Malayalam cinema, or Mollywood , has long shed the tag of a "regional industry." Today, it stands as arguably the most intelligent, nuanced, and culturally reflective film industry in the country. But to understand the films, you must first understand the culture that births them.

Keralites are obsessed with their geography. Being sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, the landscape dictates lifestyle. The pacing of a Malayalam film is often slow, humid, and lazy—just like a rainy afternoon in the state.