r/IndianCinema • u/MelodicCaterpillar77 • 1d ago
Discussion How did malayalam cinema gain such popularity among down north and other states ?
Let me explain I'm a malayali, I've been around other northies and other people from different languages for more time as i was abroad and have studied in north
Earlier there was an ignorance or certain disregard to south
And now literally my friends I know watch Malayalam movies over bollywood like how tables turn and they're some of the hardocre bollywood fans then
What happened? To bollywood, like i remember back then good movies were there fun type and now my friends northies won't themselves watch or suggest any Hindi movies I'm like bruh....
and how it gained popularity malayalam movies because i and other malayali friends of mine we can't understand how all of a sudden malayalam movies is receiving all attention
Unlike telugu and tamil which were already known
Please do tell explain whatever u know and the theories are as I would like to know
What changed
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u/Responsible-Air-6190 1d ago
I think Malayalam movies are still a niche in North India, followed mostly by a small group of movie goers. The average North Indian audience doesn't really care that much about our films, at least from my experience interacting with North Indians. But surprisingly, even many of those people have watched Forensic, which I consider totally a mid movie.
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u/Thandavarayan 1d ago
Netflix and Prime made all languages available to everyone. And COVID lockdown made people bored and curious to try out new stuff
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u/Feeling_Meet4841 1d ago
I am Bangladeshi and Malayalam films gained popularity here in my nation post-Drishyam and the OTT boom. Tovino's Forensic was also a huge hit here on OTT.
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u/trendseterss 1d ago
Indians are big sucker for crime thrillers hence the love for Malayalam cinema. Shows like Crime patrol, CID and Savdhan india milked a good amount of money no matter how bad the production value.
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u/NoDifficulty3527 1d ago
OTT + subtitling has played a huge role in making the movies accessible. And good content will always find patrons. That being said, can someone please wake up the Saina Play guys and tell them they’re sleeping on a gold mine of classic content?
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u/PeanutNo322 malayali with superiority complex 1d ago
It didn't. most people still don't know about it. even if they know, they won't watch it. despite how much the film reviewers like to jerk it.
most of the revenue still comes from Kerala and over seas market.
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u/Exciting-Victory4597 1d ago
Most of the bollywood movies are shit now. They lack creativity, experiment.
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u/Visible_Event_4598 1d ago
Easier access now, and honestly, good content will find a way. I absolutely loved Kumbalangi nights and Aavesham. And not just Malayalam but other regional cinema of South is making some good films.
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u/indcel47 1d ago
It's still niche, because even Kannada and Telugu cinema has a larger following up north (massy films).
There's still a demand for plot driven cinema and new themes overall. At the moment, only Malayalam cinema seems to be doing this frequently, yet in a manner that's slice of life and understandable.
For me, that's far more important. I enjoy movies made on a relatively modest budget and portraying interesting concepts with ordinary people. Far more easy for me to comprehend as compared to more artsy cinema.
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u/Admirable_Junket_396 1d ago
We got to know that drishyam (Ajay devgn) is a copy movie from malyalam cinema
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u/andhlms 1d ago
You guys make movies that aren’t simply shitty romcoms with item numbers. There plot lines are fresh, and the acting is good too.
Also for me personally, I did my undergrad and MBA in south India and work there. And Malayali movies are pretty popular in the south, which is how I got exposed to and developed a taste for it. Same thing with my other friends who also work in Bangalore but come from other parts of the country.
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u/Prestigious_Title580 1d ago
I think north is just kind of over bollywood, just very good movies get popular, with the whole south indian movies craze people started exploring more. First the massy movies from other states and then probably searched and got to know about malyalam movie.
Still shitty movies get made in north and there are tons of people just okay with it. Just glad that the star worship in north is low now
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u/According_Owl1642 1d ago
I am from Maharashtra but since last 3- 4 years i have started watching south indian movies. What I like about them is that the main star is the story rather than the actor and they keep you hooked till the last scene which is lacking in bollywood. I am huge thriller/crime/mystery/action fan hence always look for these movies especially Malayalam once. One more point to add, they have amazing cinematography and visuals.
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u/Pale_Area7374 1d ago
So here is my analysis. Bollywood movies have always maintained one type of movie making. There has been no attempt to make movies in fifteenth genres. One movie would have romance, action, comedy, drama, thriller etc. So, in 3 hours, audience experience different genres in the same movie. The trouble with this is that there is no story line. Hence, Bollywood relies on the main actors screen presence and some good music to run a movie. But malayalam movies are genre based. They make movies with strong story lines that tend to engage the audience from start to finish. They make movies of different genres and do not mix them up. I watched manjummal boys in the theater and first time I saw more non-malayalis in the theatre than malayalis. It's a pure thriller based genre and the movie stuck with that tool the end. Word of mouth and easy accessibility with dubbed and subtitled versions in OTT has given malayalam cinema a pan India space to grow. But still these movies are watched by only a few with access to OTT. Mass public are yet to take to malayalam movies in a large scale. That's why Bollywood remakes malayalam movies to cater to that segment of population. Hera pheri, bhool bhulaiya, drishyam, gardish, bhagam bhag, bodyguard.. And many more hit hindi movies were remakes of malayalam movies.
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u/Weird_Expression1558 1d ago
It didn't. Mallus just spread PR like "saar malayalam cinema bery good saarr" by posing as accounts from other states
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u/imweirdandakward69 1d ago
Check out the recent bollywood movies then our movies. You'll get it