While Bollywood avoids politics to ensure mass appeal, Malayalam cinema is unapologetically left-leaning. Films frequently criticize Hindutva politics, the Church, and the Communist party (often all three in the same film). The audience expects their cinema to take a stand.
: The formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) marked a watershed moment in Indian cinema. Women filmmakers and technicians began actively challenging deep-seated industry patriarchy, demanding safer workspaces and more progressive, nuanced representations of women on screen.
The late 2000s saw change happening directly in the mainstream. What are now considered the first saplings of the current new wave in Malayalam mainstream cinema emerged — Ritu (2009), Nayakan (2010), Traffic or Salt N' Pepper (2011). The current new wave in Malayalam mainstream cinema draws a good amount of inspiration from the middle-of-the-road cinema that became popular in the 1980s, taking in the best elements from the mainstream and independent streams. While Bollywood avoids politics to ensure mass appeal,
In the digital era, Malayalam cinema underwent a structural and aesthetic renaissance. Filmmakers like Dileesh Pothan, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Mahesh Narayanan, and Jeethu Joseph redefined cinematic grammar.
The author is a writer based in Kochi, following Malayalam cinema for over a decade. : The formation of the Women in Cinema
The 1990s were a schizophrenic period for Malayalam cinema, perfectly mirroring Kerala’s own identity crisis. On one hand, you had the rise of "comedians" and slapstick family dramas. On the other, you had the darkening of the thriller.
Pioneers like and G. Aravindan brought international acclaim with films like Elippathayam (The Rat Trap, 1981), which used the decaying feudal manor as a metaphor for the existential crisis of the Nair upper caste. Similarly, John Abraham ’s Amma Ariyan (1986) merged radical leftist ideology with avant-garde storytelling, reflecting Kerala’s reputation as a hotbed of political extremes. What are now considered the first saplings of
The 1980s and 90s were defined by the rise of two colossi who remain central to Malayalam cinema’s identity: Mammootty and Mohanlal. The industry developed a unique "star system" where these two actors, with their incredible range and charisma, commanded a fanatical following. Yet, even the mainstream in Malayalam cinema has always valued performance over pomp. Unlike the larger-than-life heroes of other industries, Mammootty and Mohanlal built their legends on a bedrock of realism.