Kochi, Dec 31 (IANS) If we look back at how well Malayalam cinema fared in 2007, it is not titles of the films that come to mind but the personalities, who have left their mark on the screen.

Topmost among these is Sreenivasan, an all-rounder. The actor-writer-director-producer had a fruitful year with two outings. One was Lal Jose. who directed 'Arabikatha'. Scripted by Iqbal Kuttipuram, the film featured Sreenivasan who played a staunch Leftist. Circumstances force him to go to work in the Middle East, and face the workers' problems there.

Sreenivasan's next outing was 'Kadha Parayumbol', where he plays a barber in a village. Written and co-produced by Sreenivasan and directed by debutant M. Mohanan, the film is about how the barber's life is turned upside down when a film unit comes to the village for a shoot and the news spreads that superstar Ashok Raj (Mammootty) is the barber's childhood friend.

The second person on the list is director Shafi. Belonging to a younger group of directors, he has notched two hits. One is 'Maayavi', an entertainer with Mammootty as the hero, a hitman and an expert in preying in the dark.

The film was written by Rafi Mecartin and audiences lapped it up for two reasons - its star aura and humour. Under director Shafi's baton, this film worked wonders, as he had learnt his ropes helping in making films like this.

Shafi's second success was 'Chocolate'. This film brought Prithviraj into reckoning as a crowd-pulling actor. The unusual theme of circumstances forcing a male student to admit himself to a women's college has been given a comic twist. Here Prithviraj was supported by Salim Kumar and Jayasurya. Roma and Samvrutha lead the gang of girls in the movie.

Writer-director duo Shafi and Mecartin has made an impact. They had three successes in 2007. The first was 'Mayavi' and the second was 'Hallo', written and directed by the duo in which they teamed up with Mohanlal for the first time. The story of a drunken lawyer saving a damsel in distress made the cash registers ring. 'Hallo' had also the distinction of being the sole commercial success for Mohanlal in 2007.

Their third film was Dileep starrer 'Romeo', directed by the duo's mentor Rajasenan and released during Christmas.