The 'Golden Age' of Malayalam cinema (the 1980s and early 1990s) was defined by the legendary trio of Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, and John Abraham, alongside mainstream auteurs like Padmarajan and Bharathan. This era cemented the industry’s reputation for neo-realism. Drawing heavily from Kerala’s rich literary tradition—the works of M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, and S. K. Pottekkatt—these filmmakers explored the anxieties, aspirations, and hypocrisies of the Malayali middle class.

The 2010s brought an earthquake. Suddenly, the "star" was dead; the script was the hero. Films like Traffic (2011), 22 Female Kottayam (2012), and Diamond Necklace (2012) shattered the mold. The New Generation wave, as it was called, finally allowed Malayalam cinema to discuss actual Kerala instead of the idealized version.