Short answer: The first Malayalam film is Vigathakumaran, made in 1928 by J.C. Daniel. From there the language moved through sound, colour, CinemaScope, 70mm, 3D and digital release, and in 2016 reached its first ₹100 crore film. Navodaya, the studio behind three of these firsts, sets out its own part on its official studio history page.
Questions like "which was the first Malayalam colour film" usually get answered one page at a time. This guide puts nine milestones in one timeline, each checked against at least two reliable sources, with our take on why it mattered.
Malayalam cinema firsts: quick facts
- First film (silent): Vigathakumaran, made in 1928. J.C. Daniel
- First talkie: Balan, 1938. Directed by S. Nottani, produced by T.R. Sundaram
- First colour film: Kandam Becha Kottu, 1961. T.R. Sundaram, Modern Theatres
- First President's Gold Medal: Chemmeen, 1965. Ramu Kariat
- First CinemaScope film: Thacholi Ambu, 1978. Navodaya
- First 70mm film: Padayottam, 1982. Jijo Punnoose, Navodaya
- First 3D film: My Dear Kuttichathan, 1984. Jijo Punnoose, Navodaya
- First digital film: Moonnamathoral, 2006. V.K. Prakash
- First ₹100 crore film: Pulimurugan, 2016. Vysakh, per Mohanlal's official Facebook post
Sources: Mathrubhumi English's history of Malayalam films at a glance, The Hindu's Reel Time column and Navodaya's own history, plus the reports named in each section.
1. First Malayalam film: Vigathakumaran (made in 1928)
Malayalam cinema begins with Vigathakumaran, a silent film J.C. Daniel produced and directed under his Travancore National Pictures banner. It was made in 1928. Release dates vary between accounts, so we give only the production year. He is widely called the father of Malayalam cinema.
Our take: Daniel proved a Malayalam film could be made at all, decades before the industry had studios, stars or a market. Every other milestone on this list stands on that first, risky attempt. That nerve is the real legacy. Nobody had shown him how.
2. First talkie: Balan (1938)
Sound arrived with Balan in 1938. It is often credited to T.R. Sundaram alone, but he produced it through Modern Theatres; S. Nottani directed it. The Hindu's Reel Time history and other cited accounts agree on that split.
Our take: Once Malayalam films could talk, and sing, they could carry the language's literature, humour and music. The talkie is where Malayalam cinema stops being a technical feat and becomes a popular art. For us, this is the most important first here.
3. First colour film: Kandam Becha Kottu (1961)
The first Malayalam colour film is Kandam Becha Kottu, released in 1961, produced and directed by T.R. Sundaram for Modern Theatres. That makes Sundaram the rare figure tied to two firsts: he produced the first talkie and made the first colour film.
Our take: Colour took a while to become standard in Malayalam, and Mathrubhumi English notes that Chemmeen, four years later, was only the third Malayalam colour film. Kandam Becha Kottu showed the technology could work for a Malayalam audience. That patience was worth it.
4. First President's Gold Medal: Chemmeen (1965)
Chemmeen, directed by Ramu Kariat and produced by Babu Ismail Sait, won the President's Gold Medal at the 13th National Film Awards. It was the first South Indian film to win it, as Mathrubhumi English and The Hindu's coverage of the film at 50 both record.
Our take: This is the moment Malayalam cinema was taken seriously at the national level. A regional film beating the country's biggest industries for the top honour set the reputation for quality that the language still trades on. It still deserves that pride.
5. First CinemaScope film: Thacholi Ambu (1978)
Thacholi Ambu, from Navodaya in 1978, was the first Malayalam CinemaScope film. Navodaya, the studio of producer Appachan, confirms it in its own history, and Mathrubhumi English lists it the same way.
Our take: The wide frame changed what a Malayalam film could look like. It is also the start of Navodaya's run of technical firsts, which explains why one studio shows up three times on this list. Few studios anywhere took risks like that.
6. First 70mm film: Padayottam (1982)
Navodaya followed up with Padayottam in 1982, the first Malayalam film in 70mm, directed by Jijo Punnoose. It was a 70mm blow-up rather than a film shot on 70mm. The claim we can back is the first Malayalam 70mm film, not India's first.
