Script The New Superstar

The new wave of Malayalam cinema.

- Athira Raj

The macho hero, the evil villain, the beautiful leading lady, a revenge plot, comedic dialogues and teary-eyed family scenes were the recipe for every successful '90s film. The hero would be a household name and the film would be known for its superstar. Fans would flock to the theatres to see their favourite superstar shine through the screen, bearing the torch of moral values and justice. The action sequences were unrealistic and the emotional dialogues were exaggerated. It would be unjust to say that these films lacked good stories but certainly, there was a set formula.

Malayalam cinema was not different from this phenomenon of superstar films. The films of that era were more popularly known for the actor, the hero. But since the '90s, our ideas of heroes and heroines, cities and villages, friends and family, changed as the internet became accessible and films in other languages became available to the audience. Malayalee audience has stopped walking into the theatres just to watch their superstar; now they demand nuanced stories, realistic representation and an engaging plot. Earlier, many stories and characters were written for a particular actor. This prevented Malayalam cinema from welcoming new faces and experimenting with new narratives.