Kerala’s high literacy rate and its long history of communist and socialist movements have given its cinema a unique political consciousness. While other Indian film industries were busy manufacturing stars and dreams, Malayalam cinema, particularly in the 1970s and 80s, pioneered the ‘New Wave’ or ‘Middle Stream’ cinema.
For the outsider, these films are a gateway to understanding that Kerala is not a static postcard of houseboats and Ayurveda. It is a volatile, sensual, intellectual, and fiercely proud culture. And every year, from the paddy fields of Kuttanad to the high-rise apartments of Dubai, the cinema continues to whisper, shout, and weep the story of the Malayali.
Kerala’s high literacy rate and its long history of communist and socialist movements have given its cinema a unique political consciousness. While other Indian film industries were busy manufacturing stars and dreams, Malayalam cinema, particularly in the 1970s and 80s, pioneered the ‘New Wave’ or ‘Middle Stream’ cinema.
For the outsider, these films are a gateway to understanding that Kerala is not a static postcard of houseboats and Ayurveda. It is a volatile, sensual, intellectual, and fiercely proud culture. And every year, from the paddy fields of Kuttanad to the high-rise apartments of Dubai, the cinema continues to whisper, shout, and weep the story of the Malayali.