The last decade has witnessed a renaissance often dubbed the "Malayalam New Wave." Thanks to OTT platforms and a fragmented audience, filmmakers abandoned the star-vehicle formula for content-driven scripts. This new wave has taken the relationship between cinema and culture into uncharted, often uncomfortable, territory.
: Traditional art forms like Kathakali and Koodiyattam emphasize intricate facial expressions and mudras, setting a high standard for acting in the region.