The distinctiveness of Malayalam cinema is deeply intertwined with Kerala’s cultural landscape:

Kerala is unique in India for having significant populations of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians living in close, often tense, proximity. Malayalam cinema has oscillated between romanticizing this harmony and exposing its fissures.

Characters in Malayalam films are frequently politically active. Satires like Sandhesam (1991) brilliantly critiqued blind political allegiance, while films like Left Right Left (2013) dissected contemporary political ideologies.