By Paresh C. Palicha. Kerala, India, 10:33 AM IST

Christmas and New Year have passed, but films released during the period still hold their place in the list of box-office hits.

The top five Malayalam films are:

1. 'Baba Kalyani': Mohanlal ends 2006 with a hit. The film had a weak storyline, but director Shaji Kailas packaged the star right and it appealed to his fans.

2. 'Palunku': Director Blessy keeps his stamp of focusing on the nuclear family in this film too. Mammootty gives a stellar performance, making it a winner.

3. 'Notebook': The misadventures of three girls in a boarding school provide the story for this film directed by Rosshan Andrrews. It moves up one place this time around.

4. 'Smart City': Suresh Gopi keeps churning out political thrillers at regular intervals. 'Smart City', directed by newcomer B. Unnikrishnan, is just an addition to that list.

5. 'Kanaka Simhasanam': Jayaram unites with his favourite director Rajasenan to make a comedy film on the travails of a drama troupe owner, but the story goes awry in the process.

By Paresh C. Palicha (Staff Writer, © IANS)