The increasing intolerance towards artistic freedom was prevalent this year as well, with many big-ticket films facing the heat. The hugely-hyped L2: Empuraan met with an unprecedented backlash from right-wing outfits, alleging that it presented an incomplete or “biased” depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, criticising the makers for portraying a Hindutva-linked antagonist. Online campaigns and boycott calls forced lead actor and co-producer Mohanlal to publicly express regret over the distress caused. Eventually, the makers had to “voluntarily” remove some of the controversial scenes, besides altering the antagonist’s name.
Censorship battles continued with JSK: Janaki v/s State of Kerala, Suresh Gopi’s first release after being sworn in as the Union Minister, when the CBFC initially denied certification, objecting to the use of ‘Janaki’, another name for goddess Sita, for a rape survivor. After a legal fight, the title was altered, and the film cleared. Shane Nigam’s Haal also faced multiple CBFC cuts, including a beef-eating scene, but courts overruled key objections, allowing its release with a UA 16+ certificate.
More recently, the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) was rocked when the Centre denied censor exemption for 19 films, including some Palestinian films, and classics like Battleship Potemkin, reportedly due to diplomatic issues and perceived themes. It triggered widespread protests, with strong defiance from the Kerala government, led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who directed the organisers to screen all films as scheduled. After protests, the Centre cleared 13 of the 19 films, but six remained blocked, leading to the cancellation of their screenings on the festival’s final days, though some had been shown earlier.
Drug abuse, an issue plaguing creative industries worldwide, has long lurked in Malayalam cinema’s shadows. What began as murmurs within industry circles snowballed into public discourse this year when some bigwigs, including filmmakers Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza, and rapper-lyricist Vedan (Hirandas Murali), were caught red-handed.
Actor Shine Tom Chacko, who was earlier involved in a case related to cocaine possession, found himself in trouble once again when he made a dramatic escape from his hotel room during a raid by the anti-narcotics force. Though he was later arrested, a forensic report cleared him of drug use charges. Shine, along with actor Sreenath Bhasi, was also grilled by Excise officials following disclosure by a woman caught with hybrid ganja that she had consumed drugs with the two. While no direct links to organised drug trafficking networks were established, Shine was admitted to a de-addiction centre after he admitted to his struggles with narcotic addiction.
After ending 2024 on a high with Marco, Unni Mukundan began the year with momentum, but what grabbed headlines was an ugly public fallout with former associate Vipin Kumar. In May, Vipin filed a police complaint accusing the actor of physical and verbal assault, allegedly triggered by his social media post praising Tovino’s Narivetta at a time when Unni’s Get Set Baby struggled at the box office.
Unni denied the physical assault allegations but admitted to an emotional outburst, insisting Vipin was never his manager but merely a PRO and accusing him of attempting to damage his reputation. In September, the actor was summoned by the court on charges including criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt. The case remains sub judice.
Awards rarely please everyone, and this year’s State and National honours were no different. The most glaring flashpoint was Aadujeevitham’s complete omission from the National Awards, despite the film’s sweeping critical acclaim and nine wins at the Kerala State Awards. The snub sparked widespread disbelief, especially after director Blessy publicly questioned the jury’s remarks on technical flaws and adaptation authenticity, calling them “double standards,” having earlier received personal praise from jury chairman Ashutosh Gowariker. A section also linked the snub to Prithviraj’s involvement in Empuraan, which earned the wrath of the Sangh Parivar.
The Kerala State Film Awards, too, came under fire after the jury declined to present awards for Best Children’s Film and Best Child Artist, citing the absence of “genuine children’s cinema.” The decision was met with backlash, with many pointing to notable performances by child actors in films such as Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, Gu, ARM, and Phoenix, all of which went unrecognised.
Like many actors’ shared fascination with luxury, especially high-end cars, 2025 saw that obsession collide with the attention of authorities. A nationwide customs probe into smuggled luxury vehicles, mostly SUVs, routed through Bhutan led to searches at the homes of Malayalam actors Mammootty, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan and Amit Chakalakkal, alongside raids on dealers and showrooms.
While Mammootty and Prithviraj faced limited follow-up, the investigation tightened around Dulquer and Amit, with vehicle seizures, summons and court battles. Customs later provisionally released most of the seized vehicles, including Dulquer and Amit’s, offering partial relief
A casual remark by Joju George during an Express Dialogues event unexpectedly snowballed into a public spat with Churuli director Lijo Jose Pellissery. While Joju’s expletive-heavy role as Thankan chettan was widely praised, the actor said the film brought him personal distress, claiming he was misled into believing the explicit cut was meant only for festivals. He alleged the release affected his family life, including his daughter being targeted at school, and added that he was not paid for the film.
