: Unlike many contemporary film industries that favor escapist fantasy, Malayalam films have traditionally maintained a focus on "rootedness," capturing the minute details of everyday life in Kerala. Reflections of a Changing Society
Malayalam film has cycled through various eras, each reflecting the changing Malayali psyche. 1. The Era of Laughter-Films
Kerala was changing. The IT boom was arriving, the Gulf money was shifting, and the education sector was exploding. Yet, cinema was showing fabricated village feuds and supernatural horror-comedies. For the first time, the educated Malayali middle class felt embarrassed to be associated with their own film industry. The mirror was replaced by a funhouse mirror, and the culture rejected it.
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