South actor Mohanlal celebrates his 66th birthday today, May 21. Widely recognised for his craft in the Malayalam cinema, he has delivered cult-classic films for decades now. Here are 4 such movies from the actor’s slate that won international acclaim.
Mohanlal Films That Got Him To International Stages
Drishyam 3, a Mohanlal starrer, has hit cinemas pan-India today. The move came to commemorate and mark the birthday of the iconic actor. As the trilogy premiered, it created a huge fan frenzy for fans. But Mohanlal captured more than what India knows. From Vanaprastham to Iruvar, these four films gained the Drishyam 3- star applause on global platforms. Watch!
Vanaprastham
Released in 1999, the film stars Mohanlal as Kunjikuttan and Suhasini Maniratnam as Subhadra. The film is an Indo-French drama directed by Shaji N. Karun. Gaining recognition for its psychological and artistic expression of a dancer, the film premiered at the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival in 1999.
Vanaprastham Synopsis
The film is a Malayalam drama that follows the story of Kunjikuttan, a Kathakali dancer. Coming from an overlooked and lower-caste background, he falls in love with an upper-caste woman, Subhadra. From getting ignored by his father in his childhood to being abandoned by Subhadra, his life feels tragic.
Iruvar
Released in 1997, the film features Anandan (Mohanlal) with Aishwarya Rai, Prakash Raj, Tabu and more. Notably, it was the first Tamil political drama film to screen at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2025. Iruvar was presented in the ‘Masters’ section at the Toronto Film Festival in 1997 and also won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival.
Iruvar Synopsis
Directed by Mani Ratnam, the film follows the story of an aspiring actor, Anandan, and writer, Tamizhselvan (Prakash Raj). It mirrors the real-life story of two leaders, who develop a bond where the latter develops stories for Anandan’s breakout roles. Soon gaining fame, they decide to run a political party until a fallout grows.
Guru
Released in 1997, the film is directed by Rajiv Anchal. The Mohanlal starrer became a visual masterpiece from Indian cinema. It became the very first Malayalam film to be selected by the Government of India as the official entry for the Oscars at the 70th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, now known as Best International Feature Film.
Guru Synopsis
The film is a fantasy-drama that stars Mohanlal as Raghuraman. Born in a religious family, he decides on vengeance when his family members are killed in violent riots. He is transported into a fantasy land where his attempt to guide the blind people towards light is considered religious extremism by the king. He pleads for peace and returns to the real world.
Drishyam
Released in 2013, the film is directed by Jeethu Joseph. The film received international acclaim after various adaptations of the film emerged, like Sheep Without A Shepherd in Chinese, Ajay Devgn starrer in Hindi and others in Tamil and Telugu. Besides breaking the box-office records, the rights were also acquired by Panorama Studios for English and Spanish audiences.
Drishyam Synopsis
The Malayalam crime-thriller stars Mohanlal as Georgekutty. During a camp, his eldest daughter, Anju, is filmed in a bathroom by her male classmate Varun. He later blackmails and sexually assaults her at home. In the struggle, Anju and her mother strike and kill him. Georgekutty plans perfect plots with false clues to protect his family.