Lijo countered the claims by releasing bank statements showing a ₹5.90 lakh payment and denied misleading the actor, stating Churuli was always intended as an ‘A’-rated festival and OTT release. He also cited a High Court verdict permitting the film’s language. Joju later challenged Lijo to make the full contract public.
Before Shwetha Menon made history as the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists in 2025, with Kukku Parameswaran elected general secretary, the year was turbulent for AMMA. The organisation was already grappling with the fallout of the Justice Hema Committee report, which led to the mass resignation of its Mohanlal-led executive committee in 2024 after several office-bearers were named in sexual harassment allegations. Even when elections were finally announced, hopes of change quickly slid into infighting. Allegations flew over a women-only WhatsApp group, a mysterious memory card from a 2018 meeting, and claims of intimidation and factionalism among women members.
Matters worsened when a criminal case, later stayed by the High Court, was filed against Shwetha over alleged obscene content, raising questions about timing and intent. By the end of voting, AMMA’s credibility had taken a hit, even as it marked a symbolic shift with women at the helm.
In 2025, the Kerala Film Producers Association found itself at the centre of sustained controversy, largely over its decision to publicly release monthly box office collection data. Framed as a move to warn prospective investors amid mounting losses, the disclosures instead triggered sharp pushback from within the industry. Various producers claimed the figures were misleading and partial, ignoring revenues from OTT, satellite, and overseas rights, and risked branding Malayalam cinema financially unviable. As KFPA blamed rising actor remuneration, production costs, and taxation for the crisis, the debate raged further, with some filmmakers maintaining that transparency had tipped into fear-mongering.
Running parallel to this was the long, messy fallout involving producer Sandra Thomas, whose confrontation with the association over accountability, harassment complaints, and election eligibility spilled into courtrooms and press meets. Though her challenge failed, it managed to expose fault lines around power, gender and governance.
For rapper Vedan, 2025 was dominated by controversy that eclipsed his music. It started in April with a police raid on his Kochi flat and a ganja seizure. The situation flared up after a rape complaint by a young doctor, alleging repeated abuse under the promise of marriage, followed by lookout notices and more women coming forward.
As Vedan denied the charges and sought anticipatory bail, the year’s tensions peaked when he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist for Manjummel Boys and sparked furious debate over honouring an artist who was under serious allegations.
For actor Vinayakan, controversy now seems like an annual ritual. 2025 followed a familiar pattern. In May, he was arrested in Kollam after he was suspected of making a drunken scene at a five-star hotel, an experience he’d had before in the form of run-ins with the police in previous years. August turned out ever louder, as his outbursts on Facebook against Adoor Gopalakrishnan and KJ Yesudas elicited complaints, cyber police investigations, and scathing criticism from film associations. Vinayakan insisted his coarse language was a deliberate rejection of elite hypocrisy, even describing it to the police as a form of “poetry”.
And yet, amid the noise, there was admiration for his work in Kalamkaval opposite Mammootty’s antagonist, even as the year ended with a setback after a serious on-set injury during the shoot of Aadu 3.
Dileep’s 2025 kept public attention firmly fixed on him. In early December, the Ernakulam sessions court acquitted Dileep in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove the conspiracy charge after nearly nine years of trial. The verdict split opinion. Some saw it as justice delivered, while others felt it left troubling questions unanswered. Dileep responded by claiming the case against him was a conspiracy and accused sections of the police and the media of targeting him.
Barely ten days later, he returned to cinemas with Bha Bha Ba, a big-budget release widely viewed as a comeback vehicle, amplified further by a pivotal cameo from superstar Mohanlal. The film arrived amid intense scrutiny and quickly courted controversy. One scene, in particular, triggered strong reactions. A character refers to Dileep’s role as a professional kidnapper, stating that this is not his first such act. The sequence then ‘spoofs’ with a shot of Dileep’s character abducting a woman into a moving car, while the narrator suggestively describes that he “milked” her, before revealing that the supposed victim is actually a cow. Many viewers unsurprisingly found the intended ‘joke’ uncomfortable, especially given the timing. Added to this were lines about revenge, victimhood and settling scores with the media, which only deepened the unease.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government announced its decision to appeal against the verdict, making it clear that the story is far from over.