Malayalam film industry is blessed with some visionary and talented filmmakers who are literally raising the bar internationally. As the renowned Bollywood actor Gajraj Rao has recently mentioned, and we kind of agree to his statement, the Malayalam movies are currently the best in the country. While these movies are brilliant in all aspects of filmmaking, the directors are also constantly doing experiments with this art form and setting a benchmark for the filmmakers from other parts of India. As the legendary filmmakers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, John Abraham etc. are quite well-known to the cinephiles, let's broaden our views by looking at some of the best Malayalam filmmakers who are active today. Lijo Jose Pellissery: When it comes to making movies about complex human psychology, Lijo Jose Pellissery is unparalleled for sure. 'Angamaly Diaries', 'Ee. Ma. Yau.', 'Jallikattu' etc. are his best works. Jeethu Joseph: The undisputed king of Malayalam thriller movies, Jeethu Joseph knows how to balance thrill, romance and drama perfectly in movies. His best works include 'Memories', 'Drishyam', 'Drishyam 2' etc. Aashiq Abu: Aashiq Abu is a critically as well as commercially successful filmmaker who always loves to bring something new to the audience. '22 Female Kottayam', 'Mayanadi', 'Virus' etc. are some of his finest works till date. Rajeev Ravi: Director of films like 'Annayum Rasoolum', 'Njan Steve Lopez' etc., Rajeev Ravi is a master of visual storytelling in movies. He is also a renowned cinematographer in both Hindi and Malayalam films. Dileesh Pothan: Dileesh Pothan is a visionary filmmaker who has the ability to tell complicated stories in utmost simplistic way. His is known for films like 'Maheshinte Prathikaaram', 'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum', 'Joji' etc. Anwar Rasheed: Anwar Rasheed is the director of some of the biggest blockbuster Malayalam movies in recent time. His best works are 'Rajamanikyam', 'Ustad Hotel', 'Trance' etc. Alphonse Puthren: The best thing about Alphonse Puthren is that he masters both the art and technology of cinema. 'Neram' and 'Premam' are the two films he has made till date. Anjali Menon: Anjali Menon's movies are widely appreciated for their realistic plot, beautiful storytelling and feel-good vibes. She has received enormous praise for writing the story, screenplay and dialogues of the movie 'Ustad Hotel'. Her best directorial ventures include 'Bangalore Days' and 'Koode'. Salim Ahamed: An internationally acclaimed filmmaker who always comes up with unique contents, Salim Ahamed has directed masterpiece movies like 'Adaminte Makan Abu', 'Kunjananthante Kada', 'Pathemari' etc. Mahesh Narayanan: Mahesh Narayanan is another visionary filmmaker who has the ability to execute high scale movies even in low budget. Just watch movies like 'Take Off' and 'C U Soon', and you'll know how brilliant he is! Rajesh Pillai, Martin Prakkat, Amal Neerad, Sajin Baabu, Jeo Baby, Sameer Thahir etc. are some other contemporary Malayalam filmmakers you should watch out for.
