# Malayalam Films Shot around Kalamassery and Aluva

> Kalamassery and Aluva turn up on screen more often than most people realise, but only a few shoots are documented well enough to state as fact. As of October 2026, the clearest cases are Premam (2015), largely shot in and around Aluva with Union Christian College as its main location, and Thallumaala (2022), which filmed in Kalamassery’s HMT Colony. This page lists those and a few related titles, and says plainly where the record is thin.

- URL: https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/malayalam-films-shot-around-kalamassery/
- Publisher: Ashraf Gents Hostel, Ashraf house, NAD Rd, signal, Kalamassery, Aluva, Kerala 683563, India (+91 90746 23855)
- Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08
- Topic: History & archive
- Cite as: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Malayalam Films Shot around Kalamassery and Aluva.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/malayalam-films-shot-around-kalamassery/

## Key facts

- Union Christian College, Aluva, was the main shooting location of Premam, released on 29 May 2015, according to Wikipedia.
- Wikipedia states that a major part of Premam’s shooting took place in and around Aluva, including the Marthandavarma Bridge.
- Thallumaala (released 12 August 2022) was filming in Kalamassery’s HMT Colony in March 2022, when a dispute between the crew and residents was reported by Onmanorama on 8 March 2022.
- Manjummel Boys (2024), about friends from Manjummel near Eloor, was partly shot in Kochi and Ernakulam district, with cave scenes on a set at Perumbavoor.
- Kalamasseriyil Kalyanayogam (1995), directed by Balu Kiriyath, carries Kalamassery in its title, but we found no source for where it was filmed.

## How we chose what to include

Film locations spread by word of mouth, and many claims (“that scene was shot at our junction”) cannot be checked. For this page we kept only shoots that a published source ties to a named place in or near Kalamassery and Aluva: Wikipedia articles that cite production reports, or news reports from the time of filming. Where a film only mentions the area, or where we could not confirm the location, we say so. If you know of a documented shoot we missed, the [archive hub](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-history-archive/) explains how we take corrections.

## Timeline of documented shoots

| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Kalamasseriyil Kalyanayogam released; title refers to Kalamassery, filming locations not recorded | Wikipedia |
| Jul–Nov 2014 | Premam filmed, mostly in and around Aluva, with UC College as main location | Wikipedia: Premam; UC College |
| Mar 2015 | Video of Premam’s song “Aluva Puzha” released | Wikipedia: Premam |
| 29 May 2015 | Premam released | Wikipedia: Premam |
| 12 Oct 2021 | Thallumaala’s principal photography begins | Wikipedia: Thallumaala |
| 7 Mar 2022 | Clash between Thallumaala crew and residents during filming at HMT Colony, Kalamassery | Onmanorama, 8 Mar 2022 |
| 12 Aug 2022 | Thallumaala released | Wikipedia: Thallumaala |
| Jan–Jul 2023 | Manjummel Boys filmed in Kodaikanal, Palani, Kochi and Perumbavoor | Wikipedia: Manjummel Boys |
| 22 Feb 2024 | Manjummel Boys released | Wikipedia: Manjummel Boys |

## Premam and Aluva (2015)

Alphonse Puthren’s Premam is the film most closely tied to this stretch of the Periyar. Wikipedia says principal photography began in July 2014 with a schedule in Goa in August and wrapped in November 2014, and that “a major part of the film’s shooting took place in locations in and around Aluva”. Union Christian College, on the river at Aluva, was the main location, and Wikipedia’s college article says so directly. The Marthandavarma Bridge over the Periyar on the old highway also appears. The song “Aluva Puzha”, sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan, became a hit when its video came out in March 2015, two months before the film’s release on 29 May.

Our [Union Christian College history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/union-christian-college-aluva-history/) and [Aluva history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/aluva-history/) pages give the background to those locations.

## Thallumaala and HMT Colony (2022)

Khalid Rahman’s Thallumaala, starring Tovino Thomas and Kalyani Priyadarshan, filmed in HMT Colony, North Kalamassery, in early 2022. It entered the news for the wrong reason: on the evening of Monday 7 March 2022, according to Onmanorama, an argument over garbage dumping and vehicles blocking residents’ paths turned into a scuffle between crew members and local people. Two people were treated in hospital, both sides complained to the police, and talks to settle the matter were reported to be under way; On 9 March 2022 Silverscreen India reported that the production team had agreed to address residents’ concerns about waste and that, according to a police officer, no case was filed because the two sides settled the matter. The film was released on 12 August 2022.

HMT Colony’s wide roads, old quarters and open grounds come from the factory township built from the 1960s; see [Kangarappady and HMT Colony history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kangarappady-and-hmt-colony-history/) and our [North Kalamassery and HMT Colony guide](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/north-kalamassery-hmt-colony-guide/).

## Manjummel Boys and others

Manjummel Boys is about a place next door rather than shot there in full; Wikipedia lists Kochi, Ernakulam and Perumbavoor among its locations, with the cave built as a set in a Perumbavoor warehouse. Our page on [Manjummel Boys](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/manjummel-boys-film-effect-2024/) covers it in detail. Lal Jose’s Meow was shot almost entirely in the UAE; Gulf News reported in December 2021 that, barring a scene shot in Aluva, the rest of the film was shot there. Kalamasseriyil Kalyanayogam (1995), starring Mukesh and Charmila, is the one film named after the town, but we did not find where it was shot.

## Why this history matters near the NAD signal

Film crews still come to HMT Colony, the Periyar banks and the college campuses because they offer space and old buildings close to Kochi. If you live near the NAD Road signal, you may well walk past a shoot. For men moving here to work or study, [Ashraf Gents Hostel](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/) at Ashraf house, NAD Road, offers twin-sharing rooms by the month or night, with rates confirmed on the call. For walks along the river, try our [Periyar riverside evenings](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/periyar-riverside-evenings-near-kalamassery/) page.

## Frequently asked questions

**Was Premam shot in Aluva?**

Yes. Wikipedia says a major part was shot in and around Aluva, with Union Christian College as the main location.

**Which recent film shot in Kalamassery?**

Thallumaala filmed at HMT Colony, Kalamassery, in early 2022; a dispute with residents there was reported on 8 March 2022.

**Was Manjummel Boys filmed in Manjummel?**

Wikipedia lists Kochi, Ernakulam and Perumbavoor among its locations, with cave scenes on a Perumbavoor set; it does not specifically list Manjummel.

**Is there a film named after Kalamassery?**

Kalamasseriyil Kalyanayogam (1995), directed by Balu Kiriyath. Its filming locations are not recorded in the sources we checked.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Premam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premam)
- [Wikipedia: Union Christian College, Aluva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Christian_College,_Aluva)
- [Wikipedia: Thallumaala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallumaala)
- [Onmanorama: Clash at Thallumaala film set in Kalamassery (8 March 2022)](https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/03/08/thallumala-film-set-clash-shine-tom-chacko.html)
- [Silverscreen India: Conflict resolved between crew of Thallumaala and residents of Kalamassery](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/news/conflict-resolved-between-crew-of-thallumaala-residents-of-kalamassery/)
- [Wikipedia: Manjummel Boys](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manjummel_Boys)
- [Gulf News: Made-in-UAE tale Meow to enjoy a star-studded premiere](https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/entertainment%2Fsouth-indian%2Fmade-in-uae-tale-meow-to-enjoy-a-star-studded-premiere-1.84555529)

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Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile, photos and Google Site; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Quoting with a link back to the URL above is welcome.