superbly understated Mammootty, Unda traces the story of a nine-man police unit from Kerala that travel to a Maoist-prone area in Chhattisgarh for state election duty. Seized by fears of death, the underprepared policemen grow desperate and weary, and director Khalid Rahman fits subtle humour and satire within the crevices of this human drama, packing it as an entertaining black comedy.
Kilichundan Mampazham
Moidukutty Haji (Sreenivasan) is newly married to Amina (Soundarya), despite having two wives. Abdu (Mohanlal), who is new to the locality, is also Amina’s ex-lover. Amina and Abdu’s efforts to get back together against all odds form the rest of the story. The Priyadarshan directorial is filled with one great comedy scene after another, all of which land mostly because of the excellent comic timing of its actors.
Vadakkunokkiyantram
Thalathil Dineshan and Shobha are characters forever registered in the minds of the Malayali audience. Sreenivasan wrote, directed, and starred in this comedy about a man with a severe inferiority complex concerning his short stature and dark complexion. His insecurities further grow and turn into suspicions against his wife.
Thalayana Manthram
The writer-director combo of Sreenivasan and Sathyan Anthikkad delivered yet again with Thalayana Manthram. This time, an added plus was the magical performance from Urvashi. The film, which underlined the insecurities of a woman, is a reminder of a time in which everyday stories were told without any fuss and without the constant need to do something pathbreaking.
Thenmavin Kombath
The Priyadarshan-Mohanlal combination has been making audiences laugh for decades now. Why is this combo still widely recognised? Thenmavin Kombath is an apt answer to this question. Srikrishnan (Nedumudi Venu) and his best friend, Manikyam (Mohanlal), fall in love with the same girl, Karthumpi (Shobhana). The misunderstandings and friction between the couple forms the rest of the plot.
Kottayam Kunjachan
As the titular character Kunjachan, Mammootty is a laughter riot in this film set against the Kottayam-Catholic backdrop of Kerala. The film follows a small-time thug who gets out of jail after serving a murder sentence of seven years. The iconic character of Kunjachan is still fresh in the minds of all Malayali audiences, even if it has been mimicked in popular culture many times.
Vietnam Colony
The iconic duo Mohanlal and Innocent play Krishnamurthy and Joseph, who set out to evacuate the residents of a colony on their company’s demand. The two sneakily enter the colony in the disguise of documenting their lives. But slowly, they understand the bigger picture and side with the residents. Although the central narrative addresses a serious issue, its subplots — the duo’s silly schemes, goons masquerading as residents and a mistaken marriage proposal — leave you in stitches.
Oru Maravathoor Kanavu
Lal Jose's first film, scripted by Sreenivasan, follows the life of Michael (Biju Menon) and his family, who buy a farm that is coveted by a rich man making their life hell. This is when Michael's brother, Chandy (Mammootty), comes to his aid. The lighthearted first half soon transitions into a heavy drama in the second half, but its comedy is still one for the books.
Android Kunjappan Version 5.25
When Chuppan (Soubin Shahir) leaves to work in Russia, he brings home a robot to accompany his old father Bhaskaran (Suraj Venjaramoodu). As the robot and Bhaskaran bond, the latter sees the world from a different perspective and grows to love his new ally. Android Kunjappan, which is the first Malayalam film to predominantly feature a robot isn't even set in a city. It happens in a tiny village and therein lies the real beauty of this film, which is as moving as it is quirky.