Kiran Rao’s much-loved Laapataa Ladies was recently picked as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025, beating several films, including All We Imagine as Light. Discussions are rife on social media as to whether Laapataa Ladies is the ideal choice, considering that Payal Kapadia’s film had earlier won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, making it a better contender for the Oscar race.

But not just All We Imagine As Light, the list of nearly 30 movies also included 2 award-winning Malayalam films - Ullozhukku and Aattam - that failed to make the cut for India's official submission for the Academy Awards.

Ullozhukku and Aattam fail to make the cut

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light featured Malayalam actors Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha in the lead roles. They play the characters of Malayali nurses.

Interestingly, the other two Malayalam movies that were on the shortlist - Christo Tomy’s Ullozhukku and Anand Ekarshi’s Aattam - also have strong women characters. Christo and Anand are also debutant directors.

Aattam was bestowed with the National Award recently, while the iconic Urvashi was accorded the Kerala Best Actress Award for her performance in the poignant Ullozhukku. Read on to know more about these acclaimed movies and where to catch these on streaming.

Aattam plot

Aattam, which starred Zarin Shihab and Vinay Forrt and Kalabhavan Shajohn, won the National Award for the Best Feature Film that was announced in August. Aattam, which means The Play, revolves around a drama troupe and its artists. After a night of revelry, the sole women artist in the group complains about sexual harassment, which leads to heated discussions that reveal the patriarchal and selfish mindset of her male colleagues.

 Zarin Shihab delivers a measured performance as Anjali, while Vinay Forrt portrays her boyfriend in the movie that raised pertinent questions about the male gaze on women’s actions. The film, written and directed by Anand Ekarshi, was screened at various film festivals, including IFFK and IFFI.

Aattam is available on Prime Video.

Ullozhukku plot

The other film on the list is Ullozhukku, which starred Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu in the lead roles. Urvashi plays Leelamma, while Parvathy appears in the role of her daughter-in-law Anju. The film follows the events after Leelamma’s son Thomaskutty passes away and the entire family is waiting for the floodwaters to recede to conduct the funeral. As they wait, secrets emerge, raising questions about the past and present actions of the lead characters. Ullozhukku, which means Undercurrent, is a careful exploration of the complexities of human beings and relationships.

Both Urvashi and Parvathy won accolades for their performances, with Urvashi receiving the State Best Actress award for the sixth time. Director Christo Tomy, who is also the writer, was also lauded for bringing to life such a layered story.

Ullozhukku is also available on Prime Video.

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