Our take: Padayottam made a Malayalam release feel like an event worth a bigger screen. It also showed that Kerala's small industry could keep up with, and sometimes get ahead of, the larger ones on technology. Bold, even if it was a blow-up.
7. First 3D film: My Dear Kuttichathan (1984)
My Dear Kuttichathan, directed by Jijo Punnoose for Navodaya in 1984, was the first Malayalam 3D film and also India's first 3D film. Mathrubhumi English, Navodaya's history and The Hindu's 2018 interview with Jijo all back this.
Our take: This is the one "first" on the list that belongs to all of India, not just Malayalam. A children's fantasy from a Kerala studio introduced 3D to Indian audiences, and it is still the film most people name when 3D comes up.
8. First digital film: Moonnamathoral (2006)
Moonnamathoral, directed by V.K. Prakash in 2006, is credited as the first Malayalam digital film. To be precise, it was shot fully in HD and was the first released digitally via satellite, as Mathrubhumi English and The Hindu's interview with Prakash describe.
Our take: Digital release cut the cost and effort of sending reels to every theatre. It was an early step towards the way films are shot and screened today, and towards the OTT era that followed. It is underrated as a milestone.
9. First ₹100 crore film: Pulimurugan (2016)
Pulimurugan, directed by Vysakh and produced by Tomichan Mulakuppadam, was the first Malayalam film to reach ₹100 crore, per Mohanlal's official Facebook post on November 7, 2016. The Press Trust of India, The Indian Express and The Hindu all reported the announcement. We do not give any other box-office figures for it.
- Lead: Mohanlal
- Where to watch: JioHotstar, in Malayalam (as of Oct 31, 2026)
Our take: The ₹100 crore mark changed how the industry saw its own ceiling. Budgets, release plans and the language's place in the wider Indian market all looked different after Pulimurugan, and the milestone set the bar every big Malayalam release now gets measured against.
Watch the official trailer:
What the firsts tell us
First, Malayalam cinema's milestones are mostly technical rather than commercial until very late. Sound, colour, wide screen, 70mm, 3D and digital release all arrived before the language had its first ₹100 crore hit. Second, a few people and studios did a lot of the work. T.R. Sundaram is tied to the first talkie and the first colour film, and Navodaya to CinemaScope, 70mm and 3D.
FAQs
Which is the first Malayalam film?
Vigathakumaran, a silent film made in 1928 by J.C. Daniel, is the first Malayalam film. Daniel produced and directed it under his Travancore National Pictures banner. He is widely called the father of Malayalam cinema.
Which is the first Malayalam talkie?
Balan, from 1938, is the first Malayalam talkie. It was directed by S. Nottani and produced by T.R. Sundaram of Modern Theatres. Sundaram is often credited as director, but the reliable accounts we checked say he produced it.
Which is the first Malayalam colour film?
Kandam Becha Kottu, released in 1961, is the first Malayalam colour film. T.R. Sundaram produced and directed it for Modern Theatres. Chemmeen came in 1965 and was the third Malayalam colour film.
Which is the first Malayalam 100 crore film?
Pulimurugan (2016), starring Mohanlal and directed by Vysakh, is the first Malayalam film to reach ₹100 crore, per Mohanlal's official Facebook post on November 7, 2016. It is streaming on JioHotstar as of Oct 31, 2026.
Which is the first Malayalam 3D film?
My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), directed by Jijo Punnoose for Navodaya, is the first Malayalam 3D film. It is also India's first 3D film.
Malayalam summary
1928ൽ ജെ.സി. ഡാനിയൽ നിർമ്മിച്ച വിഗതകുമാരനാണ് ആദ്യ മലയാള സിനിമ. 1938ലെ ബാലൻ ആദ്യ ശബ്ദചിത്രവും 1961ലെ കണ്ടംബെച്ച കോട്ട് ആദ്യ കളർ ചിത്രവുമാണ്. 1982ലെ പടയോട്ടം ആദ്യ മലയാള 70mm ചിത്രമായി; 2016ൽ പുലിമുരുകൻ 100 കോടി നേടിയ ആദ്യ മലയാള ചിത്രമായി.
