: The first talkie, Balan (1938), was a commercial success that paved the way for a more robust industry.

Malayalam cinema has consistently addressed social issues relevant to Kerala society, such as:

“But that’s the truth of our culture, Ravi,” Lakshmikutty said, on the fifty-ninth night. “We don’t build in stone. We build in rain, in rice paddies, in Onam sadhyas that vanish by evening. Our cinema is the same. It was never meant to last. It was meant to be felt.”