No discussion of Kerala's culture is complete without the "Gulf boom"—the massive migration of Malayalis to the Middle East since the 1970s, which transformed Kerala's economy.
Kerala is often marketed as a secular, communist haven, but films like Keshu (2009, though banned) and Njan Steve Lopez (2014) and Biriyani (2013) revealed the quiet apartheid. Biriyani showed the police brutality and classism against the Pakistani community and lower castes in Malappuram. The recent Aavasavyuham (The Arbitrary, 2022), a mockumentary, used the sci-fi genre to talk about caste oppression in the most literal way—treating Dalits as aliens. This ability to hide brutal critique within genre tropes is uniquely Malayali. No discussion of Kerala's culture is complete without
"Reshma, known for her vibrant presence, found herself in a somewhat uncomfortable situation at the mall. As she was getting ready to change into a new outfit, she realized there was a young guy nearby who seemed to have caught a glimpse of her. She handled the situation with grace, ensuring her privacy and comfort." As she was getting ready to change into
Manichitrathazhu (1993), widely regarded as one of the greatest psychological thrillers in Indian cinema, brilliantly juxtaposed traditional Kerala folklore and superstition against modern psychiatry. and socially conscious. Their films
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The 1980s saw the rise of the Parallel Cinema movement in Malayalam, characterized by a group of filmmakers who sought to challenge mainstream cinema's conventions and explore more complex, realistic themes. Filmmakers like A. K. Gopan, K. S. Sethumadhavan, and T. V. Chandran created films that were more experimental, innovative, and socially conscious. Their films, such as Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu (1984) and Perumazhayile Oru Putham (1985), tackled issues like poverty, inequality, and social injustice, providing a platform for marginalized voices to be heard.