Happy Birthday, Lal Jose: FIVE best directorial ventures of the filmmaker that you must not miss

A popular director, charming actor, visionary producer, enthusiastic distributor and undoubtedly the most loved storyteller of Mollywood, Lal Jose is celebrating his birthday today. Lal Jose has become a household name for the moviegoers and the attention the filmmaker enjoys is nothing less than a movie star. Apart from being family entertainers, Lal Jose’s movies also promise a worthy experience for the money one spends on the tickets.Starting off his career as an assistant to veteran director Kamal, Lal Jose has been part of the industry for three decades. As the popular director is celebrating his 54rth birthday today, here’s a list of his five best directorial ventures that you must not miss.
Chandranudikkunna Dikkil

Lal Jose is an expert in portraying human emotions. The 1999 release 'Chandranudikkunna Dikkil' is a perfect example of that. Starring Dileep, Samyuktha Menon, Biju Menon, and Kavya Madhavan, the movie travels through the life of Mukundan (Dileep), who is a driver in Mysuru. Mukundan loves Radha (Kavya Madhavan) but they don’t unite. And when the duo finally meets each other, Radha is married. She falls for him again. Mukundan pretends that he loves Hema (Samyuktha Varma). Scripted by Babu Janardhanan, the movie had an unexpected climax.
Meesa Madhavan

One of the highest-grossing movies of Lal Jose, 'Meesa Madhavan' was also a career-defining film for Dileep. The actor romanced Kavya Madhavan in the film which narrated the story of a lovable, mischievous local thief Madhavan (Dileep), who steals for his daily earnings. Although Madhavan is a thief he is a kind-hearted person and also a popular figure among the villagers. Madhavan's robbery, love and later getting accused of an idol robbery that he has no idea of, forms the crux of the movie. The filmmaker made the audience fall for a thief and stand by him. Lal Jose's exceptional talent in storytelling made the film a massive success.
Classmates

2006 release 'Classmates' was one of the best Malayalam campus dramas till date. Starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kavya Madhavan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Narain, and Jayasurya in lead roles, the movie told the story of a bunch of college students. The film showcased the emotions of love, loss, betrayal, tiff and a lot more. Even after a decade of its release, 'Classmates' still continues to entertain the audience.
Ayalum Njanum Thammil

2012 release 'Ayalum Njanum Thammil' was a complex film directed by Lal Jose. It told the story of a young doctor who is accused of operating a kid against her parents' consent. Form his colleged days to being a passionate professional – the film took the audience through various stages of Dr Ravi Tharakan's (Prithviraj Sukumaran) life. The filmmaker sketches the journey of a vibrant medical student and showcased a lot of emotions.
Diamond Necklace

The protagonist Arun in 'Diamond Necklace' represented the young generation. Arun (Fahadh Faasil) is an oncologist, who spends more than what he earns. Living in Dubai, Arun relies on credit cards for his lavish lifestyle. This leads him to heavy debts and when he fails to pay it all, Arun goes to the extent of stealing his patient's diamond necklace. A well-crafted movie, Lal Jose made sure that he leaves his mark by portraying the emotions his characters go through.