Exactly a month ago today, Malayalam cinema lost one of its sharpest minds. Long before ‘new-gen’ Malayalam cinema became known for its progressive themes, Sreenivasan was already interrogating patriarchy, political hypocrisy, and male insecurity, at a time when misogyny and male entitlement were often glorified on and off screen. Even decades later, his satire hasn’t aged. It has only grown sharper.
In remembrance of Sreenivasan and his enduring legacy, here are five satirical films that every Malayali must rewatch, because their humour, politics, and messages remain painfully relevant even today.
Nadodikkattu (1987)
Few films capture the anxieties of a generation quite like Nadodikkattu. Written by Sreenivasan and starring Mohanlal and Sreenivasan as the leads, the film follows Ramdas and Vijayan, two unemployed young men desperate to escape Kerala’s joblessness by migrating to the Gulf, only to be cheated and stranded in Chennai. Beneath the laughter lies a sharp critique of 1980s Kerala, grappling with unemployment, dreams of migration, and systemic failure. The film’s satire remains uncannily current, as economic migration and job insecurity continue to shape Malayali aspirations even today.
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Varavelpu (1989)
In Varavelpu, Sreenivasan turned his lens toward one of Kerala’s most contentious realities, trade union politics. Based on a real-life incident from his father’s life, the film follows a Gulf returnee who dreams of starting a small business, only to be crushed by union interference, political opportunism, and bureaucratic riot. While deeply funny, Varavelpu is also unsettling in how little its realities have changed. More than three decades later, the film still feels like a mirror held up to Kerala’s governance and labour politics.
Sandesam (1991)
Perhaps Sreenivasan’s most fearless political satire, Sandesam takes aim at political activism, party conflicts and ideological posturing in Kerala, and takes major digs at the two major political parties in the state. Written by Sreenivasan and starring himself and Jayaram as the leads, the film mocks the way politics infiltrates families, friendships, and even personal morality. Its humour is biting, its observations ruthless, and yet remarkably balanced.
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Vadakkunokkiyantram (1989)
Written and directed by Sreenivasan himself, the film explores marital discord triggered by a husband’s Othello syndrome (irrational, unfounded conviction that their partner is being unfaithful), approached with humour that slowly gives way to discomfort. Instead of romanticising possessiveness, the film exposes it as paranoia, an inferiority complex and emotional immaturity. Even today, the film feels strikingly modern in its critique of fragile masculinity and control within marriage, with a climax that feels really honest.
Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala (1998)
Starring Sreenivasan and Sangeeta as leads, this film shows a lazy, negligent husband and father who uses spirituality as a convenient escape from responsibility. Written and directed by Sreenivasan, the film satirises marital conflict, performative faith, male entitlement and emotional absenteeism within families. What makes the film powerful is its refusal to glorify redemption.
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These five films have earned their cult status not just through memorable dialogues that have seeped into everyday Malayalam conversation, but through their unflinching honesty. One month without him, and we’re already feeling the void. But his films remain, as relevant and razor-sharp as ever. They’re not relics of a bygone era; they’re blueprints for understanding the Kerala we still live in.
