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Then there is (2022), a quiet film about a man who wakes up from a nap in Tamil Nadu believing he is a Tamilian. It explores the blurred cultural borders of South India and the fluidity of identity—a concept deeply relevant to a state that exports millions of its people globally.
This era aligned with Kerala's "Neo-Realism." For the first time, characters spoke the way actual Malayalis speak: a mix of Malayalam, English, and colloquial slang. The setting shifted from the tharavadu to the high-rise flat and the call center.
Malayalam cinema refuses to be easily categorized. It is not as commercial as Telugu cinema, nor as stark as Iranian New Wave. It is the cinema of the middle path—the Madhyama . Then there is (2022), a quiet film about
However, this shift is not without challenges. On average, Malayalam OTT platforms acquire just around 25 films a year, and that too at competitive prices. The Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce has warned that revenue generation has become "high-risk", with OTT platforms no longer acquiring films as frequently. A section of producers attribute the soaring production cost to actors who increased their remuneration during the OTT boom not scaling it down now that OTTs have receded.
Alongside Pellissery, filmmakers like Dileesh Pothan ( Maheshinte Prathikaaram , Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum ), Mahesh Narayanan ( Take Off , Malik ), Jeo Baby ( The Great Indian Kitchen ) and Anjali Menon ( Bangalore Days , Koode ) have brought distinctive voices to Malayalam cinema. Women filmmakers, once nearly absent, have begun making their presence felt. Anjali Menon has directed commercially successful and critically acclaimed films. Beena Paul has over fifty editing credits. Nirmala Vijayan paved the path as the first woman director in the Malayalam industry. The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), founded by Anjali Menon and others, has focused on gender equality in the Malayalam film industry. The setting shifted from the tharavadu to the
Chemmeen was the tide that turned Malayalam cinema towards social modernism. But the confrontation with caste has never ceased. In the 1950s and 1960s, when Malayalam cinema was coming into its own, social realism was the aesthetic norm. The film narratives of the time largely based on literary and theatrical works frontally dealt with issues of social inequality, class divide, caste oppression and untouchability.
The future is bright. With OTT platforms allowing global access, films like Ponniyin Selvan (Tamil) are popular, but Malayalam gems like Iratta (2023) or 2018: Everyone is a Hero (2023) are proving that local stories are universal. They teach us that culture is not a static monument. It is a debate. And for the people of Kerala, that debate happens not on the floor of the legislature, but in the darkness of the cinema hall, where the only light comes from a beam of celluloid. It is the cinema of the middle path—the Madhyama
From its painful origins to its status as a global powerhouse of realistic, content-driven filmmaking, the industry’s journey is a testament to the unique cultural ecosystem of Kerala—a land defined by its high literacy, vibrant public sphere, and deep engagement with art and literature.
The language itself plays a vital role. Malayalam cinema celebrates the linguistic diversity of the state, showcasing distinct regional dialects—from the Thrissur slang in Pranchiyettan & the Saint to the northern Malabar dialect in Thallumaala .
The industry acts as a mirror to the unique socio-cultural landscape of Kerala.
Perhaps most remarkable is how Malayalam cinema has become a dissenting archive of Kerala's political disillusionment. The state that once believed in communism now watches films like Nayattu (The Hunt, 2021)—where three police officers on the run become allegories for how systems consume their own servants. Or Jallikattu (2019), where an escaped buffalo triggers an entire village's descent into mob madness, exposing how thin the veneer of civilization truly is. These films don't offer solutions; they offer diagnoses, and the diagnosis is always uncomfortable.
