The heady success of "Premam" was the dream launch vehicle for anyone trying to gain a foothold in the film industry. The phenomenal victory of the film meant that George, played by a dynamic Nivin Pauly, and his bevy of ladies stayed etched in the minds of the audience.
Most films that have more than one heroine clearly mark out who's the "second" heroine and make sure that she either dies or is "retired hurt" from the love battle in some way that relegates her to a position of inferiority. In "Premam", however, all three heroines received the importance that the story arc demanded.
Tracing the phases of love that a young boy goes through, Mary, Malar and Celine succeeded in making a lasting impact on fans of the movie. Their characters were realistically written and each of them emerged as women who had a personality of their own.
The film did very well outside Kerala too, especially in Tamil Nadu where it ran for more than 200 days! Following its unimaginable success, Nivin Pauly shot to fame as Kerala's emerging superstar. But what about the three women who made their debut as leading ladies in the film? How have their careers panned out?
Anupama Parameswaran (Mary)
Anupama played Mary in "Premam", George's first crush. We don't know much about Mary. We see her from a distance the same way that George does. She's enigmatic, magical and unattainable with her bouncy hair and slightly snooty smile.
Since "Premam", Anupama has done films in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam! She appeared in the Telugu remake of "Premam" opposite Naga Chaitanya. Prior to this, she was seen in "A Aa" (Telugu) which starred Nithiin and Samantha in lead roles.
Anupama's biggest film which has released since "Premam" is probably "Kodi" (Tamil), in which she appeared as "Mutta" Malathy opposite Dhanush.
In her soon to be released Malayalam film, "Jomonte Suvisheshangal", she's Dulquer Salmaan's heroine. The teaser of the song "Nokki Nokki" from the film, which was released two days ago, has already garnered over 6 lakh views.
Anupama's Telugu film "Shatamanam Bhavati" is likely to release for Sankranti.
Sai Pallavi (Malar)
Malar Teacher, without a doubt, was the biggest surprise package in "Premam". Sai Pallavi, who used to be conscious of her acne and voice, swept over Kerala, winning hearts all around. Whether it was her mischievous smile or the way she punctured George's bravado with good sense, Malar madness was for real. Her popularity was evident with the amount of trolling Shruti Hassan had to endure for playing the role in the Telugu remake.
Sai Pallavi had previously appeared in a blink and miss role in a Tamil film "Dham Dhoom" in which she was the heroine's (Kangana Ranaut) friend. With "Premam", she became a much sought after heroine. However, Sai Pallavi was studying Medicine in Europe and has been very selective about her choices.
In 2016, she acted opposite Dulquer Salmaan in "Kali" (Malayalam), a nail-biting thriller about a road trip gone wrong. As Anjali, Sai Pallavi brought to life the personality of a quiet yet strong woman who struggles with a spouse who has an anger management issue.
Sai Pallavi's Telugu debut, "Fidaa", is opposite Varun Tej and will be out next year. She's also said to have signed a Tamil film starring Vikram.
Madonna Sebastian (Celine)
She's the girl who got the guy in "Premam". With her impish smile and expressive yet nuanced acting (watch the scene with the red velvet cake for evidence), Madonna shot to fame instantly. Celine from "Premam" was George's happy walk towards sunset as long as love and its accompanying drama was concerned, and it's no surprise that fans remember her with warmth.
After "Premam", Madonna did "Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum" (Tamil) with Vijay Sethupathi. She played the role of Yazhini, a young woman who wants to lead life on her own terms, and ends up falling in love with the rowdy-next-door. An official remake of "Dear Desperado", the film earned good reviews.
Like Anupama, Madonna was a part of the Telugu remake of "Premam", too. She also did a comedy film with Dileep, "King Liar" (Malayalam) which did well at the box-office. Her next Tamil film, "Kavan", is also with Vijay Sethupathi.
Madonna is also appearing in "Humans of Someone", an intriguing English film about a man who becomes obsessed with a filmmaker whose films are "inextricably entwined" with his own life.