I will share my impressions about Adoor,Aravindan and Shaji.
I consider Adoor as the greater film maker of the lot.His firstfilm Swayamwaram(1972,a film influenced or inspired by italian neorealistic cinema) was like a breath of freshair at that time.His most significant work is of course Elippathayam(Mousetrap) .Mukhamukham was a much talked about film because of its percieved criticism of communism.Anantharm was an interesting film mixing fantasy into the narration.Mathilukal and Vidheyan were adaptations of famous literary works of Vaikom Muhammed Basheer(One of the giants of Malayalam literature) and of Zacharia.At the time of release Vidheyan evoked plenty of discussion about the directors right to make changes to the storyline .
I personally consider only Elippathayam as significant.
Aravindan--- Aravindan was the creator of perhaps the greatest graphicnovel written in India.OK I havnt read any other nor am I aware of.Cheriya manushyarum valiya lokavum(Small men Big world).His films are hmmmmm interesting .It was in reaction to the prevailing style of the commercial cinema.So the equation was like this.Commercial is FAST -my film will be SLOW.
My take--I dont consider him a great filmmaker merely an interesting one.His style didnt come out of the requirements of the theme(Like it is for Tarkovskys long lingering takes in the opening scenes of Sacrifice for instance).
Shji n karun
Was Aravindans cinematographer.Then became a director himself.There are lot of interesing shots in his films but not much more than that.
I find him as someone very smart in a business kind of way who makes his cinema primarily for a western audience(read festivals).His images are chosen carefully to appeal to outsiders as authentic India.In fact one of my friends said that if one more brass pot rolls I will scream.
This is my personal opinion.
