Best Romantic Novels in Malayalam 2024
There is a rich tradition of romantic novels in Malayalam literature that explore love, longing, and human relationships in their many facets. From S.K. Pottekkatt’s timeless classic, “Oru Desathinte Katha,” to Madhavikutty’s poignant love story, “Neermathalam Pootha Kalam,” and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, “Balyakalasakhi,” Malayalam literature has produced some of the most powerful and enduring love stories in Indian literature. More recent works, such as K.R. Meera’s “Aarachar” and M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s “Randamoozham,” continue to capture readers’ imagination with their compelling characters, vivid settings, and nuanced explorations of love and passion. Whether exploring the complexities of intercultural romance, the tumultuous nature of desire, or the transformative power of love, the best romantic novels in Malayalam literature continue to inspire and move readers of all ages and backgrounds.
Here is the list of the 8 best romantic novels in Malayalam. Are you a passionate reader of Malayalam fiction, stories, and novels? Here is the list of the 8 best romantic novels in Malayalam literature.
list of the best romantic novels in Malayalam
Table of Contents
Indhulekha
Indhulekha is the first major novel in Malayalam literature and it is one of the best romantic novels in Malayalam. The author of the novel is O. Chandhumenon, who was a novelist, writer, and social reformer. It is one of the best romantic novels in Malayalam. The novel tells about the life of a beautiful, well-educated lady of a Nair tharvadu, Indhulekha.
The main character of the novel Indulekha is a graceful Nair girl, with good intelligence and artistic talent. She is in love with the hero of the novel Madhavan, who is a member of the newly educated Nair class. Their love story and the surrounding incidents are the main themes of this novel.
Mathilukal
The author of the novel Mathilukal is Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer. we all know about the famous Malayalam author Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer. most of the novels are listed as the best novels in Malayalam It is one of the cherished and well-known love stories in Malayalam. Most of his novels of him are romantic in nature. So, when speaking about the best romantic novels in Malayalam, it is difficult to list books without mentioning them.
Both the hero and the heroine in this novel love passionately even without seeing each other. The story is autobiographical. The main characters, Basher and Narayani are prisoners and never met together up to the ending of the novel. The love between them is the main theme of this novel. The novel ends with Basher standing outside the jail with a rose in his hand.
Balyakala Sakhi
Balyakala Sakhi is another romantic novel by the author Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer. It is a famous Malayalam romantic tragedy novel. The story mainly discusses the teenage romance of the central characters Majeed and Suhara.
Both the characters in the novel were classmates during their school time. They were in love and after school life separated for higher studies. Due to their financial situation and other circumstances, they couldn’t marry each other. The ending of the novel was tragic. The colloquial language the author uses in every novel makes it unique and a favorite to the readers.
Prema Lekhanam
It is another love story written by the same author of Balyakalasakhi and Mathilukal- Vaikkom Muhammed Basher. It is a novel of unrequited love, told with sarcastic simplicity. The meaning of Premalekhanam is ‘Love letter’.
It is a short read love story of the hero Keshavan and Heroin Saramma. Keshavan falls in love with his owner’s daughter Saramma, where she didn’t like him. Even though it is a simple love story the humorous narration of the author tries to reveal the hardship in the dowry system and the social inequalities in our society.
“Ente Kadha” Best romantic novel in Malayalam
Ente kadha is one of the best romantic novels in Malayalam. The author of the novel Ente Kadha is Madhavikkutty (Kamala Surayya), who is a poet, novelist, and short-story writer. It is an autobiographical novel that explains her childhood, teenage love, a failed marriage, the birth of her child, and also her extramarital affairs.
The author herself translated the book into English in the name ‘My Story’. The publisher of the book was Current Books from 1973 to 1982. Now it is currently published by DC Books. Later in her life, the author moved away from social conventions and portrayed homosexuality.
Neermathalam Pootha Kaalam
The author of the story Neermathalam Pootha Kaalam is the same author of Ente Kadha, Madhavikkutty. It is a story about the author’s school days. Though it is an autobiographical one, it isn’t just her story.
It is the life of every woman of that time. She just explained the day-to-day life of women in a non-fictional language. All the woman protagonists in her story came as sexually frustrated figures because of the patriarchal male figure with them.
Chemmen
Chemmen is a great Malayalam classic literature novel. The author of the novel is Thakazhi Shivasankara Pillai. He was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. It is a love story between a Hindu woman and a Muslim man and is one of the best romantic novels in Malayalam.
It is primarily the tale of a young Hindu woman, Karuthamma who falls in love with a Muslim man. Due to their religious and social differences, and the rules of the sea their love was a failure. What happens to the forbidden lovers, and whether the unsuspecting husband will catch in the waves of their all-consuming love – is what this novel is all about. Read about ‘Chemmeen‘ movie
Rathinirvedham
The author of the novel Rathinirvedham is P. Pathmarajan. The story is about a teenager and his sexual awakening. It is one of the famous works of fiction in Malayalam literature. The main character of the novel was in his teenage and everything around him excites and stimulates his sexual curiosity.
The hero of the novel falls in love with a lady who is older than him. He makes love with her. But later in the story, she will die and he enters into his higher studies and a new life. The novel is also scripted by Pathmarajan and directed by Bharathan to make a beautiful movie in the same name.
