7 best romantic Malayalam movies to watch this Valentine’s Day: From Sai Pallavi’s Premam to Fahadh Faasil’s Maheshinte Pratikharam

We are about to enter the month of love, February, and if you are someone who loves love stories, there are plenty of award-winning stories in Malayalam cinema. From the 2015 classic film Premam to one of the most loved Malayalam romantic films, Bangalore Days, there is something for everyone. Check it out!

7 Best Romantic Malayalam Movies to Watch on Valentine’s Day

1. Premam

• Cast: Nivin Pauly, Sai Pallavi, Madonna Sebastian, Anupama Parameswaran, Shabarish Verma, Krishna Shankar, Siju Wilson, Ananth Nag, Vinay Forte, Soubin Shahir, Sharafuddin
• Director: Alphonse Puthren
• Release date: May 29, 2015
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Premam marks the entry of actress Sai Pallavi into mainstream cinema. The romantic classic follows George’s journey from adolescence to adulthood. Amidst all this, she falls in love with a college lecturer who redefines love for her.

2. Bengaluru Days

• Cast: Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya Nazim, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Isha Talwar
• Director: Anjali Menon
• Release date: 30 May 2014
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Bangalore Days is about three cousins ​​from Kerala who come to Bangalore to fulfill their dreams. Soon, they find themselves embroiled in the turmoil of love and life. The entertainer became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year.

3. Hridayam

• Cast: Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Darshana Rajendran
• Director: Vineet Srinivasan
• Release date: January 21, 2022
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Hridayam will take the audience on a trip down memory lane to their college days. The romantic drama depicts Arun’s transformation from a carefree youth to a responsible adult, and how love plays a major role in his journey.

4. Premlu

• Cast: Naslen, Mamita Baiju, Sangeet Pratap, Akhila Bhargavan, Shyam Mohan, Meenakshi Ravindran, Matthew Thomas, Althaf Saleem
• Director: Girish AD
• Release date: February 9, 2024
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

The next name in this list of best Malayalam language romantic comedy films is Premalu. It describes the life of Sachin Santosh, who plans to move to the UK. But life takes a beautiful turn when he meets his love at a coaching center in Hyderabad. A sequel titled Premalu 2 is in development.

5. Chitram

• Cast: Mohanlal, Ranjini, Nedumudi Venu, Lizzie, Poornam Vishwanathan, Srinivasan, MG Soman, Sukumari, Maniyanpila Raju, Shanavas
• Director: Priyadarshan
• Release date: December 23, 1988
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Priyadarshan’s masterpiece continues to entertain audiences decades after its debut on the big screen. Chitram was given immense love by fans, making it the highest-grossing Malayalam film of that time.

6. Classmate

• Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Narayana, Kavya Madhavan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Jayasurya, Radhika
• Director: Lal Jose
• Release date: 25 August 2006
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Regarded as a classic in Malayalam cinema, Classmates shows how a 10-year reunion goes awry. During the journey, Suku realizes the loss of friendship and love while remembering a tragic incident from the past.

7. Maheshinte Pratikram

• Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Aparna Balamurali, Anushree, Alencier Le Lopez, Soubin Shahir
• Director: Dileesh Pothan
• Release date: February 12, 2026
• Where to watch: Netflix

Maheshinte Pratikharam is based on an incident in the life of Thampan Purushan. It shows how love transforms a malicious small-town photographer. The romantic drama won accolades at the 64th National Film Awards.