One of the most fascinating aspects of this ecosystem is the star system. Unlike Bollywood, where a Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan carries a brand that overrides the director, Malayalam’s biggest stars—Mammootty and Mohanlal, both in their 70s—have evolved into character actors.

Mammootty, once known for his swaggering police officer roles, now plays a silent, lonely baker in Puzhu (2022) and a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee in Nanpakal…, speaking fluent Sinhalese. Mohanlal, the industry’s most beloved star, alternates between mass entertainers (Drishyam franchise) and arthouse experiments like Vanaprastham (1999), where he played a Kathakali dancer with a god complex.

“They aren’t stars. They are repertory players who happen to have fan clubs,” notes film critic Baradwaj Rangan. “That’s only possible in a culture where the writer and director are the real heroes. In Kerala, you’ll hear fans say, ‘I’m going to watch the new Lijo Jose Pellissery film’ before they say ‘the new Fahadh film.’”

This director-driven model has given rise to auteurists like Pellissery (Ee.Ma.Yau, Churuli), whose work is as formally radical as any European festival darling, but whose narratives are rooted in Syrian Christian funeral rites and Idukki folklore.

As of 2026, the industry stands at a crossroads. The post-pandemic boom has cooled. Theatrical footfalls for mid-budget films have dropped, as younger Malayalis prefer streaming. In response, a new generation of filmmakers is pushing the envelope even further.

Director Linto Tomy’s Pani (2025) used generative AI to recreate 19th-century Malabar coast landscapes for ₹8 crore, a fraction of what a VFX house would charge. Writer Muhsin Parari is adapting his own novels into interactive streaming series where viewers choose the protagonist’s political allegiance.

Meanwhile, a counter-trend is emerging: the “neo-mass” film. Aavesham (2024) and Turbo (2025) brought back old-school star worship but with a self-aware, meta twist. The heroes still fly through the air, but they joke about how unrealistic it is. It’s postmodern mass entertainment, and it’s working.

The impact of such scandals and the demand for this kind of content can have several social implications: