A slice of life from college corridors

The film Premam, which has won over Malayali minds, was shot at the Union Christian College, Aluva. The college was an integral part of the film and it was the venue for the blossoming of the love story of the characters, George and Malar. Such films have not just been noticed for the way in which the story is told, but also because of the ambience the location provides.With more and more colleges opening their gates for film shoots, the market value and the popularity of the colleges are also on the rise.
Here are some of the popular films that took the audience on a college trail:
Sarvakalashala As we go down the memory lane to meticulously choose the college films that were resplendent with artistic beauty, subtlety and perfection, Sarvakalashala reigns high as the paradigm. It is said that the older the wine, the better it tastes, likewise the film is relished with the same fervour by the audience even now when it is telecast in television.
The story revolves around the life of Lal, played by Mohan Lal, whose urge for learning about life never comes to a standstill. Despite obtaining umpteen number of degrees, he finds that his life is out there in the college. The beauty of the plot can also be accorded to the locations that it was shot in — Government Victoria College, Mercy College and Chittur College from Palakkad provided the archaic feel to the film. Sarvakalashala surely has become a palimpsest, setting an example for the following generations.
Classmates The film, which was a story about college life, companionship, party politics, rivalry and fidelity, was shot in CMS College, Kottayam. Right from the beginning, the college becomes a motif, thereby adding to the aura of the film. The setting had such an effect that it developed a sense of nostalgia among the viewers for college life.
The series of events that follow once the characters of Prithviraj, Indrajith and Naren were introduced, were ones which Malayalis could easily relate, such as the college canteen, election campaign, arts festivals, and the recurrent strikes. The film comes to a full circle, when all the characters meet for a reunion at college.
Nammal Nammal released in the year 2002. It was a story about friends, intimacy and relationships with college campus as the backdrop. The film was shot in the Government Engineering College, Thrissur and Holy Trinity School, Palakkad. However, the story was not predominantly about the college and students, but of friends — Shyam and Sivan, played by Siddharth and Jishnu. Veteran actress Suhasini essayed the role of Snehalatha, the college principal.
Chocolate Chocolate, which was a campus story entertainer, was shot at Sacred Heart College, Thevara. The film tracks how Shyam, played by Prithviraj, lands in a women’s college because of his unruly behaviour, and comes to a funny confrontation with Ann Mathews, played by Roma.
Niram Niram, shot in Christ College, Irinjalakuda, beautifully captured all that was best in college life. The friendship of Aby and Sona, played by Kunchacko Boban and Shalini, was so intense that it stayed in people’s minds for years. For sequences such as cultural programmes, sports practice and frequent bullying, the college premises provided the perfect setting. Though there were fewer scenes in classrooms, the protagonist’s life turns topsy- turvy after an incident in the college.