Malayalam cinema has featured many memorable mothers on screen who remain with the audience long after the credits roll. Revisiting some of these characters available on OTT, here is a list of films that celebrate motherhood online.
7 Malayalam films celebrating motherhood
1. C/O Saira Banu
- Mould: Manju WarrierShane Nigam, Amala AkkineniNiranjana Anup, Raghavan, Sujit Shankar, Jagadish, KB Ganesh Kumar, Mohanlal (voice only)
- Director: Antony Soni Sebastian
- Style: legal drama
- Runtime: 2 hours 36 minutes
- Where to watch: jiohotstar
The story of C/O Saira Banu revolves around Saira Banu, a middle-class woman who fights to prove the innocence of her adopted son Joshua Peter after he is implicated in a hit-and-run case. The film presents the story of a mother making every effort to save her son and standing up against powerful opponents.
2. Pachuvum Athabutha Vilakkum
- Mould: Fahadh FaasilAnjana Jayaprakash, Dhvani Rajesh, Viji Venkatesh, Vineet, Mukesh, Innocent, Indrans, Althaf Saleem, Abhiram Radhakrishnan
- Director: Akhil Satyan
- Style: adventure comedy drama
- Runtime: 2 hours 51 minutes
- Where to watch: amazon prime video
Pachuvum Athabutha Vilakkam follows Pachu, the owner of a Mumbai-based Ayurveda pharmacy. During his return trip from Kerala, he agrees to take his landlord’s elderly mother, Laila, back to Mumbai. The story takes a turn when she insists on going to Goa for a personal mission. The film shows how Laila’s maternal affection towards a child changes the lives of everyone around her.
3. Minnaminungu
- Mould: Surbhi Lakshmi, Rebecca Santosh, Prem Prakash, Balu Narayan, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Archana Padmini, Suresh Prem
- Director: Anil Thomas
- Style: Drama
- Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Where to watch: ZEE5
Minnaminungu is the story of a struggling single mother in Kerala who works multiple jobs as a domestic help and milk vendor to support her elderly father and college-going daughter, Charu. The plot focuses on her tireless efforts to arrange Rs 6 lakh for Charu’s higher education in Canada, but later discovers that her daughter is planning to use that money to elope with her partner.
4. Njandukalude Nattil Oridawela
- Mould: Nivin PaulySiju Wilson, Shanti Krishna, Lal, Ahana Krishna, Aishwarya Lakshmi
- Director: Altaf Salim
- Style: romantic tragicomedy
- Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
- Where to watch: jiohotstar
Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela is the story of Kurian, a London-based man who returns to Kerala after his mother Sheela is diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. Along with her father and siblings, the family decided to face the crisis with humor, resilience, and emotional support rather than despair. The film is based on writer Chandramathi’s memoir of the same name, which describes her battle with cancer and the strength she found with the support of her family.
5. Kanekkane
- Mould: Suraj VenjaramooduTovino Thomas, Aishwarya LakshmiShruti Ramachandran, Prem Prakash, Ronnie David, Binu Pappu
- Director: Manu Ashokan
- Style: drama thriller
- Runtime: 2 hours
- Where to watch: sonyliv
Kanekkane follows Paul Mathai, who suspects his son-in-law Alan of fabricating the story surrounding his daughter’s death. As Paul discovers the truth and seeks justice, the film deals with themes of guilt, grief and complex relationships following Alan’s remarriage to Sneha.
Breaking the stereotype of the evil stepmother, the film presents Sneha as a loving and caring figure in the life of her husband’s biological son.
6. Ente Ummante Peru
- Mould: Tovino ThomasUrvashi, Shanthi Krishna, Shilpa Tulaskar, Harish Perumanna, Mamukkoya, Sapriya Deva
- Director: jose sebastian
- Style: road comedy drama
- Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
- Where to watch: amazon prime video
Ente Ummante Peru tells the story of Hameed, a young man from Malabar who faces difficulty in finding a marriage bond after his father’s death as he is considered an orphan. Trying to overcome this, he sets out to find his mother, who takes him on a heart-touching journey through his father’s past relationships. Also, the film explores what truly defines a mother’s affection.
7. Manasinakkare
- Mould: JayaramSheela, NayantaraInnocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, KPAC Lalitha, Siddique, Sukumari, Nedumudi Venu
- Director: Satyan Anthikad
- Style: family drama
- Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Where to watch: amazon prime video
Manasinakkare Kochu is the story of Thresia, a rich, spirited, yet lonely widow, who feels isolated because of her selfish and money-minded children. She finds companionship with Reggie, a young farmer who helps her fulfill her childlike desires, bridging the generational gap with warmth, humor and affection.
The movies mentioned above are just a few of the many memorable Malayalam movies celebrating motherhood that are available on OTT platforms, with many more heartfelt stories waiting to be discovered online.
