Filmmakers began using Kerala’s geography—its backwaters, paddy fields, and traditional architecture—not just as a backdrop, but as an active element that defined the characters' identities.
Kerala’s high literacy rate and focus on social justice and education are deeply ingrained in its films. Malayalam cinema often tackles complex themes like class struggle, family dynamics, and progressive social change.
Reviews of the (starring Richa Chadha as Shakeela and Pankaj Tripathi as the toxic superstar Salim) have been largely negative: