7 Tamil movies that should be remade in Malayalam

Recently, it has come to light that Mohanlal’s hit thriller ‘Oppam’ is to be remade in Tamil and what’s more... Kamal Haasan may play the lead. While this trend of Tamil, Telugu and other film industries making remakes of Malayalam films is the norm, there are also a few really outstanding Tamil movies that can be remade in Malayalam, for not every Kollywood movie is a commercial potboiler. So, let us take a look at few Tamil gems that need to be remade in Malayalam.

Uttama Villain

This Kamal Haasan starrer is a critic’s film. In essence, it is a film within a film, a commentary on Kamal Haasan’s real life through a movie, in which he plays himself! ‘Uttama Villain’ requires some patience to be understood and enjoyed, but filmmaking is not always about entertaining people. There are plenty of iconic actors in Mollywood like Mohanlal, Mammootty and Dileep who can play Ulaganayagan’s character in this meta-film. After all, Malayalam film industry is all about experimenting and this will be an interesting topic to try out.

Soodhu Kavvum

‘Soodhu Kavvum’ is an excellent commentary on today’s society, which is focused on nosing around in other’s business rather than minding one’s own. A bunch of frustrated youngsters join hands with Vijay Sethupathi, who runs a small-time kidnapping operation. What happens when they kidnap a politician’s son makes up for rest of the tale. Even though the story looks simple on paper, it creates magic on screen. With memorable dialogues, amazing performances and the craziest climax scene ever made, this Nalan Kumarasamy film has to be remade and savoured in every language.

Kumki

Director Prabhu Solomon is known for two films, romantic thriller ‘Mynaa’ and romantic drama ‘Kumki’. What makes ‘Kumki’ so special is the unique plot of the film. It is about an elephant mahout played by Vikram Prabhu and his elephant, which is trained to ward off wild elephants which often plague the human settlements in remote parts of TamilNadu. Other than this interesting concept and setting, ‘Kumki’ also has some comic moments all thanks to Thambi Ramaiah, making it just commercial enough to be enjoyed by the masses.

Raja Rani

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice, breezy, love story? That is exactly what ‘Raja Rani’ is. It is a story of two people who enter an arranged marriage after having bitter experiences with love, played by Arya and Nayanthara. As such, the two have no love for each other and just tolerate one another. However, circumstances make them realise that the two do actually care for each other and that they should always give a second chance to love, for it can find you in unexpected ways. Such a touching romantic angle dealt with in a light-hearted manner with plenty of laughs and gags, is what makes this Atlee movie such a big hit.

Jigarthanda

This gangster comedy is full of class, sass, action and a good deal of laughs too. ‘Jigarthanda’ is a great example of a movie with dark humour. Not only is the story super unique with a twist that will leave you dazed, it also has some really memorable performances. Siddharth really shined in the movie along with all the supporting cast, but it was Bobby Simha’s portrayal of gangster Sethu that really took the cake. ‘Jigarthanda’ is also a treat for those who admire Tarantino, for this movie has plenty of references to him.

Naan

Not many thrillers can hold your attention these days. ‘Naan’ is definitely not one of them. This spine-chilling thriller starring Vijay Antony is a textbook on how to make an engaging film. ‘Naan’ deals mainly with identity exchange and how convincing a psychopath can be if he can act just right. In the movie, Vijay Antony, the serial killer changes identities twice and commits murders and still the cops are never able to pin him down to it. Such is the brilliance of his performance. It is like watching a real life sociopath or psychopath in action. Of course, a remake will require a really good actor, but since Mollywood has no dearth of those, they are good to go.

Kaaka Muttai

‘Kaaka Muttai’ is a film with international accolades. It is a bittersweet story of two children, brothers who live in poverty. Their only wish is to try out pizza at the local pizzeria; however, they have to raise the money for it by themselves. It then becomes a story of how the two struggle to have one pizza. It is a commentary on how our society treats people based on how they look and dress. It also gives a message to not run after material possessions. ‘Kaaka Muttai’ deserves every bit of accolade and it needs to be remade in Malayalam.