Alphonse Puthren is an Indian film director, editor and screenwriter who works primarily in Malayalam cinema, with credits also extending to Tamil cinema. He is best known for directing the romantic comedy Premam (2015), which became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of its time and a cultural touchstone for a generation of viewers in Kerala.
| Name | Alphonse Puthren |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Film director, editor, screenwriter |
| Industries | Malayalam cinema, Tamil cinema |
| Notable work | Neram (2013), Premam (2015), Gold (2022) |
| Debut | Neram (2013) |
Puthren hails from Kerala and trained in cinema with a focus on editing before moving into direction. His early short films circulated on the festival and online circuit and brought attention to his sense of timing, music selection and visual humour, qualities that would later become signatures of his feature work.
Puthren made his feature debut with Neram, a bilingual film released simultaneously in Malayalam and Tamil. Starring Nivin Pauly and Nazriya Nazim, the film is built around the theme of luck and timing, and was noted for its tight editing, distinctive background score and stylised storytelling. Neram established Puthren as a director to watch in both Malayalam and Tamil cinema.
Premam, again with Nivin Pauly in the lead, follows three phases in the romantic life of its protagonist, set against the backdrop of school, college and adult life in Kerala. The film opened to widespread popular response, drove repeated theatrical viewings and spawned a long-running fan culture around its songs, characters and dialogues. It is widely regarded as a milestone in the "new generation" wave of Malayalam cinema and significantly raised the profile of its lead and supporting cast, including Sai Pallavi in her Malayalam debut.
After a long gap, Puthren returned with Gold, a Malayalam comedy starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Nayanthara. The film marked his second feature in Malayalam following the success of Premam.
Puthren's work is characterised by a strong emphasis on editing rhythm, the integration of music and sound design into narrative, and a preference for ensemble characterisations rooted in everyday Kerala settings. Premam, in particular, is credited with influencing the visual grammar, music styling and marketing approach of subsequent Malayalam romantic films, and with helping consolidate the audience reach of Malayalam cinema beyond Kerala.
| Year | Film | Language | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Neram | Malayalam / Tamil | Director, writer, editor |
| 2015 | Premam | Malayalam | Director, writer, editor |
| 2022 | Gold | Malayalam | Director, writer, editor |