Malayalam Cinema 101

Did the world really discover Malayalam cinema only during the pandemic?

Maybe.

But for us Malayalis, it has always been a part of our lives — deeply woven into our culture, our conversations and even our everyday slang.

For most people, the journey might have started with Premam, Bangalore Days, Kumbalangi Nights or Manjummel Boys. The industry enjoys a star status today, thanks to discussions around its themes, natural performances and storytelling.

But as a Malayali, I can say this isn’t a new phenomenon. Malayalam filmmakers have been doing this for years — maybe since the first-ever Malayalam movie.

The beginning

We all know that Dada Saheb Phalke is the father of Indian Cinema. If you’ve watched the Marathi movie , you might have seen the legend’s journey in the making of India’s first full-length feature film — .

Similarly, Malayalam cinema had its pioneer, J.C. Daniel, known as the Father of Malayalam Cinema. In 1930, he wrote, produced, directed, and even played the lead in (The Lost Child), the first Malayalam feature film. It was a silent movie.