Mollywood focusses on urban relationships

Dowry and mother-in-law issues are passe.
Malayalam filmmakers are increasingly turning to issues faced by urban married couples today, which range from incompatibility to extra marital issues. It all started with Saji Surendran’s Ivar Vivahitharayal in 2009 which saw Jayasurya and Bhamaa playing a young couple who find themselves at odds with each other on the very first night of their marriage.The film looked at their issues in a comic manner, and was lapped up by the audience. Now, more and more films are being made on urban marriages. Kochi Times gives a low-down on the more popular films centred on the theme.
Angry Babies
After Ivar Vivahitharayal, Saji Surendran’s subsequent films, Happy Husbands and Husbands in Goa, featured couples with different marital issues seeking ways to deal with them, again in a comical manner. Angry Babies in Love, Saji’s last release, told the story of a couple who elope to Mumbai and get married, played by Anoop Menon and Bhavana. Within a year, they are on the verge of divorce, and the rest of the film describes how they work out their issues.
Bangalore Days
Last year also saw the release of Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days, which had, among many other characters, a young couple settled in Bangalore, played by Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya Nazim. The two get married without knowing much about each other in an arranged set up. But they are unable to relate to each other post marriage, and lead separate lives, until they learn about each other’s past and slowly develop an understanding.
Mathai Kuzhappakkaranalla
Akku Akbar’s film bordered on a premarital counselling lesson but showed the series of clashes and misunderstandings between a busy doctor husband and his society lady wife, played by Mukesh and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy. The wife’s stubborn mother adds fuel to the fire, and there is chaos until they are rescued by a wise auto-driver whose words drive them to give their marriage a second chance.
Njangalude Veettile Athithikal
Sibi Malayil’s film tells the story of a couple — a successful lawyer and a bored housewife — who have to deal with the sudden death of their daughter. Jayaram and Priyamani play the leads in the film, which explores the ‘uninvited guests’ which spell trouble for a marriage.
Neena
Lal Jose’s upcoming film deals with something the director has not tried out before — the issues faced by a corporate couple. The couple, played by Vijay Babu and Ann Augustine, are forced to deal with something which shakes the very foundation of their marriage.
Haram
Directed by Vinod Sukumaran, the upcoming film revolves around two call centre employees who get infatuated with each other and enter into a hasty marriage. Reality dawns post marriage and the two, played by Fahadh Faasil and Radhika Apte, struggle to keep alive their marriage.
Akaashavani
The story of this upcoming film by Khais Millen revolves around the ego clashes between the husband and wife, both of whom are successful in their respective careers. Kavya Madhavan plays the wife, creative head of a women’s TV channel while Vijay Babu plays her husband, a self-made man. Ego clashes as to who is more powerful lead to daily arguments between the couple.